I'm not in any of those fields, but I'd have to imagine there's a large amount of background knowledge that someone with an aero or mechanical engineering degree has, that he hasn't picked up with model rockets.
Source: Did Aero
Someone doing this as a Amateur can damn well pick up whatever they need to.
I was under that impression that maths could still be useful when working at the very bleeding edge of an engineering field.
There are lots of engineers who are basically building things to a spec and aren't what you might call innovating.
I think someone who builds rockets to this level would be absolutely fine in an entry position. They just might need to get some of the theory first. Saying that, he clearly understands mechanical design and control theory.
Didn't one of the chief engineers at SpaceX start out with model rockets?
You absolutely need that math because you need to know when the modeling software is giving the wrong answer. You’re supposed to do quick and dirty calc by hand (ok fine I use mathematica) in a simplified system, then you refine with numerical software and compare the two. It’s shockingly easy to get the wrong answer with numerical CAD.
Anyone who's worked with decking boards knows they are pretty wobbly by themselves. I'm staring at the results, intuitively knowing they're dead wrong. So I model a plain column of one of these boards 16' long and 2000lbs, straight down. Zero side deflection.
Ah, I realized, it doesn't model buckling.
Map != territory.
It's always important to have multiple perspective of inference on a problem.
> BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:
> Bachelor’s degree in mechanical or aerospace engineering
> 1+ years of experience designing and analyzing mechanical systems via professional work experience, project/research-based student experience, or a combination of both
which OP doesn't have. They're not just hiring randos who can do math, they're looking for people with specific backgrounds in this domain.
There are of course other jobs, like PR, graphic designers, accounting, HR, benefits, facilities, that require zero engineering background, that all big companies must have to just keep the lights on.
I did the specialised mech eng A1 BTEC in the UK that had been set up to service speclised industries - all but of my class worked in bleeding edge RnD.
I did identify in one class that a lump of wreckage was an A4 fuel pump (that is the Agerat 4 aka the V2)
Using a modeling software still requires validation from an engineer and the "random math" is useful for that. Often times we have to do redundant calculations to confirm that the computer solution is logical. Beyond that, the "random math" is often key to the development of an innovative method that is superior to existing solutions.
In general, amateur's goal is to make something work. Engineer's goal is to make something work, prove it works, and show why the solution was chosen.
> Do you make your own motors?
> Nope, I use commercially available propellants. Usually black powder motors from Estes or APCP motors from Aerotech. For custom or more complicated builds, BPS.space outsources propellant work to other manufacturers, who can often achieve higher precision and predictability than any consumer setup. I learn best by experimentation, which works very well for software and electronics, less so for explosives and propellants.
> I also got a C+ in chemistry during high school - designing and making rocket propellant is not a good idea for me :)
It sounds like he makes the rocket housings then tweaks some parameters to make them fly.
Still, there's a huge gap, IMO, between that and building SpaceX level avionics