Overview
I designed a 3D-printed TVC mount controlled by my own STARLIGHT flight computer, mounting the servos above the gimbal itself and driving it through linkages to save space in a 75mm airframe. I finished the build, but it never flew successfully. 3D-printing tolerance stack-up and the plastic gimbal breaking down from motor heat caused failure on the launch pad. That's what pushed me to switch to an all-aluminum mount next.
Technical materials
What I learned
- CAD design of a novel 3D-printed TVC gimbal in Autodesk Fusion 360, with servos mounted above the pivot point and linkage-driven actuation to save space in a 75mm airframe
- Implemented real-time sensor fusion (via the micropython-fusion library) and closed-loop PID control on an RP2040 running MicroPython, mapping IMU output to servo position with a measured +-2-3 degree steady-state accuracy
- Used MATLAB Simulink to simulate the flight path of a TVC-capable model rocket before committing to a physical build
- Diagnosed why the design ultimately failed in flight - 3D-printed tolerance stack-up and thermal breakdown of the plastic gimbal near the motor - directly motivating the switch to an all-aluminum mount