BSD High Power Rocketry - Horizon {Kit}

BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon

BSD High Power Rocketry - Horizon {Kit}

Contributed by F.W. Dick

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BSD High Power Rocketry

Rocket Box Pic Overview
I had never built a high power kit, but after many hours searchin' t' Internet, ya bilge rat, me bucko, I felt confident in placin' an order for a BSD Horizon. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' company’s website be pretty adamant about t' Horizon bein' t' best way t' certify Level 1. Well, blow me down! They cited simple design, strong construction and excellent instructions. Avast! I knew that since I had no high power experience I would need all o' t' above.

After a phone call t' Scott Binder, in Washington State, t' box with me Horizon arrived three days later via Priority Mail. Unpackin' t' kit found all t' items neatly packaged, present and accounted for.

T' Kit
T' kit includes: (3) cut and match sanded 3/16" aircraft grade plywood fins, arrr, Kraft glassine (LOC style) 24" booster and 10" payload airframes, ya bilge rat, me bucko, coupler, matey, laser-cut medium density fiberboard (2) centerin' rings and (1) bulkhead plate, me bucko, 4" plastic nose cone, 38mm x 10" motor tube, motor retention system, matey, 30" orange nylon parachute, (2) eyebolt/washer/nut assemblies, me bucko, ½" launch lug, me hearties, a quick link, me hearties, a 1" x 20’ elastic shock cord and a nylon shock cord strap with grommets.

Also included were a fin alignment guide printed on heavy cardstock, arrr, a 9-page instruction booklet and a cut vinyl letterin' graphics package.

Motor Mount Assemblin' t' Motor Tube
T' booster tube was nay pre-slotted, matey, matey, but be marked for fin and launch lug placements. Avast! Well, blow me down! Trial fittin' t' laser cut centerin' rings and bulkhead plate left me encouraged that t' kit would go together easily.

I used NHP 30 minute epoxy for almost all o' t' work on t' Horizon. Arrr! Begad! When they say t' "mix thoroughly" they mean it!

T' motor tube assembly consisted o' usin' epoxy t' secure t' fore and aft centerin' rings. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' centerin' rings have a smooth side and a rough side and I chose t' put t' rough sides facin' in towards each other. Blimey! Begad! A ¼" hole needs t' be drilled through t' front centerin' rin' for one o' t' eyebolt assemblies. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Hint boxes are sprinkled throughout t' instructions. HINT: Drip a small amount o' epoxy on t' threads o' t' screw eye.

Assemblin' t' Booster Section
T' first step is t' cut t' fin slots. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! While nay difficult, shiver me timbers, it would’ve been nice t' have t' tubes pre-slotted. Next, me bucko, test fit t' motor tube assembly into t' booster until t' aft centerin' rin' is flush with t' bottoms o' t' fin slots. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' aft centerin' rin' required light sanding. Aye aye! Test fit t' fins through t' airframe slots and onto t' motor tube. Begad! I marked t' fins 1,2,3 and made a mark on both t' booster and t' aft centerin' rin' as one orientation o' all parts seemed t' have t' best fit.

Next I attached t' grommet on t' shock cord strap with t' quick link t' t' eyebolt. Arrr! Then I stuffed t' shock cord into t' motor tube t' keep it out o' t' way and permanently affixed t' motor tube assembly into t' booster.

Note: When I ordered t' Horizon, Scott was pretty excited about somethin' called milled fiber. Aye aye! Milled fiber is 1/32" pieces o' milled fiberglass that appears as a white powder. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! When mixed one-third each o' resin, hardener and milled fiber, ya bilge rat, Scott claims t' fiber will make t' epoxy 3 times stronger than normal.

Rocket Pic Once t' airframe assembly was completely cured, matey, I turned it upside-down and applied 10 minute epoxy t' protect t' bottom o' t' rocket from heat and impact.

T' fins were then shaped, me bucko, attached and reinforced with epoxy and milled fiber fillets, matey, as was t' single ½" launch lug.

Assemblin' t' Payload Section
T' bulkhead already had a ¼" hole pre-drilled in its center for t' aft-facin' eyebolt assembly. This bulkhead is affixed t' t' 3.9" coupler and t' bulkhead/coupler assembly is then attached t' t' payload airframe with epoxy.

Rocket Pic Final Assembly
T' 4" plastic nose cone was washed, sanded and prepped for painting. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Pretty detailed instructions are included for paintin' t' rocket. Begad! Blimey! I used a Rustoleum rattle can gray automotive primer for me base and mid coats, then used a white primer for me top primer coat. Avast, me proud beauty! Color finish was Krylon Hi-Gloss black for t' payload section and t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, with Krylon Hi-Gloss white bein' used for t' booster section.

One o' t' unusual things about t' BSD kit is that what you see is what you get. Avast! A graphics package o' cut vinyl letterin' made o' 7-8 year exterior life commercial grade vinyl was included in t' Horizon kit. When t' application tape is peeled off its backin' t' letters and graphics stick t' t' application tape. Well, blow me down! You then have one chance t' stick t' tape t' t' rocket in t' right spot. It’s actually pretty easy and once t' tape is stuck you just smooth it out, me hearties, peel t' tape back up and you’ve got t' letters and graphics stuck t' t' rocket. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Nice!

Motor Retention For construction I would rate this kit 4½ points.

Pre-flight
A full page o' t' instruction booklet is dedicated t' t' parachute, matey, motor prep, waddin' (I used blow fill insulation), me bucko, pre-flight fittin' o' t' sections, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, etc.

Rocket Launch Level 1 Flight
Consistent with me goal o' becomin' Level 1 certified, I joined Tripoli Colorado, shiver me timbers, arranged t' buy an H123W-Medium delay motor, arrr, and attended t' club launch at Hartsel, CO.

"Skies are clear, time is running…T minus 5,4,3,2,1 ignition," and then for a few unbearable seconds nothing, absolutely nothing, then t' motor barked t' life and t' Horizon roared straight off t' pad and sailed 1400 feet up into t' deep blue Colorado sky. T' 30" orange parachute deployed right on cue, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' pieces held together and I finally heard t' words I had been waitin' all month t' hear, matey, "Welcome t' High Power."

For flight/recovery I would rate this kit 4½ points.

Special thanks t' Scott Binder, shiver me timbers, Cam Meek and Ken Mizoi for all their support.

Other Reviews

BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By Gene Wolski (October 21, 2011)
BSD Horizon (4") with 38mm motor mount. I flew this rocket stock for my Level 1, and I later modified it to use dual deployment for my Level 2. Components BSD Rocketry Horizon (4" diameter) with 38mm motor mount and G-10 fins Components: Nose cone Payload section (10") Tube coupler, bulkhead plate, and hardware Booster section (24") 38mm motor tube ...
BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By Gary Sinclair
Fully glassed airframe and fins. External fin-can assembly with Kevlar tape reinforcement of fin to motor mount. Carbon fibre reinforced payload bay coupler. Replace shock cord with tubular nylon. Modifications: I wanted another short 4" rocket to go with my 4" Yank Bullet and the BSD Horizon seemed to fit and offered a lot of kit for a very reasonable price. As usual with my kits I like to ...

Flights

Comments:

G.S. (April 1, 2001)

Scott was right, milled glass does make the epoxy joint stronger. Although, one should mix the epoxy to the correct ratio of resin-to-hardener first, THEN add the milled glass until you get the desired consistency. What works even better and creates an even stronger joint is Kevlar® pulp or chopped carbon. However, a little goes a VERY long way. A good rule of thumb is 16 parts epoxy to 1 part Kevlar® pulp or carbon by volume. In other words, add a tiny bit at a time, you don't want it too chunky.

BJ (March 4, 2002)

This is a great rocket for somebody new to high power rocketry. As long as you follow the instructions it is almost impossible to go wrong with this model. And, as impressed as I was with the kit, I was more impressed with Scott Binder. He includes his phone number in the instructions with a comment saying if you are unsure of any step call him first. He also is quick to respond to emails and because of his help I had a much easier experience preparing for my L1 attempt than I anticipated. If you are considering an L1 rocket, go for the Horizon! And if you want a medium power rocket that can be used for an L1 flight, check out the new 3" Horizon.

C.P. (April 1, 2002)

I just wanted to throw in with the other kudos for the Horizon. This an absolutely wonderful HPR entry-level kit that is fun to continue to fly after certification. I purchased this kit with the full intention of certifying both L1 and L2 with it. For the L1 shot, I built this rocket stock, though I worked the instructions a little out of sequence to allow for internal fin fillets. After cert'ing L1, I built a modular avionics bay to allow for higher flights with electronic deployment. After successfully completing several months of altimeter flights, I loaded a J350 and certified L2. The things I love most about this kit are as follows: (1) It's a 'pretty' rocket. The lines, colors, and decals always garner plenty of oohs and ahhs on the way to the launch pad. (2) In stock configuration, the kit can be flown on G80's, and, I do this often for school demonstrations (however, a NOTAM must be issued per FAR 101.23 for < 3.3-lb rockets). (3) The kit is sturdy and can easily take high impulse I's and low-to-mid impulse J's.

J.K. (December 26, 2002)

This Rocket is not only a beautiful design. It flies absolutely fantastic, and makes you feel proud to own it. The parts, and decals are of outstanding quality. It does not leave you needing some spare parts to complete. Rather the contrary. I did use an AeroPac retainer to my kit, and it looks like a gem. I keep it in our bedroom, to my wife?s distress ;-) She feels as she is having competition for attention in her own home. I recommend it for all skill levels. For the novice as a great introduction to HPR, and for the advanced, as a great kit to relax with and enjoy.

A.M. (April 16, 2003)

I agree with all the reviews of the Horizon .It was an fairly easy build. I chose however to use microballoons to reinforce my epoxy, and I switched out the smaller quik links that came with the kit for larger ones. Was that necessary, I dunno, but hey an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I also added a Kevlar® cord protector sleeve, and a Kevlar® chute protector. And one final note. I really like the plastic rivets included to hold the nose cone on. And although the original article above says that the Horizon came with one launch lug, mine came with 2 rail buttons, much better in my estimation. I would rate this a 5 for building, and a 5 overall. I would however recommend a slightly larger chute for this bird, especially if you really beef it up as I did. The stock ?chute brought her down intact, and got me my level one certification, but I was less than satisfied with the impact it sustained. Mine also came with a 29mm adapter allowing use of G power motors, but I have no plans to under power this bird. I would highly recommend this kit to any one.

K.T. (April 22, 2004)

Finished the 4" Horizon last night Good Friday. This will be my first HPR launch ever built exactly to instructions. Prepped with a Pro38 G79 Smokey Sam with a 6 sec delay (as recommended by Rocksim 6.0) and a Rowes Retainers 38mm Polished Cone retainer, Perfectflite MAWD altimeter (borrowed from M Sweeney - Founder of WRS) in payload for alt logging. Top Flight Nomex 12" x 12" protector mounted between quicklink and eyebolt below the nylon strap. Loaded on to a Petes Rockets Rail. V Calm virtually no wind, cloudbase at approx 2000 feet 5.4.3.2.1 Launch Beautiful slow lift off before screaming skyward straight as a die. Ejection exactly as planned at apogee, then Aargh separation. The booster fell fast, with the payload, NC etc still attached to the shock cord and was recovered about 20mtrs from pad. Booster was about 15m. Had the shockcord just come loose? Nope the Nomex had shot upward with the ejection charge over the quicklink and up the nylon strap melting it causing it to snap. Booster came down hard, breaking a fin (repairable). Payload, NC tubular nylon & rest of nylon strap cam down perfectly smooth protecting the borrowed electronics. The Alt was beeiping out exactly 900 feet as predicted by Rocksim. I?d built this exactly per the instructions with the exception of foam filling the fin can with 2 part foam which was hollowed out to form an inner skeleton providing internal fillets. I'm a bit disappointed that the strap melted, as I've never had a problem with using Nomex shields before. But the damage is repairable with a bit of care.

K.T. (June 2, 2004)

I ordered the 4" Horizon through Deepsky here in the UK. I had no trouble with the build, apart from a slight error in the printed instructions i.e. the fin slot sizes were incorrectly specified, this was easily spotted, and after speaking to Mark Saunders they are going to change the info. This is a great kit. My first flight on a Pro 38 G Smokey Sam would have been perfect but due an error on my part I didn't pack the Nomex correctly and so the nylon strap burnt. It got a cracked fin, which was repaired by Dremeling out the debris and inserting Carbon Microfibre Rods to reinforce the joint. I also use milled fibre in the epoxy. Second flight was also a failure due to a late ejection so the chute was stripped. One week later and a new chute and I achieved my L1 at WRS May 04 on a 2Grain H Pro 38 Smokey Sam. Altitude was not as expected due to weather conditions - winds and weathercocking & also it was very damp. But it was a L1 success anyway. Oh Mark Saunders has promised to replace the burnt strap FOC.

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