What did you do rocket wise today?

[bad_idea]

Also have a BT60 upscale of the same Estes kit - that is 29mm / BT60. Near perfect upscale.
The Sprint XL nose cone in the Estes assortment works - the 1282 used the same NC as the original Sprint.

Very nice. Perhaps only because I grew up ogling the original BT50 version in the catalogs, I've always felt the Sprint profile cone was a better fit for the Photon Disruptor than the later versions with the Goblin cone. Thanks for the inspiration: I hadn't thought about building one for BT60, and now I am.

 

[That Rocket Man]

Put the last clear coat on my mostly original 1970s Omega. And put the first outer coat on a photon disrupter.

 

[tsmith1315]

2nd annual Launch, with @gltruett

What a perfect day- sunny, low 70's, 5 mph wind or so! Launch report coming later this evening.




edit: launch report posted.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/south-ga-personal-launch-report.185697/post-2570305

 

[lakeroadster]

Worked up a design for a Firefly Serenity... pretty neat Sci-Fi rocket. Pretty challenging build too.

​

 

[MarsLander]

Outstanding day to FLY!

No pics, just great memories

2x Alpha 3, Chiller, Baby Bertha, Big Daddy (with enough tape to ensure tight fit...NC works fine!), Green Eggs with my first egg launch!, Astra III (Son-in-Law's first catch), CrossFire, and finally, the 2X Viper <---that was a cool flight!

Nice having our own field (1500x1500ft), three miles from home!

 

[Cape Byron]

One thing about making kits is you don’t build kits. I’ve taken on exactly one other manufacturer’s kit since about 2006.

That was an Estes Up Aerospace beginner’s kit.

This simply must change…

I opened an Estes Mini Honest John, knowing full well once you open it you have to build it.

It’s the law. Apparently…



How cool! An extra body tube in case I ruin one.

Put the 13 mm mount away and go with 18 mm. I love mini motors, but I can adapt down, not up.




The nose cone has a couple of extra circumferential lines which don’t suit my purpose. I want an homage to the Cox RTF model that got me into all this.

Filled extra lines (and defects) with Tamiya Basic Putty.

I really like the spin motors.



Working on two or more things at a time does get distracting…



Masked up the BT for spraying with high-fill automotive primer.



Nice little kit.

We didn’t get the massive discount most of you saw on this kit, unfortunately.

 

[KenECoyote]

Goblin drag race!


My Loc 4" on H128 on the left vs. Dragon 4" on H123.

 

[goose_in_co]

Finally... After waiting for paint to dry, the masking is finally off and the minor touchups are drying. Decals in a day or two.
Hanging to fully cure in the rocket closet.

 

[KenECoyote]

Launched my LOC 7.5 V2 Sunday. Field conditions weren't ideal with the right fields partly flooded and winds gusting towards the water, so I angled a lot into the wind and kept it low with a J460 and it landed back by the pads.

 

[John Kemker]

Testing a different way to vac-bag. Used the Zwilling vacuum bags and the handheld vacuum sealer. Gonna see how it does.

 

[KenECoyote]

Testing a different way to vac-bag. Used the Zwilling vacuum bags and the handheld vacuum sealer. Gonna see how it does.

View attachment 639663

I've been planning to use vacuum bags like those as well. Any tips so far?

 

[John Kemker]

I've been planning to use vacuum bags like those as well. Any tips so far?

1) Make sure the entire part, with bleeder cloth and release film (using perforated release film) fit completely inside the bag, without overlapping the zip closure.
2) Seal the zip closure tightly.
3) Make sure the resin gets nowhere near the red valve.
4) Look at it every now and then to make sure it's still holding vacuum.

 

[KenECoyote]

1) Make sure the entire part, with bleeder cloth and release film (using perforated release film) fit completely inside the bag, without overlapping the zip closure.
2) Seal the zip closure tightly.
3) Make sure the resin gets nowhere near the red valve.
4) Look at it every now and then to make sure it's still holding vacuum.

Thanks!

I would add:
Test bag first to ensure there is no leak (one of my bags had a leak when I used it for a bedding item).

 

[John Kemker]

Thanks!

I would add:
Test bag first to ensure there is no leak (one of my bags had a leak when I used it for a bedding item).

I'm going to add: Occasionally apply the pump to "freshen" the vacuum. I found that, while the leak wasn't huge and barely detectable, that when I applied the pump just for grins, it ran a little longer than it should have, indicating I was losing a bit of vacuum. No biggie.

 

[cat5752]

Sanded the wings until they fit, and just about have the plug for the conduit sanded the way I want it. This is a MadCow Jayhawk, and it doesn't have a conduit running along the bottom. So I cut a BT20 lengthwise and added it. I still have to box in the overhang on the boat tail. I added a retention ring and an Aerotech gas baffle. Have some more sanding to do on the canards.

 

[Old School Doug]

Definitely ready for Prime Time.....1st coat of primer done today on the Nike Zeus. Now playing around with building the RingHawk glider from a very old sport flying article until it's time to sand and apply primer coat 2.

 

[Cape Byron]

Scored this great altimeter test kit!

Amazing. Just going to waste in a kitchen cupboard!

 

[KenECoyote]

Beginning with the end!

Didn't quite fit...

Now it does! (Edit: After grinding the inside while also sanding the CRs to fit)

It was tricky figuring this out since the "kit" didn't come with any rear CR, so I got two from Dragon Rocketry. Also had to decide between glue on or bolt on retainer.

6" X-15 with 75mm mmt!

 

[jqavins]

Those are obviously difference centering rings, of slightly different sizes, but both are laser etched with the same marking. What gives?

 

[KenECoyote]

Those are obviously difference centering rings, of slightly different sizes, but both are laser etched with the same marking. What gives?

Actually pic 2 shows the tailcone before I ground down the inside to the point I was comfortable (it's a 2 piece fiberglass design with thicker inner joins at the seams) and then I also sanded the outside of the CRs (I stacked and glued two together for strength) to make it fit. Pic 3 is the final result.

Tailcone opening was also a bit oval which didn't help things and also lead me to stack 2 rings.

 

[RocketTree]

Started making the Mercury-Redstone fleet.

3D printed capsule, escape tower, tip, and rings. 3 inch LOC tubing.

BT50 version on the left. BT60 is currently on the printer.








I printed the first Mercury capsule 1% too big for the tubing, so here is a flying nose cone/escape tower version with 24mm mount.
It probably isn't stable, but I'm going to build it anyway. I cut off the shoulder and printed a dish for the bottom, coated in thinned JB weld to simulate the ablative shield.

 

[krislhull]

UPS delivered a large box from LOC today.... the driver had many questions!

Trying to decide between glassing this beast, or doing a Eric Cayemberg style lightweight M powered beast..... I kind of want this to take my first N, though....

 

[eggplant]

I got around to editing a video about the experimental motor I fired over the weekend:

 

[KenECoyote]

More work on my 6"D X-15. No instructions and this seems to be a "unique" kit, so lots to figure out.

Decided to mostly recess the rear most bt CR, so I had to shape it with a lip to fit.

 

[JoeFilgas]

Got round 1 of filler primer on my Launch Lab Rocketry Bullet Bobby XXL “King Bob Minion” rocket project!

 

[jqavins]

I printed the first Mercury capsule 1% too big for the tubing, so here is a flying nose cone/escape tower version with 24mm mount.
It probably isn't stable, but I'm going to build it anyway. I cut off the shoulder and printed a dish for the bottom, coated in thinned JB weld to simulate the ablative shield.

View attachment 640069

A flared skirt like that can be as good as fins. If you can hide some nose weight inside the solid upper part of the escape tower then it might fly fine (emphasize might). You'd also need to figure out how to add a launch lug, of course.

 

[RocketTree]

A flared skirt like that can be as good as fins. If you can hide some nose weight inside the solid upper part of the escape tower then it might fly fine (emphasize might). You'd also need to figure out how to add a launch lug, of course.

I was thinking a flyaway rail guide might work. Maybe clamp around the top of the capsule, below the tower. The escape tower "motor" is printed with solid infill, which gives it some extra weight. Could try printing another with space for BBs and epoxy if needed. It appears to be stable in OR with the infamous base drag hack, but unstable without it. I think I got the recovery method figured out now too - motor & retainer ejection from the MMT with parachute deployment. I'll post a pic when its completed.

Started printing the 4 inch capsule today.

 

[Antares JS]

Finally had a decently warm weekend, so I did a bunch of painting today. Deuces Wild 29, BOSS, Micro HoJo, and Trifecta all got primer.





I also painted Wyrmling's new repair fillet after masking the decals.

 

[cwbullet]

Planned a launch

 

[MarsLander]

Red Nova decals…power went out in the middle of the session…one to go! Picture sucks because it was taken in the dark!