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The first rockets from NERO Haarlem
Contents
1 H1
2 H2
3 H3
4 H4

The first rocket from NERO Haarlem where very simple rockets. Some of them did not even had a parachute; some of them where never recovered. The where used to test the developed rocket engines in a dynamic environment

 

The H1 rocket [Top] [Contents]
The first rocket from NERO Haarlem, the H1, had a length of just 35 cm and did not contain a capsule or a parachute. The rocket was launched on 4 April 1970 using a guidance rail on the beach between Zandvoort and Noordwijk. The launch could only take place when the then NERO had issued a permission to launch and supervised the launch itself and when the Zandvoort police had secured the area. The H1 was built and launched in order to test the Zinc-Sulphur motor under dynamic circumstances. The H1 reached an altitude of about 800 meters,  crashed into the sea and was not recovered. The construction was very simple. The nose cone was made of wood, the rocket body of Iron, the fins of Aluminium and the gliders of brass.
Dutch annotations only Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the design drawings of the H1 (Dutch annotations only).
Dutch annotations only Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the launch rail of the H1 and the H2 (Dutch annotations only).
Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the pictures of the H1.
 

The H2 rocket [Top] [Contents]
Little is known about the H2 rocket. The H2 was launched in 1971 and was 73 cm long. This rocket was also never recovered. It was the last NERO Haarlem rocket not to be recovered.
Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the pictures of the H2.
 

The H3 rocket [Top] [Contents]
For the H3, the third rocket, it was necessary to build an adjustable launch tower. The H3 thus became the first NERO Haarlem rocket to be launched from a launch tower. The H3 was also the first rocket which was not ignited by a filament but with a squib (ignition charge). The launch of the H3 from the newly built 5 meter tall launch tower took place at the end of March 1974. The rocket reached an altitude of almost 2 kilometres and was recovered on a sand bank just off-shore, in contrast to the H1 and H2.
Blue=new red=visited   Take a look at the pictures of the H3.
 

The H4 rocket [Top] [Contents]
The H4 was the first rocket for which the development started within the NERO association. The H4 contained a section with a simple timer-based parachute system with a single parachute. The 1.72 meter tall and 7.8 kg heavy rocket was actually launched twice. The H4 launch attempt in 1982 in Mourmoulon failed because the motor did not reach a high enough pressure. The propellant did burn completely, but the rocket reached an altitude of just 70 cm. In 1993, the second launch of the H4 at the ASK (Artillerie SchietKamp or Artillery Shooting Range) was more successful. The rocket reached an altitude of about 700 meters. The flight was a total success and the rocket was recovered completely.
Dutch annotations only Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the design drawings of the H4 (Dutch annotations only).
Blue=new red=visited Take a look at the pictures of the H4.
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