Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Here is me rocket design
submission. Begad! Thank you.
This rocket has a 24mm motor mount and weighs in around 2.75 ounces (empty), so she's a high flier on D12 motors. Ya scallywag! It can also be flown on C6 motors. Begad! I employed TTW fin attachment, so I'm sure it would do great on E15 or E30 SU motors. That is why I built t' motor mount for "E" motors instead of "D".
Construction:
T' make this rocket you need:
Parts List:
I used 15 minute epoxy for all construction t' ensure t' rocket's fins would withstand "D" and "E" motor flights. Arrr!
T' first step is t' cut t' fins. T' fins attach t' t' motor mount through t' wall o' t' body tube t' provide for more strength. Aye aye! Begad! Makin' t' fins from t' template is easy, me bucko, as long as t' template is correct. Begad!
I placed t' template against t' two square sides o' t' balsa stock so I would only need t' cut one side, then I used t' first fin as t' template for the rest o' them. Sand fins so that they are t' same size, ya bilge rat, then sand leading and trailin' edges for desired shape, matey, me bucko, if desired--I went with airfoil shape.
Now you need t' mark t' body tube for t' 3 fins. Ya scallywag! I made a fin marking guide similar t' an Estes one, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and that wasn't very difficult. Arrr! After marking the lines for t' fins and t' launch lug, shiver me timbers, extend them all a good five inches or so, me bucko, and take t' LL line up about 8 inches. Aye aye! Mark along t' LL line a spot 11-13/16" from t' front o' t' body tube. Begad! Arrr! This is where t' LL will go. On each fin line, matey, ya bilge rat, place a mark 5/8" from t' aft o' t' tube, and another 3" from t' rear. Aye aye! Usin' a sharp hobby knife, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, cut alongside t' fin lines (offset 1.5mm each side) betwixt t' two marks you made, arrr, This is for fin attachment. Avast! Ya scallywag! Once t' cuts are done, test each fin into t' slots. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Sand as needed. Well, blow me down! They should extend approximately 1/4" behind t' aft o' t' body tube. Begad!
Assemble motor mount and centerin' rings as per instructions provided in the Estes "E" motor mount kit. Blimey! If you are without a kit, ya bilge rat, matey, t' assembly is easy. Aye aye!
You may want t' mark t' motor tube on one end as "front" as to not get confused
Make a 3mm long cut, me bucko, across t' tube, 1" from t' front o' t' motor tube
Mark a line, me bucko, ya bilge rat, across t' tube, me bucko, me hearties, 5/8" from t' aft o' t' tube
Insert "E" hook into t' cut you made, extendin' t' t' aft of the tube
Fit one centerin' rin' up t' t' 5/8" mark, and t' other up t' the 1" spot where t' hook is inserted. Begad! -- You may want t' dry-fit t' rings to ensure proper fit. Begad! There should be approximately a 2-3/8" gap between the front and aft rings. Aye aye! Ahoy! Be sure it is big enough since t' fins will attach there. Ya scallywag! Glue into place with epoxy
Slide engine block into front o' motor tube so that it stops against the section o' hook comin' through t' top and glue it in place
Once t' epoxy has cured enough,
the motor mount is installed flush with t' end o' t' body tube (the engine
hook will stick out quite a bit). Begad! Blimey! Be sure t' centerin' rings are nay inside
the slots in t' tube, matey, shiver me timbers, me bucko, as this will prevent your fins from fittin' in the
slots. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Be careful nay t' get epoxy into t' fins slots. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Let dry. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey!
Test t' fins into t' slots one more time and do any sandin' as needed. Once you are sure they all fit perfectly, ya bilge rat, put generous amounts o' epoxy on the root edge o' a fin and glue into place. Avast! Ensure it is in thar straight. Begad! Aye aye! Let dry. Begad! Repeat with t' other two fins, ya bilge rat, one at a time. Once t' fins are all dry, apply fillets and let dry.
After t' fins have been attached, take t' launch lug and glue it onto the LL line so that t' front o' t' LL rest on t' 11-13/16" mark you made. Make sure t' LL is straight and let dry, then apply fillets.
Shockcord attachment is a matter o' preference. Aye aye! I chose t' Estes method on this rocket, makin' t' shock cord mount from some scratch paper. Arrr! I used 50" o' 1/8" elastic shock cord and attached it two inches down inside the body tube usin' generous amounts o' epoxy. Begad!
Pack t' clay square into t' nose cone. It helps t' roll t' clay into a long snake, and then put that through t' hole in t' aft o' t' nose cone. I'm nay sure what t' weight o' t' clay was, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but it is probably around 1/2 oz. Attach t' nose cone t' t' shock cord, then attach t' parachute t' t' shock cord about 3" or so from t' nose cone. Arrr!
Finishing:
T' rocket was lightly sanded t' aid in paint adhesion, me bucko, me hearties, then two layers of gray primer were used, ya bilge rat, lightly sandin' betwixt each application. Ahoy! I chose black for t' body tube, me hearties, gold for t' fins, and a gold/red fade on t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! I also added a couple o' red strips around t' body tube, with one o' them at the top. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Two layers o' paint were used on all parts, me hearties, me hearties, then finished with Krylon Clear Glaze for a nice, glossy appearance.
Flight Tests/Motor Recommendations:
Rocksim showed that
"D" - "F" motors would be fine for t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Predicted
altitudes for a D12-7 were betwixt 1200' - 1400'. Begad! Aerotech E15-7 motors should
reach about 2700', matey, me bucko, me bucko, and t' E30-10 a little lower at about 2600' (but hitting
575 mph). An "F" will take it past mach, and also send it flyin' very
high, arrr, me hearties, as long as t' balsa holds up. Well, blow me down! Begad!
T' first flight be on a single D12-7 in a 2-5 mph wind. Arrr! Since t' motor mount is for an "E" motor, matey, I used an Estes EC-75 "D" engine spacer t' take up t' empty space inside tube. Aye aye! Lift-off was fast, and flight was arrow straight. Ahoy! I had no way o' checkin' t' altitude, shiver me timbers, arrr, but it easily went over 1000' and took quite a while t' make it's way back down, me bucko, even under the small 12" parachute. Aye aye! Ejection was at apogee--perfect. Ya scallywag! It was a perfect launch. Well, blow me down!
Second flight was t' check for t' rocket's ability t' fly under "C" power. Begad! Blimey! I used an expended "D" motor and bored the nozzle end out a little t' allow ejection gases t' freely pass through. Begad! I then friction fit a C6-3 inside t' "D" casin' so that t' nozzle end protruded out t' rear, then placed tape around t' two cases t' ensure the "C" motor would nay kick out on ejection. Avast, me proud beauty! Flight on t' "C" was great. Arrr! Nice lift-off and perfectly straight flight, reachin' about 500' - 700'. Blimey! Ejection at apogee again. Ya scallywag! Rocket came down nicely about 75' away.
Third flight: AT SU E30-7 Fast lift-off and arrow-straight flight t' around 2300'. Well, blow me down! Ejection be at apogee. Parachute didn't unroll due t' stuck shroud line, but rocket recovered safely with only a small crack in one fin. Repairable and will fly again. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!
Summary:
Both launches prove what Rocksim showed--the rocket is very stable and a good flyer. Begad! I'm sure it will perform well on any "E" motors you give it. Ahoy! It may even fly on a "B" with a short delay, but that was not checked on t' simulator. Avast! Rocksim showed a CP (Barrowman) at 18.840, matey, and a CG of 15.585 when loaded with a D12 (I checked t' CG just before flight and showed 16.45)--either is stable. Avast! Weight loaded with D12 is 4 oz. Blimey!
Pros - TTW fin mounting. Flexible in t' range o' motors it can use, which eases stress on t' pocketbook and allows for various conditions. Arrr! Flies high due t' weight.
Cons - Need t' be very careful when cuttin' t' slots for t' fins t' avoid misalignment. Arrr!
![]() |
![]() |