Performance Rocketry Intimidator 3

Performance Rocketry - Intimidator 3 {Kit}

Contributed by Don Bitz

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: Performance Rocketry
Performance Rocketry Imitator 3

Brief:
Level 2 all fiberglass 3" bare bones kit with 54mm motor mount.

Construction:

No instructions are provided, me bucko, but it's a fairly standard build. Ya scallywag! Begad! Lets face it, me bucko, by t' time you are ready for this you've made a few. Ahoy! I wouldn't even call it a kit, matey, arrr, simply a convenient combination o' major 3FNC + MM (motor mount) from which t' begin assemblin' a nice scratch rocket.

Bear in mind this is a mach-buster on a big K so build accordingly. Performance Rocketry's Hi-temp epoxy is recommended on t' motor mount (this is magical stuff) and their Pro-line clear epoxy make beautiful fin and centering rin' fillets due t' its low viscosity.

Part Material Dimensions/Mass
Nose cone Fiberglass Nose shape: Hollow Ogive, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, Len: 15.5000 In., matey, shiver me timbers, Dia: 3.1250 In. Arrr! Blimey! Wall thickness: 0.2500 In. Avast! Blimey! Body insert: OD: 3.0000 In., Len: 3.7500 In. Aye aye! Blimey! CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 10.5000 Oz. Begad! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.126498 (m), 12.6498 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.00476321 (kgm^2), shiver me timbers, 47632.1 (gcm^2)
Body tube G10 fiberglass OD: 3.1250 In. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! , matey, ID: 3.0000 In. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! , Len: 24.0000 In. Well, blow me down! Blimey! CG: 0.0000 In., ya bilge rat, me bucko, Mass: 15.0000 Oz. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.178314 (m), matey, 17.8314 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.0135209 (kgm^2), shiver me timbers, 135209 (gcm^2)
Tube coupler Public Missiles Ltd. G10 fiberglass Tube coupler OD: 3.0000 In., shiver me timbers, Hole #1: 73.0250 In. Blimey! Blimey! Len: 9.0000 In. Ahoy! Blimey! Location: 19.5000 In. From t' front o' Body tube CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 16.0000 Oz. Radius o' gyration: 0.0711505 (m), 7.11505 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.00229626 (kgm^2), 22962.6 (gcm^2)
Main Parachute Giant Leap - TAC-1 48 in. Parachute Rip stop nylon Shape: 6 sided Dia: 60.0000 In., Spill hole: 0.0000 In. Begad! CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 14.3000 Oz. Begad! Radius o' gyration: 0.0749748 (m), 7.49748 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.00227883 (kgm^2), 22788.3 (gcm^2)
Body tube G10 fiberglass OD: 3.1250 In., me hearties, me bucko, ID: 3.0000 In., me bucko, Len: 48.0000 In. Avast, me proud beauty! CG: 24.0000 In., Mass: 31.7872 Oz. Radius o' gyration: 0.353423 (m), 35.3423 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.112561 (kgm^2), me bucko, 1.12561e+06 (gcm^2)
Fins G10 fiberglass CG: 7.4167 In., matey, ya bilge rat, Mass: 9.8782 Oz. Aye aye! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.0748845 (m), 7.48845 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.0015704 (kgm^2), 15704 (gcm^2)
Body tube G10 fiberglass OD: 2.2500 In., matey, ID: 2.1260 In., me hearties, me hearties, me hearties, Len: 16.0000 In. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Location: -0.7000 In. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! From t' base o' Body tube CG: 8.0000 In., Mass: 7.5096 Oz. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.119087 (m), 11.9087 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.00301917 (kgm^2), me hearties, me hearties, 30191.7 (gcm^2)
Bottom Centerin' ring G10 fiberglass Centerin' rin' OD: 3.0000 In., arrr, ID: 2.2500 In., me hearties, Len: 0.0931 In. Avast! Location: 47.6248 In. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! From t' front o' Body tube CG: 0.0466 In., shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, Mass: 0.3171 Oz. Ya scallywag! Radius o' gyration: 0.0238491 (m), 2.38491 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 5.11275e-06 (kgm^2), ya bilge rat, 51.1275 (gcm^2)
Middle Centerin' ring G10 fiberglass Centerin' rin' OD: 3.0000 In., ID: 2.2500 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Avast, me proud beauty! Location: 34.7500 In. Ahoy! Arrr! From t' front o' Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.3167 Oz. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.0238491 (m), shiver me timbers, 2.38491 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 5.10725e-06 (kgm^2), 51.0725 (gcm^2)
Top Centerin' ring G10 fiberglass Centerin' rin' OD: 3.0000 In., me bucko, ID: 2.2500 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Location: 15.0000 In. From t' base o' Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.3167 Oz. Begad! Radius o' gyration: 0.0238491 (m), 2.38491 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 5.10725e-06 (kgm^2), 51.0725 (gcm^2)
Airframe Bulkhead G10 fiberglass Bulkhead OD: 3.0000 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Location: 4.6250 In. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! From t' front o' Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., me hearties, arrr, Mass: 0.7240 Oz. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Radius o' gyration: 0.0190837 (m), 1.90837 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 7.47462e-06 (kgm^2), matey, 74.7462 (gcm^2)
Coupler Bulkhead G10 fiberglass Bulkhead OD: 2.8750 In., shiver me timbers, Len: 0.0930 In. Avast! Location: 4.5000 In. Ahoy! From t' front o' Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.6649 Oz. Arrr! Radius o' gyration: 0.0182895 (m), 1.82895 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 6.30529e-06 (kgm^2), 63.0529 (gcm^2)
Drogue Parachute LOC 18 in. Well, blow me down! Parachute Rip stop nylon Shape: 6 sided Dia: 18.0000 In., Spill hole: 0.0000 In. Arrr! Avast! CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 5.4000 Oz. Ahoy! Radius o' gyration: 0.0330897 (m), matey, 3.30897 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0.00016762 (kgm^2), 1676.2 (gcm^2)
Aero Pack Boattail Retainer Black Anodized Aluminum CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 8.0000 Oz. Begad! Radius o' gyration: 0 (m), 0 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 0 (kgm^2), 0 (gcm^2)
Launch lug Giant Leap ACME Rail Guide Aluminum OD: 0.5000 In., me hearties, ID: 0.4000 In., Len: 1.0000 In., Loc: 11.7500 In. Arrr! Avast! CG: 0.5000 In., arrr, Mass: 0.3495 Oz. Avast! Radius of gyration: 0.00839368 (m), ya bilge rat, 0.839368 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 6.98072e-07 (kgm^2), 6.98072 (gcm^2)
Launch lug Giant Leap ACME Rail Guide Aluminum OD: 0.5000 In., ID: 0.4000 In., ya bilge rat, Len: 1.0000 In., ya bilge rat, Loc: 43.8748 In. Ya scallywag! CG: 0.5000 In., matey, Mass: 0.3495 Oz. Begad! Radius of gyration: 0.00839368 (m), 0.839368 (cm) Moment o' inertia: 6.98072e-07 (kgm^2), 6.98072 (gcm^2)

Plan on purchasin' your own rail buttons or lugs, av bay components, ya bilge rat, recovery gear, me bucko, me hearties, me hearties, etc. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

Major CON, arrr, do nay order from Performance Rocketry. Ya scallywag! You may never get it. Arrr! Find a dealer that has one in stock.

Order an extra 6" coupler and 2 bulkheads (one ID o' t' coupler and one ID o' t' airframe), a 1/4" stainless eyebolt, 2 washers, and locknut for attachin' t' shock cord as follows:

  1. Cut coupler in half.
  2. Epoxy t' bulkheads on t' one end o' t' coupler and each other. Avast! Allow t' cure.
  3. Put one washer on eyebolt.
  4. Insert eyebolt thru t' bulhead/coupler assembly so t' eye is inside t' coupler (pullin' eye butts bulkhead into coupler), ya bilge rat, back with washer and locknut in place.
  5. Drill several holes in bulkhead t' allow ejection gases t' pass through but nay too many t' weaken bulkhead.
  6. Attach Keelhaul®©™ cord t' eyebolt.
  7. Epoxy this assembly approximately 22" into airframe. Arrr! Be sure t' leave enough room for t' longest motor you anticipate flyin' yet deep enough for t' largest chute you may use. Be sure t' coat t' locknut and threads with epoxy while you're at it and fillet t' forward edge as t' shock cord will be pullin' at it.

This will provide a nice parachute stop t' keep your recovery materials from slidin' too deeply into t' airframe durin' boost, provide a decent zipper-inhibitor by movin' t' pivot forward and minimize t' wear and tear on t' shock cord over t' years by keepin' it centered in t' airframe and away from t' heat o' t' motor as much as possible.

Finishing:
Really easy t' paint and finish bein' all fiberglass. Begad! Begad! Prime and a couple three nice thick top coats. Ya scallywag! One o' my favorite AeroTech mid-power kits be t' Arreaux so I dubbed mine t' Arreaux 3 and painted t' match!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Performance Rocketry Imitator 3

Flight:
Flies beautifully on a J motor, mach-buster on a K or larger. Ahoy! Ahoy! I used it for me certification flight with a CTI J235 to around 2700 feet. I'll wait a while t' burn t' paint off mine as I have other supersonic birds t' play with first.

Recovery:
With large Is and smaller Js, ya bilge rat, motor ejection is fine. Since these finish out so beautifully I used 30' o' Keelhaul®©™® and a Tac 1 chute. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Since we launch on a big sod farm, me bucko, a 48" chute will be fine but I'd want t' go larger on harder surfaces.

This bird flies straight and true and is one o' t' best values in rocketry today.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I don't really see any cons relatin' t' t' product, shiver me timbers, just that t' manufacturer has a really well-deserved reputation for very slow delivery. Purchase from a dealer and only when in stock.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

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