How should I build a guided model rocket?

[Philip the Arab]

So, recently I have been researching how model rockets work and discovered you can "guide" them in a sort of way. A group created a rocket which kept its flight altitude by using an Arduino mini pro, an accelerometer, 4 motors controlling 4 fins, and a 9v battery. If you are unsure of what an Arduino is I will try my best to explain it. Arduino is basically either Single-board microcontrollers or microcontroller kits for building digital devices and interactive objects that can sense and control both physically and digitally. The group's rocket had a lot of electronics near the top which made it top heavy and in theory without the guided portion in a off the shelf build the rocket would have made an arch and crashed but as you can see in the video the accelerometer tried to keep the flight stable flying horizontally. I also stumbled upon a video where a camera was guided towards a laser by using a camera while communicating with 2 DC motors to track the target and in theory if I could program it (which I have no clue how to) but if someone does know how to program them please tell me so that you may assist me to go towards a target by painting it with a laser from an external source like a drone. This is dangerous territory because of the FAA but I will try keep it a low-key. If you have any suggestions for me please feel free to tell me them. I will give links for the above material.

https://sites.google.com/site/airwavershr/Home/guided-rocket

 

[The SC]

Just take a look at the following video to understand what it take as guidance systems and other technologies to make a potent guided artillery shell, let alone guided bombs or missiles..
The use of the Arduino was a good idea.. are you using any electronic gyroscopes for stabilisation?

 

[Philip the Arab]

I get what you are saying but these are very long range systems. I'm just looking at 1-3 thousand feet away, nothing major. A Japanese guy made this in a year and a half which means in theory he could have made an upscaled rocket powered infrared guided projectile by using a strong infrared painter and a camera mirror which would reflect it onto some target.

 

[Kompromat]

Your biggest problem is the fuel, not the guidance.

 

[Philip the Arab]

Your biggest problem is the fuel, not the guidance.

You are right but I will use a small estes rocket with about 7 seconds of thrust on my first rocket. Just to see if it will work and then move onto bigger rockets like the HTPB composite used by the military. All these materials are online ammonium perchlorate, aluminium poweder, HTPB. This should provide good thrust because on a MANPADS like the stinger they amount of HTPB composite is only about maybe 10 pounds and can reach very high altitudes.