Thrust Vector Control Mounts
Mechanical CAD Led by Braxton Herold
The TVC is what controls the rocket motor. It needs to be strong, precise, easy to assemble, small, and, most of all, look good. These are all the TVCs we developed in chronological order.
T1 Shuttle TVC
This was our first TVC. Its exterior is rectangular because we initially wanted to use it in a space shuttle airframe that I designed out of foamboard. However, we quickly realized that we should make a simple TVC rocket before adding any aerodynamic challenges. This prototype had about 5 degrees of wiggle, which is problematic considering it only vectors ±5 degrees. Also, It's motor casing could only fit a 24mm diameter motor.
T2 TVC
The T3 was another one of our prototypes that was never tested, but it was a step in the right direction. It fit a 29mm motor in a 76mm body tube. At this point I had pretty much reached the limits of what Tinkercad could do.
Matt's TVC
This TVC was designed by Matthew Ianntelli in Fusion 360 and was the first one we static tested. It has a more vertical profile making it fit inside a smaller body tube. It fit a 24mm motor in a 65mm body tube.
A3 TVC
This prototype was a breakthrough and it was the first one I designed in Fusion 360. It combined the best parts of Matthew's and my designs, which allowed it to fit a 29mm motor in a 65mm body tube. In addition, I added a parachute ejection pressure transfer tube to the top of the motor casing, which allowed us to use the built-in ejection charge of an F-15-4 rocket motor to eject the parachute. This TVC mount flew at our first launch.
A4 TVC
This is what we flew at our second launch. Notice the half-ring at the top which connects the TVC the the E-Bay with M3 screws. This was added when we modularized the entire rocket. Having screw-together modules not only makes assembly easier, but also keeps the TVC axes in line with the circuit board's gyro axes. We also added a bunch of fillets and removed the ejection pressure tube, as we switched to a micro-motor parachute ejection system.
A5 'Compact' TVC
This is the latest TVC we designed and we flew it at our third launch. The charring at the top is because we forgot to put the fire-wall puck behind the rocket motor. You may notice that it is incredibly good looking - this is intentional. You may also notice the y-axis servo is at the top with the x-axis servo. This makes the space for the 'protection', an aerodynamic shield that deflects dust and debris from launch away from the joints of the TVC. When launching, we often also add a flexible masking tape seal between the 'protection' and the body tube because it looks really cool.