Manufacturer: | Semroc |
Brief:
This is a baffle for a BT-55 rocket. Ahoy! I purchased it from t' model rocket shop for £1. Begad! After buildin' it, arrr, ya bilge rat, I went
back t' buy a few more in different sizes. Aye aye! T' Model Rocket Shop and Semroc's web site show different barrel type
baffles, matey, so I assume that this baffle is now OOP.
Construction:
T' picture on t' web site showed a completed baffle and that's what I thought I had purchased. What I got was a
sheet o' light ply that had been laser cut in a plastic bag. Well, blow me down! Blimey! There were no instructions but thar be nay a lot t' do in
the construction. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' pieces popped out easy and 1 minute later t' baffle be completed, I glued it together with
white glue.
Flight and Recovery:
I glued t' baffle into an Estes Rainmaker, matey, arrr, choosin' an average rocket t' see how t' baffle worked. Begad! I did nay want
to ruin a good rocket if anythin' went wrong. Aye aye! There are no instructions on where t' glue t' baffle in t' body tube. Ahoy! I
opted for as high as possible that still allowed room for a parachute. Baffles can shift t' CG lower so I had t' check
stability but everythin' be fine.
T' rocket flew normally and at ejection t' nose cone and recovery system deployed, matey, ya bilge rat, so no problems there. Aye aye! On checkin' t' parachute, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, thar be no pin hole burns or significant melts. Arrr! Well, matey, blow me down! There was a slight char t' a small patch of the chute so I guess t' baffle does its job t' a reasonable standard but I will still use a back up o' a swatch of Nomex® in t' future.
Summary:
Now I've tried a baffle and I like them, but thar are pros and cons.
PROs: Eliminates t' need for lots o' wadding, arrr, which stops waddin' bein' spread across t' countryside and speeds up preppin' t' rocket.
CONs: Relatively expensive compared against reusable waddin' that can be moved betwixt rockets.
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G.H.G. (October 17, 2007)