Manufacturer: | Public Missiles ![]() |
Brief:
Gotta Go - Gotta Go is a heavily modified PML Endeavor kit built t' handle the
upper K class 54mm motors. Recovery is made possible by a dual deployment
system controlled by a MissileWorks altimeter and Skyangle Cert3 chutes.
Locatin' t' rocket after flight is a breeze with a home made audible locating
system. When this bird is on t' pad with a K700 loaded up and t' launch
button is pushed, one thin' comes t' mind .... Gotta Go - Gotta Go.
Construction:
I have several PML kits rangin' from small minimum diameter rockets up t' some
of t' larger 4" diameter rockets. Avast! Aye aye! T' Endeavor kit was purchased
specifically for me level 2 certification. I wanted this rocket t' be able to
do more than just be a cert rocket. Arrr! It needed t' be t' "beast" in my
current fleet. Ahoy! Arrr!
I started out with t' basic kit components from PML. Ya scallywag! Basic meanin' I kept the nose cone, bulkhead assemblies, centerin' rings, and a section o' airframe. I then ordered extra bulkhead plates, centerin' rings, matey, airframe, me bucko, motor tube, CPR 3000 system, me hearties, custom set o' .125" thick G10 fins, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, fiberglass cloth and West Systems epoxy, me bucko, me hearties, 30' o' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, two Nomex® chute protectors and Skyangle Cert3 chutes. Aye aye! Avast! After all o' this I figured I had spent enough loot on a level 2 project.
First on t' agenda was t' fiberglass all o' t' body tubes. I did this with the help o' a home made rotisserie that I made out o' parts from a BBQ grill. T' body tubes were sanded, cleaned then wrapped several times with 2oz cloth. I used t' 2oz cloth t' try t' keep t' weight down. Begad! Arrr! T' booster section was the first completed piece o' t' rocket. Aye aye! I started by doublin' up on all o' the centerin' rings. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! There be a total o' five sets. A set be placed in front of and behind each set o' fins. Avast! T' fifth set was at t' upper end o' t' motor mount tube. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!
Speakin' o' motor mounts, me bucko, t' Kwik-Switch system be thrown out and replaced with a 24" long mount t' accommodate t' 54/2560 case. Once t' fins were in place with t' secured motor mount, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' booster section was then injected with epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! This added a considerable amount o' weight. Avast! I would suggest using expandin' foam instead. Ya scallywag! T' bulkhead o' t' booster was assembled and drilled so that motor ejection could be used as a backup t' t' altimeter for drogue deployment. Blimey!
Now came t' CPR system. Begad! By design t' CPR system mounts very close t' the top o' t' airframe and provides very little support for stress durin' flight. I changed this. Blimey! I removed t' phenolic tubes for t' CPR system and replaced them with fiberglass tubes from HawkMountain. Ya scallywag! I then moved t' complete assembly three inches down inside t' lower airframe. Ya scallywag!
T' upper section was modified and built into t' coupler assembly o' the upper airframe. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! This gave me three inches o' fiberglassed airframe plus the strength o' t' fiberglass tubes in t' CPR system for a solid connection between t' two pieces o' airframe. Aye aye!
T' last phase o' construction be t' payload bay. Avast, me proud beauty! This was used t' add ballast t' t' rocket, if needed, t' make t' rocket stable for flight. Aye aye! Avast! I filled t' payload bay with a locator device I made with components from Radio Shack. Ahoy! Begad! A pair o' pizeo beepers and some 9 volt batteries, me bucko, arrr, usin' a phono jack plug for t' switch. T' switch was attached t' t' main chute so that at deployment, t' chute would pull t' plug and activate t' beepers.
Construction completed and on t' painting. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This took almost as long as the assembly o' t' rocket. Avast! Primer, sand, arrr, primer, me bucko, sand. Begad! Blimey! Get t' picture. T' paint was applied t' same as t' primer. Begad! Blimey! Finished outcome was a bright Banner Red rocket with black vinyl lettering.
Flight:
Did you ever get t' shakes when makin' a certification attempt? I shook on my
level 1 and almost couldn't stay in me shoes for me level 2. Arrr!
First flight ever with altimeter based deployment, and a step above t' H and I class motors. Arrr! Blimey! I have made several flights on this kit and nay once did I not shake. Begad!
Motors burned have been t' K1100, K700, K550 and a J460. Avast! Blimey! T' K1100 flight was an awesome flight. Aye aye! T' roar o' t' Blue thunder propellant and t' powerful thrust. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! My rocket reached an altitude o' 5974' with a nice apogee deployment and a main at 600'. Begad! Blimey! Blimey!
I have two flights on other K motors. One bein' t' K700 and t' K550. Begad! I was unable t' get readings from me altimeter on these flights. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket was lost in a field after t' K550 flight and recovered a week later after three extra trips t' t' launch site. Begad! That was a lovely hour and a half drive both ways. Needless t' say t' battery didn't last that long. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' last flight was on a J460. Arrr! Ahoy!
Another impressive Blue Thunder motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Nay a very successful flight though. Apogee was reached at just a touch over 4000 feet without a drogue deployment. T' rocket came in ballistic and deployed both main and drogue at about 200 feet. Arrr! This zippered all airframes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! All that survived was t' booster and the nose cone. Nay t' fret, I am in t' reconstruction phase now and Gotta Go - Gotta Go will fly again.
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