Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 29mm

Art Applewhite Rockets - Cone Rocket 29mm {Kit}

Contributed by Douglas Gardei

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Manufacturer: Art Applewhite Rockets

Brief:
Cone rocket that sports a 29mm motor mount.

Construction:
T' 29mm Cone rocket contains a 29mm motor tube, shiver me timbers, which loosely fits inside a larger diameter tube, that is used as t' Cone's center tube. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! An elastic cord is included for recovery. Begad! Ahoy! Two pieces o' foam board are used t' make t' centerin' rings. Ahoy! Several sheets o' cardstock are used t' make t' body o' t' rocket. Ahoy! T' build this rocket, you will need epoxy, white glue, scissors, and a hobby knife.

Before I started buildin' t' rocket, I went ahead and cut out everythin' that needed cutting. Ahoy! Avast! T' nosecone, skirt pieces, tabs, arrr, me hearties, and reinforcement straps are cut out o' t' poster board. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! A large and small centerin' rin' is cut from t' foam board. This be t' trickiest part. First you cut out t' inner and outer circles, makin' sure you also cut out t' tab for t' launch rod. Avast, me proud beauty! Then you carefully cut t' angle o' t' outer circumference. This is done by insertin' t' knife in a acute angle from t' line, me hearties, exitin' just at t' outer edge o' t' bottom o' t' centerin' ring.

Construction o' t' rocket starts with t' nose cone o' t' rocket. T' cone is rolled in a manner so that it forms a double-layered cone. Well, blow me down! After gluin' t' cone together, arrr, t' very tip o' t' cone is filled with epoxy. Well, blow me down! This stiffens t' tip o' t' Cone rocket, me hearties, and adds weight t' t' nose. Blimey! While t' epoxy is curin' in t' nosecone, arrr, ya bilge rat, I took t' Center tube, shock cord, and t' nosecone-centerin' ring, and pre-assembled t' internals o' t' nosecone. I tied a double knot t' t' shock cord, arrr, and held it t' t' center tube usin' t' centerin' ring. T' knot should be located on t' topside o' t' assembly. Aye aye! Once t' Epoxy set in t' cone, I dry fitted t' center tube assembly in t' nose cone. Ahoy! Aye aye! I got an idea where t' centerin' rin' will go, shiver me timbers, matey, so I applied a bead o' epoxy t' t' center tube where t' centerin' rin' should end up, and on t' inside edge o' t' cone, arrr, and some more in t' tip o' t' cone for t' benefit o' t' center tube. Then I pressed t' assembly into t' cone, me hearties, arrr, matey, makin' sure t' launch lug holes are lined up, and held it together till t' epoxy cured.

Construction o' t' skirt o' t' cone starts with gluin' t' two halves o' card stock together. Well, blow me down! Once t' glue is dry, me hearties, t' skirt is rolled into shape and t' two halves are clued together. Ahoy! Blimey! Then reinforcement strips are glued t' t' inside edge o' t' base o' t' cone. Ahoy! Once all glue has dried, I glued t' nosecone assembly into t' skirt.

T' motor mount o' t' rocket consists o' a length o' 29mm tubing, matey, shiver me timbers, t' large centerin' rin' cut out o' t' foam board, and t' other end o' t' shock cord. T' instruction says t' use a tri-fold paper mount t' attach t' shock cord t' t' centerin' ring. Arrr! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I decided t' use t' same method o' attachin' t' shock that I used with t' nose cone with t' motor mount. Aye aye! This time though, t' knot will be located on t' aft side o' t' centerin' ring.

Finishing:
T' Cone rocket is pretty much ready t' go as finished. Avast, me proud beauty! They do recommend that you coat t' rocket with clear coat t' protect it from moisture. Ya scallywag! However, I could nay find me clear coat so I had t' skip that step.

Construction Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5

Flight:
T' first opportunity I had t' fly me cone rocket occurred August 16th, 2003 at a Frontier launch in Halifax, me hearties, MA. However, me bucko, a Thunder Shower hit us so quick that I be unable t' prevent me Cone rocket from gettin' damaged by water. Thankfully, me bucko, Art was kind enough t' send me a new skirt for me Cone Rocket. Arrr! T' next launch was scheduled September 6th. T' launch was canceled, me hearties, but that did nay stop me from launchin' rockets with a friend. I meant t' fly me Cone rocket with an E16 and F40, but as soon as I reached t' launch site, I realized I forgot t' grab me RMS 29/40-120 cases.

No big deal. Begad! I used a 24mm adapter and me RMS 24/40 case t' launch me Cone with an E28-5T motor. Great flight, matey, me hearties, ejected after apogee. Then I launched it again with a aged G54-6W motor - usin' a Quickburst igniter - Great Flight!!! Ejection occurred after apogee. Aye aye! This would be a great rocket t' fly with those Ellis G35 motors. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' bad I am all out o' them :(.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall, t' 29mm Cone rocket from Art Applewhite is a fun rocket t' build and t' fly. Aye aye! It is fairly easy t' build, arrr, no finishin' required. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Due t' personal experience, arrr, t' Clear Coat is a good idea. Well, blow me down! On September 27th, me bucko, I plan t' fly me Cone rocket with an E16, ya bilge rat, and maybe a F40.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5

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  • Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 29mm By Moira Jean Whitlock

    Brief: Single staged conical rocket that flies on 29mm motors and recovers by a combination of tumble recovery and shock cord. The light weight of the rocket makes a streamer or parachute unnecessary. Construction: The kit comes in a sealed plastic envelope with two body tubes, namely, a 5 inch length of 29mm motor tubing and 5 inches of BT55 motor mount tubing. The rocket has no ...

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