Buzzard Avionics

Buzzard-01

The Rocket

How I came up with the idea:

I watched a couple of BPS.space YouTube videos and thought it's not gonna be that hard...
I remembered a c't magazine article about the program OpenRocket and I tried it. My final rocket was this:

Why a Flight Computer?

Although it sounds like overkill, to put a flight computer on to the first ever build rocket, I did it.
Since I was familiar with KiCad I choose to design the flight computer with KiCad.
I came up with this design, featuring up to 3 sensors, a Raspberry Pi Pico and a place for the battery and an ON/OFF switch:

Future Plans / Software

The next step is writing the flight software. I will probably use MicroPython to read the sensor data and control the rocket.

Use of the Files

.ork files (OpenRocket)

Open these files with OpenRocket to view or modify the rocket design and simulations.

• How to open: In OpenRocket, press Ctrl+O (or Cmd+O on Mac), navigate to the file, and open it.

.kicad_pcb / .kicad_sch files (KiCad)

These files contain the schematics and PCB layout for the custom flight computer.

• How to open: Open KiCad, select File > Open Project, and select the project file in this directory.

3D Models (.obj / .stl)

These files contain the 3D-printable components of the rocket (like the nose cone or fins) and 3D renders of the electronics.

• How to use: Import the .obj files directly into your preferred 3D printing slicer (e.g., Cura, PrusaSlicer) or a CAD program (e.g., Blender, FreeCAD) for modifications.