nute
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Well, It's my turn to do a 38mm minimum D. I'm going with the name Redshift
The basis of this rocket is a Wildman Intimidator Mini. The stock kit has a 22" long, thinwall, 38mm airframe, and one of the new polycarbonate nosecones. There are 3 G10 fins, that I measured at 1/16", perhaps slightly more, thick. It has a 29mm motor mount, and the centering rings to match, but we won't be needing any of those . They have tabs that extend to the motor tube, which will also have to go .
The other part of this rocket is a Wildman "mini" Dual Deploy Upgrade featuring a 4" coupler, and an 8" section of tubing. Mine also came with the famous (or infamous) stepped aluminum bulkplates. I'll be using this for a standard Dual-deploy setup, with the drogue (more on that later) in the booster section, above the motor, and the main in this payload section.
This will be my first real High Performance rocket, so I'll probably be taking it a bit slowly. I'm planning to fly it mostly at my home club here in New Jersey, The wonderful RadRocketeers. If I make it to LDRS, It'll probably fly on something big to 8K+. Maybe an I600R, or a 38/1080 J if I can get someone to fly it who's L2. We'll see.
I'm open to suggestions and ideas, I haven't done anything like this before.
Parts/ Pics:This is everything that came with the kit, plus what came with the Dual Deploy upgrade. I obviously won't be using the motor mount, and will have to add some stuff along the way.
Recovery:
As far as recovery goes, this rocket will be pretty standard. Like I said, I'll have standard Dual Deploy. For a drogue, I'll probably use a mylar streamer, likely about 6" X 36". I'm considering investing in a TFR 4 X 40, or a 6 X 60 thin mill streamer. This would take up a bit more space, but be more reliable and provide a more repeatable descent rate. In larger sizes of mylar, especially when packed in small spaces, I have seen severe burning of the streamer, tearing apart during descent, and failure to unfurl. I probably could drop this drogueless, but if at all possible, I prefer to have some sort of drogue device.
The main will be a TFR parachute, probably 15" or 18", depending on final weight. I have had very good success with these parachutes before, and the thin mill chutes pack tighter than any other nylon I've seen. I have a thin mill and regular 15", and one or two 18".
Various parachute options.
The brains will be an RRC2+ in the altimeter bay. I have a 100% success rate with mine over the course of 6 or 7 flights. I'll be using one of the 3D printed altimeter sleds available through Missileworks.
I'll also be using the switch pictured here, the 110/220 voltage selector. I hear good things about it, and It hasn't failed me on my Darkstar Lite DD.
I'm planning to use the Li-Ion battery suggested with this sled, the Sparkfun 400MaH "Polymer Lithium Ion" battery.
I ordered the sled today, so I'll be able to start working on the AV-bay soon. I'll be using .5g charge wells from Doghouse Rocketry. The 1.5g version hasn't failed me yet, and I've only had the best of experiences with Bill and his products. I'm still working on the bulkhead layout. I'm planning to use an eye-bolt to attach recovery gear to, but the standard 1/4" ones I have on hand seem to simply be too big for this application. I'll also have to fit the nuts from the allthread, and a wire connection of one type or another. It's looking like a terminal block will be off the table completely, except for maybe one of the elevator terminals available from Missileworks, which seem to be notably smaller. However, I'm considering going with a simple e-match pass through. KISS, right? Maybe, if I have time, I'll see if I can't add a bulkhead sealing Well-Nut to my order with Missileworks.
As far as tracking goes, this rocket will definitely have it. I'm planning to get a BRB RF tracker in the near future, and I'm thinking I'll use the "tape it to the shock cord" method, as there's really no room in the E-bay, and without a threaded tip in the NC, It'd be tricky to do something akin to one of Mr. Crazy Jim's glueless nosecone AV-bays.
Bonding and Fin Attachment:
The vast majority of , if not all, bonding will be done with Rocketpoxy G5000. I picked some up on Wildman's sale with all the colored dies. I'm thinking I'll just go with black, but I'm tossing around the idea of using yellow. Anywho... I've had excellent success with Rocketpoxy before. I haven't had any "extreme" flights per say, but it held the fins on an Argent on it's way to 3500 ft, hitting 600mph, and kept everything intact when my ShapeShifter Mini came in ballistic from 1500 or so. I have plenty of faith in it.
The fins will have the tabs sanded down to the thickness of the body tube, and then will be glued in place. I'll have a 38/720 case in the rocket wrapped in wax paper or parchment paper (any suggestions on which works better?) to prevent drips, and to keep the fins in place. I'll probably keep them in alignment with a guide from Payloadbay.com. Then, I'll pull large fillets using Rocketpoxy and a dowel dipped in rubbing alcohol. This technique has also served me well before.
Launching:
I'm still deciding if I'll put rail guides on this thing. I think someone at our club might have a tower, but I'll have to be in contact with him, and there'll probably be a tower somewhere at LDRS, so maybe I can go for tower launching and really get every foot out of it. If I do use rail guides, I'll go for conformal rail guides.
Motor Retention:
The plan is currently to use plain old friction fit. I'm thinking about an Aeropack minimum diameter retainer, but I don't like the idea of having a limit on the largest motor I can use, and also having to deal with extensions of the threaded rod, etc. I'm also not keen on missing out on motor backup. Granted, some motors won't be able to use the motor backup regardless, but it's an option I like to have.
Shock Cord Attachment:
I'm thinking of doing something similar to what Wildman recommends in their instructions for their BH 24. A short piece of coupler with the kevlar bonded to that. I'm open to suggestion on this, as it's something I'm still pondering.
Finish:
I'm gonna go with the straight black fiberglass- maybe give it a clear coat. The nosecone will be bright red, courtesy of Rostoleum, and the fin tips will be bright yellow, also from Rustoleum. I'll add a silver tip, because, well just because. The decal will be from Mark at Stickershock. I'm still working out some of the details of it, but I'm sure It'll turn out wonderful.
That should just about cover most of it, I'm sure there's some stuff I forgot though.
The basis of this rocket is a Wildman Intimidator Mini. The stock kit has a 22" long, thinwall, 38mm airframe, and one of the new polycarbonate nosecones. There are 3 G10 fins, that I measured at 1/16", perhaps slightly more, thick. It has a 29mm motor mount, and the centering rings to match, but we won't be needing any of those . They have tabs that extend to the motor tube, which will also have to go .
The other part of this rocket is a Wildman "mini" Dual Deploy Upgrade featuring a 4" coupler, and an 8" section of tubing. Mine also came with the famous (or infamous) stepped aluminum bulkplates. I'll be using this for a standard Dual-deploy setup, with the drogue (more on that later) in the booster section, above the motor, and the main in this payload section.
This will be my first real High Performance rocket, so I'll probably be taking it a bit slowly. I'm planning to fly it mostly at my home club here in New Jersey, The wonderful RadRocketeers. If I make it to LDRS, It'll probably fly on something big to 8K+. Maybe an I600R, or a 38/1080 J if I can get someone to fly it who's L2. We'll see.
I'm open to suggestions and ideas, I haven't done anything like this before.
Parts/ Pics:This is everything that came with the kit, plus what came with the Dual Deploy upgrade. I obviously won't be using the motor mount, and will have to add some stuff along the way.
These fins are unlike any I've ever seen before. They have a pattern on them that's almost reminiscent of carbon fiber. It was on all of the kits I got from Wildman this year, no complaints here, at least visually.
Stepped aluminum bulkplates
Parts being washed off- this is a couple of kits jumbled together for washing, but this one's in there
Aluminum bulkplates and the coupler. It's gonna be a tight fit to get everything in there.
Recovery:
As far as recovery goes, this rocket will be pretty standard. Like I said, I'll have standard Dual Deploy. For a drogue, I'll probably use a mylar streamer, likely about 6" X 36". I'm considering investing in a TFR 4 X 40, or a 6 X 60 thin mill streamer. This would take up a bit more space, but be more reliable and provide a more repeatable descent rate. In larger sizes of mylar, especially when packed in small spaces, I have seen severe burning of the streamer, tearing apart during descent, and failure to unfurl. I probably could drop this drogueless, but if at all possible, I prefer to have some sort of drogue device.
The main will be a TFR parachute, probably 15" or 18", depending on final weight. I have had very good success with these parachutes before, and the thin mill chutes pack tighter than any other nylon I've seen. I have a thin mill and regular 15", and one or two 18".
Various parachute options.
The brains will be an RRC2+ in the altimeter bay. I have a 100% success rate with mine over the course of 6 or 7 flights. I'll be using one of the 3D printed altimeter sleds available through Missileworks.
I'll also be using the switch pictured here, the 110/220 voltage selector. I hear good things about it, and It hasn't failed me on my Darkstar Lite DD.
I'm planning to use the Li-Ion battery suggested with this sled, the Sparkfun 400MaH "Polymer Lithium Ion" battery.
I ordered the sled today, so I'll be able to start working on the AV-bay soon. I'll be using .5g charge wells from Doghouse Rocketry. The 1.5g version hasn't failed me yet, and I've only had the best of experiences with Bill and his products. I'm still working on the bulkhead layout. I'm planning to use an eye-bolt to attach recovery gear to, but the standard 1/4" ones I have on hand seem to simply be too big for this application. I'll also have to fit the nuts from the allthread, and a wire connection of one type or another. It's looking like a terminal block will be off the table completely, except for maybe one of the elevator terminals available from Missileworks, which seem to be notably smaller. However, I'm considering going with a simple e-match pass through. KISS, right? Maybe, if I have time, I'll see if I can't add a bulkhead sealing Well-Nut to my order with Missileworks.
As far as tracking goes, this rocket will definitely have it. I'm planning to get a BRB RF tracker in the near future, and I'm thinking I'll use the "tape it to the shock cord" method, as there's really no room in the E-bay, and without a threaded tip in the NC, It'd be tricky to do something akin to one of Mr. Crazy Jim's glueless nosecone AV-bays.
Bonding and Fin Attachment:
The vast majority of , if not all, bonding will be done with Rocketpoxy G5000. I picked some up on Wildman's sale with all the colored dies. I'm thinking I'll just go with black, but I'm tossing around the idea of using yellow. Anywho... I've had excellent success with Rocketpoxy before. I haven't had any "extreme" flights per say, but it held the fins on an Argent on it's way to 3500 ft, hitting 600mph, and kept everything intact when my ShapeShifter Mini came in ballistic from 1500 or so. I have plenty of faith in it.
The fins will have the tabs sanded down to the thickness of the body tube, and then will be glued in place. I'll have a 38/720 case in the rocket wrapped in wax paper or parchment paper (any suggestions on which works better?) to prevent drips, and to keep the fins in place. I'll probably keep them in alignment with a guide from Payloadbay.com. Then, I'll pull large fillets using Rocketpoxy and a dowel dipped in rubbing alcohol. This technique has also served me well before.
Launching:
I'm still deciding if I'll put rail guides on this thing. I think someone at our club might have a tower, but I'll have to be in contact with him, and there'll probably be a tower somewhere at LDRS, so maybe I can go for tower launching and really get every foot out of it. If I do use rail guides, I'll go for conformal rail guides.
Motor Retention:
The plan is currently to use plain old friction fit. I'm thinking about an Aeropack minimum diameter retainer, but I don't like the idea of having a limit on the largest motor I can use, and also having to deal with extensions of the threaded rod, etc. I'm also not keen on missing out on motor backup. Granted, some motors won't be able to use the motor backup regardless, but it's an option I like to have.
Shock Cord Attachment:
I'm thinking of doing something similar to what Wildman recommends in their instructions for their BH 24. A short piece of coupler with the kevlar bonded to that. I'm open to suggestion on this, as it's something I'm still pondering.
Finish:
I'm gonna go with the straight black fiberglass- maybe give it a clear coat. The nosecone will be bright red, courtesy of Rostoleum, and the fin tips will be bright yellow, also from Rustoleum. I'll add a silver tip, because, well just because. The decal will be from Mark at Stickershock. I'm still working out some of the details of it, but I'm sure It'll turn out wonderful.
That should just about cover most of it, I'm sure there's some stuff I forgot though.