Alamogordo High School physics class to test rocket sleds at Holloman test track

ALAMOGORDO – Three, two, one, Fire!

Then a wooden car whizzed down one of the hallways at Alamogordo High School Monday evening during a carbon dioxide car launcher demonstration.

The demonstration was for the AHS Physics AP class sled design team, called Shockwave, who are designing and building high speed sleds to be tested at the Holloman High Speed Test Track (HHSTT) on Holloman Air Force Base in April.

“The students have almost completed their (carbon dioxide) cars and in two weeks we’re supposed to have our CO2 Car Competition,” AHS Military Community Liaison Teresa Ferenczhalmy said. “Then the kids are going out to observe a test next week at the test track and that will, kind of, give them an idea of how it looks, what to expect. Then John (Leslie) will take them to the next step in sled design.”

Before the car launcher demonstration, HHSTT Engineering Lead John Leslie and HHSTT Senior Engineer Kody Sparks gave a presentation on rocket sled velocity, loads and the sled design process.

“We just did this in class today, kind of. We were just doing fulcrums and balance,” AHS senior David Fillmore said about static analysis.

The students had learned about static analysis in regular class. Fulcrums are supports on which levers turn or are balanced upon similar to a seesaw.

Static analysis is a branch of mechanics that looks at loads. The students learned about thrust, drag and lambda loads before heading out into the hall for Leslie’s carbon dioxide car launcher demonstration where a wooden car was launched down the hallway on a string.

“Interesting thing about these rocket sleds is when you get past a certain speed, the friction drops away and what actually is going on is your metal gets so hot that it will start melting,” Sparks said.

Although one would think that the friction would be great with the sleds on the track, it is not much, Sparks said.

The students will hold a carbon dioxide car competition at AHS on Jan. 28 at a time to be announced.

Shockwave meets a few times a month leading up to their rocket sled test at HHSTT in April.