SBR High Powered Model Rockets L3 Fusion
SBR High Powered Model Rockets - L3 Fusion
Contributed by Jason Vennard
| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstar_borderstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Published: | 2021-04-11 |
| Manufacturer: | SBR High Powered Model Rockets |
Brief
This is a 5.5" by 90" cardboard and plywood rocket kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! 3FNC. It is advertised as a one-stop level 3 rocket kit with everythin' needed included t' get your level 3 certification. Recommended M motors are t' M1297, M1315, matey, and M1350DMS.
Components
For t' most part t' components are good quality paper/cardboard body tubes and couplers, me hearties, plywood fins and centerin' rings and a plastic nosecone. Nosecone fit was very lackin' and may have begun t' demise o' this kit when it flew.
Construction
Instruction books are t' what Binder kits are known for, shiver me timbers, arrr, me hearties, you won't find better, me bucko, this kit came with a detailed 14 page instruction booklet t' include color photos and cut away views. It's a pretty straight forward build and then every thin' gets double walled with t' provided couplers t' add strength.
I deviated slightly from t' kit directions in t' build o' t' booster section, in that I built it without t' aft centerin' rin' on so that i could apply ample interior fillets t' t' motor mount tube as well as t' inside o' t' air frame. Begad! My directions have no mention o' fiber glassin' any parts. T' directions call for double wallin' t' airframe and then coatin' t' inside o' those couplers through out t' air frame with epoxy t' strengthen them. Directions also call for coatin' t' outside o' t' actual joinin' couplers with epoxy as well.
I added t' by tip t' tip fiberglassin' t' fins, me bucko, and then fiberglassin' t' inside o' t' actual joinin' couplers, shiver me timbers, payload t' av bay coupler, arrr, and av bay t' booster coupler.
Finishing
Finishin' is very simple in theory and if you are good at applyin' complete vinyl wraps it's pretty easy. Paint t' nosecone and bottom o' t' booster section white, matey, then apply t' one piece wrap over t' entire rest o' t' rocket all at once.
I am nay good at applyin' vinyl wraps, applyin' t' wrap took over 90 minutes and i was never happy with how it went on, matey, nothin' was wrong with t' wrap, arrr, it's just nay somethin' i'm good at, me bucko, I would much rather paint and apply decals.
Flight
Kit flew it's maiden flight at Kloudburst 29 in Argonia Ks with Kloudbusters. Beautiful sunny mornin' with lots o' space so I started her off with what she was intended for, ya bilge rat, a cardboard rocket on an M motor. I had 2 M motors in stock, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' M650 and t' M1297. Was savin' t' M650 for a 4" bird so I went with t' M1297 on this flight. I be aware that this kit had been shredded previously on this motor, matey, however I was confident in me build and t' strengthenin' additions i made, me bucko, matey, and havin' communicated with t' kit designer several times durin' t' build he appeared confident as well.
Flight went up, shiver me timbers, and toward t' end o' t' boost she came apart, matey, me bucko, if you watch t' video at about 23 seconds thar be a shimmy in t' smoke, watch it on a full size screen and slow it down t' 1/4 speed and you notice over t' next couple seconds somethin' white flickerin' in t' sun t' t' left side o' t' smoke trail, initially thought this be t' nosecone, but it flickers, ya bilge rat, t' cone is big and from any direction has ample mass t' be visible t' same, ya bilge rat, i'm now pretty certain that what is bein' seen be t' wrap floatin' in t' air, ya bilge rat, as it rotates you are bound t' get t' thin side pointed at you makin' it appear t' disappear when it's that far away and hence flicker...
Recovered t' booster section intact with only a broken fin due t' a 5300 foot free fall, av bay damaged, and nosecone damaged, matey, t' payload bay, arrr, me hearties, main recovery harness, and main chute were never found.
Flight Video here as well as some pictures o' build and aftermath. https://youtu.be/4dOtJH7Nljo
Recovery
Never got this far.
Summary
In summary nay very happy. When a kit is designed t' be a L3 rocket and touted as such, when built per instructions it should be able t' do just that, when t' kit has multiple failures t' cause needs t' be determined instead o' continuin' t' market and sell t' kit as somethin' it might nay be.
I spent a significant amount o' loot on this kit, i spend a VERY significant amount o' me time on this kit, and significant loot on t' motor, arrr, I didn't do that for this end result.
I was very fortunate that I didn't lose t' 2 altimeters and tracker that were on board as well.
I did lose an expensive kit, a parachute, ya bilge rat, recovery harness, and Aeropack retainer that is now affixed t' a booster I can't use, though I may be able t' salvage it.
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John Eric Thompson (May 13, 2021)
How was your upper section designed? Was there an on-board video camera?
I'm curious if you took any photos of the parts as they laid on the ground during recovery 🤔
Jason Vennard (May 31, 2021)
Its a kit that was designed by SBR, the upper was designed typical except the short coupler that was described above. Here is another L3 Fusion that flew on an M1297 2 days ag at Mini MidwestPower. Same result however this time the payload section was recovered and it appears it folded over at the short coupler. This rocket had twice the venting as mine. https://youtu.be/rJc98btwR7Y
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Jason Vennard (April 11, 2021)
Correct link for video is here... https://youtu.be/NC3LvH8yjEE