This was not my first camera rocket project, however it is one of my camera rocket projects that has reached completion. J In 1998 I started an ambitious camera rocket project. I wanted to build a 35mm camroc model that could take an entire roll of film during the decent.

One thing that kept nagging at me while working on the big camroc project, was an idea to design and build a cheap 35mm camroc that could be flown on a D motor. I thought this would be very cool. My first attempt at this idea was in 1999. I purchased one of the earlier Kodak single use cameras (FunSaver 35) and went to work. After a few weeks work, I realized that the camera was a bit too heavy for a D motor. Plus,

it would not fit into a 2.56" body tube. So I temporarily gave up on the idea. Then in December of 2000 I started back into the big camroc project. I had one more major hurdle. I needed to tap into the electronic shutter switch of the camera, attach some wires and route them out of the camera for attachment to the custom timer. Geez, you would not believe how much electronic and electromechanical stuff they cram into these new cameras! After completing that task, I needed a break, J and again started to think about building that cheap 35mm camroc. The idea just would not go away.

So, the following day on the way home from work, I stopped at a Walgreens to purchase another FunSaver 35 and try again. I was pleasantly surprised to find a new improved single-use model, the Kodak MAX – a very small and lightweight (2.5 oz) 35mm single use camera that does indeed fit inside BT-80! I then spent the next 3 months (off and on) attempting to build that perfect cheap 35mm camroc. J I didn’t quite reach all the goals that I had set for the project, but came close. The rest of this webpage is my attempt to describe the KodaRoc project in detail, with the hope that you too may be tempted to build that perfect cheap 35mm camroc.

1. The camroc needed to be light enough to be flown on Estes D12 motors. I really wanted this camroc to use cheap single use motors so as to keep the prep time between flights to a minimum.

2. The camroc needed to take decent photos. A 35mm camera was my choice. No 110 film wanted here. J

So, read on and I’ll share with you the materials and techniques I used in building the KodaRoc-X1 Camera Rocket. I hope this webpage Inspires you to think of ways to improve on this project and then build your own. I love flying model rockets, but it is definitely more fun flying model rockets that carry some sort of working payload.

This is the heart of the KodaRoc project. It is a 35mm, 27 exposure single use camera made by Kodak. It is called the Kodak MAX. It weighs only 2.5 oz, is very small and fits inside Estes 2.56" (BT-80) tubing. It utilizes a thmbwheel for film advance and a small mechanical shutter release button located at the top of the camera body. Purchase price for this camera is around $9 at Walgreens. Kodak makes a version of this camera with a built-in flash, but I’m using the no-flash model.

Although the camera does indeed easily fit inside 2.56" tubing, you will notice that there is not much space on the topside of the camera. This limited space proved to be quite a challenge in designing some sort of shutter trigger mechanism that would fit into this very tight space. As a matter of fact, it was the most challenging part of this whole project.

Shown here is the device that I used to (1) provide the required delay from time of ejection to time the photo is actually taken and (2) provide the required trigger for actuating the camera shutter button. It is a mechanical camera self-timer. And as I found out, are hard to find these days. This particular model can be adjusted from 1 second to about 13 seconds and weighs only 1 oz. The actuator pin has about 10mm of travel and is pushed by a very strong spring which produced more than enough power to release the spring loaded shutter actuator mechanism I had designed for this project.

The small red button on the side of the device is the latch and trigger switch. The large red arm is the arming lever. Turning the lever farther clockwise increases the delay. Once the lever is set, you simply push the small red button located on the side of the device to the trigger position and the device buzzes into action. Towards the end of the timed cycle, the actuator pin will begin to move to its fully extended position and ultimately trigger the camera shutter.

This photo shows the early stages of the camera carrier frame. The main components of the frame include one 1/4" dowel and two 3/16" dowels positioned in a triangular configuration around three 1/4" circular plywood bulkheads. The 1/4" dowel would serve as the main beam to which the ‘Y’ hanger harness would be attached. This is one component that needs to go on a diet before being used in the KodaRoc-2 project. J

This photo shows the camera being fitted into the forward compartment of the carrier. The small self-timer device is also shown. It will be mounted in the rear compartment and provide the delay and shutter trigger functions.

This photo provides some detail on the design of the trigger mechanism used to actuate the shutter button on the camera. Because of the limited space (only 1/8") between the top of the camera and the inside of the payload tube, this was the only design that finally worked. The material used is 1/16" brass rod. Also note the addition of the balsa rails. The camera simply slides up through the bottom with friction and the outer body tube keeping the camera in position.

This photo shows a bit more detail of the shutter actuator mechanism. It’s pretty simple. The arm that has the spring attached swings right to left which in turn swings the small ‘U’ shaped lever from the up to the down position, and thus pushes the shutter button down. The smaller lever that’s attached to the small balsa block is the latching lever and holds the swinging arm in the cocked position. When the latching lever is pushed forward towards the circular plywood bulkhead, the spring loaded swinging lever is released and the camera takes a picture.

This photo shows the self-timer mounted in the rear compartment with all other timer components in place. The timer is positioned such that the actuator pin will contact the latching lever when it fully protrudes during the end of its timing cycle, and thus forcing the camera to take a picture. Note also the latch release mechanism for the timer itself. The string is attached to a lever, which is mounted on the front of the timer. The other end of the lever is attached to a sliding block, which in turn operates the latch/trigger button located on the side of the timer. When tension is applied to the string, the timer latch is activated, thus allowing the timer to be set by turning the big red arm clockwise. The timer will remain in this cocked mode until the tension on the string is release. At that time, the timer starts running (buzzing) until finally at the end of the cycle, the pin moves forward and triggers the camera shutter. Again, the delay for self-timer can be adjusted from 1 second up to 13 seconds.

This photo shows a 3" x 3" block of balsa chucked up in my wood lathe and ready to be turned into a KodaRoc nosecone. I had toyed with the idea to try and make a plastic nose cone fit onto the front end of the camera carrier, but finally decided that a balsa nose cone would be the quickest and easiest to mount.

Here’s the finished product. The nosecone has an outside diameter of 2.6". It’s 3.5" long and weighs 1.5oz. The nosecone was then simply glued onto a circular bulkhead mounted on the very front of the camera carrier assembly. Later photos will show the mounting location.

This photo shows the camera carrier from the topside with the camera loaded into position and the timer mounted in place. Note the black fly fishing line used as the timer release. All the wood surrounding the timer is balsa.

Note the long threaded rod mounted in the center of the rear bulkhead. Once the camera carrier is installed into the payload tube, a nut screwed onto the other end of the rod will then keep the camera carrier secured to the payload tube.

Another view of the completed camera carrier. Note the front of the carrier. A thinner (1/16") front circular bulkhead was glued onto the three wooden dowels. The ends of the dowels were then cut off flush, and the wooden nosecone was glued to this front bulkhead.

This photo shows the payload tube (16" long) with a 1" hole cut in the side to allow for the camera lens view port.

This photo shows the bottom end of the payload tube. Note the groove cut lengthwise into the shoulder. This groove allows the nylon cord to pass between the payload shoulder and booster body tube wall and into the rocket chute compartment. The groove was cut with a Dremel tool and the cutting wheel tool. Four abrasive cutting wheels were stacked to provide a 1/8" wide cut. The entire groove area is backed by a 1/4" x 1/4" strip of basswood glued in place before the rear centering ring/bulkhead was set. The basswood backing strip ensures shoulder integrity and strength despite the fact that the groove is cut all the way through the coupler tube wall and into the basswood strip. The entire shoulder has also been soaked with CA for added strength.

Another close-up of the end of the payload tube. Note that the string hole has an aluminum spacer liner that allows for easy release of the string at ejection with no binding. Also note the nut and washer securing the camera carrier to the payload tube. You can also see the small U shaped connector that serves as a tie point for the other end of the nylon hanger yoke.

This photo shows the tie point for the front of the nylon hanger yoke. The nylon string (160 # test) goes through the hole and ties to the 1/4" wooden dowel that serves as the backbone for the camera carrier.

Finished camera carrier and payload tube ready for assembly.

Camera carrier and payload tube fully assembled.

This photo shows the camera payload hanging from its hanger yoke. Note that a knotted loop has been positioned and tied in the yoke so that the payload hangs horizontal and level. A shock cord and parachute is then tied to the knotted loop. Note that the camera lens is pointing in the downward position. The camera payload and booster will come down on separate chutes.

The initial booster for the KodaRoc utilized a single 24mm motor mount. The centering rings were cut from 1/16" plywood. Note the nylon string (300 # test) wrapped around the motor mount tube and routed through the front centering ring. A loop is formed at the other end of the string, just short of the end of the booster tube. The shock cord and chute are then attached to this nylon leader. I’ve discovered that a nylon leader holds up very well to the ejection charge embers.

This photo shows one of the 1/16" plywood fins being attached to the booster tube. To help reduce the weight, I decided to not utilize through-the-wall construction for fin attachment. I also felt that for the motor sizes being used on this model, surface attachment would work just fine. To help reduce the possibility of fin damage, I chose the clipped delta design for the fins. To help strengthen the fin attachment, I used CA for the initial attachment, and then used epoxy for the fillets.

Fin size and total number of fins were picked so as to ensure the CP is maintained at a 1 to 2 caliber positive stability design for the model. Because of the large amount of weight at the front of the rocket, the size of the fins could be kept relatively small. 1/4" launch lugs were used so that the model could be launched from a more stable launch pad.

Here’s a photo of the finished KodaRoc painted yellow and black. The yellow and black were supposed to be representative of the Kodak colors, but the yellow I used was not the right color. Fortunately, the 1" hole that serves as the camera lens view port turned out to be an adequate sized hole to allow for full view photos.

This view shows the exposed half of the hanger yoke running down the side of the payload section and disappearing into the area where the payload and booster sections are joined.

A close-up photo of the 1" camera lens view port.

It’s cluster time! To allow for more motor variation and to be able to burn more D12s, I built two more boosters for the KodaRoc. A 2-motor and a 3-motor booster that are designed only for Estes D12 black powder motors.

The finished three boosters, each with a different paint job. Note that the fin size for each booster is different so that the CP can be maintained at a positive 1 to 2 caliber. A fourth booster is being built with a single 29mm motor mount. I would like to see the KodaRoc launched on F and G reloads.

I used the Winroc program called "CP Calc" to determine the location of CP with the single motor booster configuration. With a CP of 19.8", the model was showing a positive stability of about 2 caliber (approx. 5"). Way plenty stable. The model has flown straight as an arrow on its first three flights.

I used the Winroc program called "AltiCalc" to determine the max altitude of the model and to help determine what ejection delay to use. The altitude calculation was run using an E18 Aerotech reload and showed an altitude of 557 feet with a recommended 4-sec delay. I used an E18-4 for the first 3 flights. I’m still not very good at estimating altitude, but I think the model is reaching 500 to 600 feet and the 4 second delay is putting the ejection charge just at the mid range of apogee.

Photo by: Dan Stuettgen

Photo by: Dan Stuettgen

This photo shows the KodaRoc during its decent. Note the horizontal position of the camera payload. This photo was taken during the 3^rd KodaRoc flight on (5/19/2001). A 4.5" spill hole cut into the cameral payload chute keeps the payload steady while it takes a picture.

Touchdown! So far, both the camera payload and the booster are showing no wear, even though on the 3^rd flight, the booster landed in the street. 

Because of the more complex prep for this model, I created a formal check list and flight record sheet to be used for each flight. It is definitely required when flying this model.

This was the first photo taken by KodaRoc. It was taken at an AMORC launch on 5/12/2001. Unfortunately, the camera payload was swinging vigorously and the camera took the picture while the payload was pointed at the sun. Although the photo is lacking, the rest of the flight went well with the model performing as expected.

This photo was most likely taken at about 200 feet. The KodaRoc was launched from the AMROC launch site located at West road and Barker Cypress. The street shown in the photo is Wheat Cross street, the street that AMROC launches from. The small dots you see located along the side of the street are sewer manholes.

This photo was also taken at about 200 feet. It was taken about 1 hour after the proceeding photo and also shows Wheat Cross street. The blue vehicle parked on the street is my GMC Jimmy. The KodaRoc was launched from an area just behind the Jimmy.

Because both preceding photos were taken at about the same altitude, I was able to match up the two photos to provide a more complete photo of the launch area.

Bob Supak, email: rsupak@earthlink.net