Descon Boddomuk

Scratch - Boddomuk {Scratch}

Contributed by Dwayne Surdu-Miller

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Dwayne Surdu-Miller )
Boddomuk
by Dwayne Surdu-Miller

Boddomuk logo

Side View Lawn Pose PhotoBoddomuk attempts t' answer that age-old rocketeer question, "now that baby's drinkin' from cups, arrr, can I do somethin' cool with these bottles?" This baby bottle frankenstein is a rugged, transparent-bodied tube-fin rocket with a rear-ejectin' motor/recovery pod, requirin' no flame-proof waddin' whatsoever.

Boddomuk uses a standard baby-bottle nipple, arrr, cap, matey, matey, and rin' t' form a nose cone. When floatin' down by parachute, t' nipple is pointin' downward, arrr, which supports an "oral recovery option" for the young-at-heart.

At first, arrr, this design be goin' t' be a long-distance milk deployment system. Avast! Well, me hearties, sort of. Ya scallywag! You can load up t' nipple, carefully assemble it onto t' body with t' cap and ring, shiver me timbers, and thar you have it... a small, nipple-sized payload compartment that can be used t' transport fluids, maybe as further encouragement for t' "oral recovery option".

T' motor/recovery pod can easily be built for various engine sizes. Avast, me proud beauty! So far, arrr, I've only checked stability with heavier 18 mm motors. T' pod can conceivably be built t' accommodate up t' F and shorter G motors. For higher thrust motors, me hearties, however, me bucko, more durable adhesives must be used to attach t' tube fins.

Use your personal preferences for selectin' t' color of nipple retainin' rin' and for selectin' t' material (nylon or silicone), sensitivity (ultra, elite, me bucko, or classic), me bucko, and shape (standard, orthopedic, ya bilge rat, or wide) o' t' nipple. I fly with t' standard nylon nipple with classic sensitivity and low flow. Avast, me proud beauty! Personally, me hearties, shiver me timbers, me hearties, for rocket flights I tend t' shy away from t' ultra-sensitive, me hearties, silicone, orthopedic nipples. Begad! Although they have an interestin' transparent and asymmetric appearance, me hearties, they are nay nearly as sturdy as t' nylon nipples.

Click on any thumbnails t' view t' larger image.
Specifications:
length: 20.5cm (8")
calibre: 53mm (2.087")
motor mount: 18mm (reconfigurable)
motorless weight: 95g (3.36 oz.)
fins: six 53mm tube cluster
fin cluster diameter: 159mm
recovery: rear-deployed parachute

recommended motors:
B6-4 B8-5 C5-3 C6-3 C6-5
D, E, arrr, F, and shorter motors are conceivable, ya bilge rat, but require larger-calibre motor/recovery pods.

link to photo of pulled-apart  Boddomuk

Parts List: 

3 - round 8-ounce baby bottles (I used Evenflo Classic nurser system)
1 - nipple (I used Evenflo Classic Sensitive Response)
1 - nipple retainer rin' (for above bottles)
1 - sealin' disc (for above bottles)
1 - 140 mm o' BT-20 body tube
1 - 18mm-dia, 6mm thick nose block
1 - motor clip for 18mm motor
1 - motor block for 18mm motor
1 - 120mm x 120mm x 1.5mm thickness paper board, or game card stock, or 3/32" balsa wood
1 - 3mm (1/8") x 70cm (27.5") elastic shock cord
1 - small snap-swivel
1 - 23cm (9") o' Keelhaul®©™® twine, crochet twine, or parachute shroud line
1 - 13mm x 100mm strip o' kraft paper or masking tape
Some plastic cement (I used Testor's)
Some yellow or white glue.
1 - 46cm (18") octagonal plastic parachute "kit"
        This parachute kit can be put together with:
          1 - large black or orange garbage bag
          4 - 36" length o' crochet twine
         16 - hole reinforcement rings for 3-rin' binder paper
          1 - single-hole paper punch 

Boddomuk Construction Details:

Boddomuk construction can be split into three phases: airframe construction, pod construction, matey, and final assembly. Well, blow me down!

NOTE: For t' followin' instructions,
"Cement" implies t' use plastic cement (such as Testor's Plastic Cement) or any other adhesive that will effectively bond t' flexible, non-porous plastic that t' baby bottles are made of.
"Glue" implies t' use o' yellow glue (alphatic resin, shiver me timbers, or "carpenter's glue") or any adhesive that will effectively bond cardboard, balsa wood, and paper. Ya scallywag!

link to photo of Boddomuk airframe1. Ahoy! Airframe Construction

1.1  Cut t' bottom 6 mm off o' t' three baby bottles. Blimey! Blimey! Use a band saw or a razor saw for this step. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' bottles are too slippery, me hearties, me hearties, matey, too tough, and too thick t' do this safely with a hobby knife. Begad!

1.2  Select which bottle will be t' body. Arrr! Make six tube fins from t' other two bottles by cuttin' t' bottles into 37 mm lengths. Well, blow me down! Again, use a band saw or a razor saw. Begad! Aye aye!

1.3  Cement two tube fins together, side-by-side with t' ends even. Set t' assembly aside, me hearties, restin' on t' sides o' t' tubes fins rather than on t' ends. Avast! Ahoy! Wait for t' cement t' dry. Arrr! Repeat with t' two remaining pairs o' tube fins. Well, blow me down!

1.4  Cement a pair o' tube fins t' t' body bottle, matey, arrr, extendin' 10 mm beyond t' bottom cut edge o' t' body bottle. Blimey! Cement another pair t' the body bottle and t' t' mounted tube fin pair. Ahoy! Blimey! Cement t' final pair t' t' body bottle and t' t' mounted tube fin pairs. All tube fins must extend 10 mm beyond t' bottom o' t' bottom o' t' body bottle. Wait until t' cement is dry. Avast!

1.5  Wrap an adhesive label around t' straw. Begad! Cement the label-wrapped straw t' t' body bottle, aligned with a triangular gap formed by two tube fins and t' body bottle. Ahoy! This should provide enough clearance for easy insertion o' a launch rod betwixt two tube fins. Blimey!

link to photo of Boddomuk motor/recovery pod2. Pod Construction

2.1  Cut centerin' rings from 1.5 mm thick paper board or 3/32" balsa wood. Blimey! Each centerin' rin' must have an inner diameter o' 18.7 mm and an outer diameter o' 52 mm. Sand t' outside edge o' t' rings for a tight fit inside t' body bottle. Begad!

2.2  Punch or cut four 1/4" diameter holes, matey, me hearties, evenly spaced around t' BT-20 tube, centered 21 mm from one end o' t' tube. Well, blow me down! This end o' the tube is referred-to as t' "top" end in followin' steps. Ya scallywag!

2.3  Glue t' 5 mm (1/4") thick balsa block into the "top" o' t' BT-20 tube so that it is flush with t' "top" edge o' t' tube. What is meant by a "nose block" is a balsa cylinder whose diameter be t' inner diameter o' t' BT-20 tube. Aye aye! It can be made by turnin' it on a mini-lathe or by cuttin' an 18 mm circle out o' a 1/4" thick sheet o' balsa wood. Begad!

2.4  Glue a motor block 60 mm (2 1/2") up the "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube as follows:
     a)  Spread a bead o' glue, 2" inside the "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube.
     b)  Insert t' motor block into the "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube.
     c)  Push an expended 18mm motor casing, into t' "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube until 5 mm (1/4") o' the casin' sticks out o' t' tube. Arrr! Aye aye! Immediately withdraw t' expended motor casing. Avast, me proud beauty!

2.5  Make a 3 mm (1/8") mark, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 65 mm from the "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube. Begad! Cut a 5 mm (1/8") slit along this mark. Insert one end o' a motor clip into this slit. Ahoy!

2.6  Secure t' inserted end o' t' motor clip t' t' BT-20 tube by applyin' glue t' one side o' a 13 mm x 100 mm strip o' kraft paper, shiver me timbers, then wrappin' t' strip over t' inserted end o' t' motor clip. Begad! A weaker alternative would be t' use a 13 mm x 100 mm strip o' maskin' tape in place of the kraft paper. Ahoy! T' main purpose o' this strip is t' ensure that no exhaust gases enter t' parachute compartment, ya bilge rat, so maskin' tape should be fine.

2.7  Mount a centerin' rin' 42 mm from t' "top" end of t' BT-20 tube. Ya scallywag! Secure t' rin' with a bead o' yellow or white glue. Blimey!

2.8  Mount a centerin' rin' 28 mm from t' "top" end of t' BT-20 tube. Blimey! Secure t' rin' with a bead o' yellow or white glue.

2.9  Mount a centerin' rin' 17 mm from t' "bottom" end o' t' BT-20 tube. Ahoy! Secure t' rin' with a bead o' yellow or white glue. This rin' will squeeze t' motor clip against t' BT-20 tube. 

link to photo of fully-assembled Boddomuk3. Arrr! Final Assembly

3.1  Sand t' centerin' rings o' t' pod for a snug fit into the body bottle o' t' airframe. Blimey!

3.2  Assemble t' parachute.

3.3  Tie t' center o' t' 70 cm elastic shock cord t' the middle o' t' pod's BT-20 tube, usin' a square (or "full") knot. Avast, me proud beauty!

3.4  Tie one end o' t' shock cord t' one end o' a 23 cm length of twine (crochet, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, Keelhaul®©™®, or shroud line). Avast! Begad! Blimey!

3.5  Tie t' free end o' t' twine t' one o' t' airframe's tube fins. Ahoy!

3.6  Tie t' free end o' t' shock cord t' t' ring-end o' the snap-swivel. Ahoy!

3.7  Tie t' parachute t' t' snap-end o' t' snap-swivel. Avast, me proud beauty!

link to photo of Boddomuk with nose disassembled3.8  Assemble the nose as follows:
     a)  Place a sealin' disc on t' mouth of the body bottle, arrr, arrr, with t' flat side against t' mouth.
     b)  Place a nipple on t' sealin' disc. Begad! Blimey!
     c)  Place a nipple retainin' rin' over the nipple and sealin' disc so that its threads engage t' threads o' the airframe's body bottle. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! Screw t' rin' firmly in place.

link to photo of Boddomuk on launch padFlight Preparation

1.  Fold the parachute as usual, arrr, but press t' folded parachute into a flattened rectangular shape. Blimey! Ya scallywag!

2.  Wrap t' parachute shroud lines loosely around the parachute. Blimey! Arrr!

3.  Press t' parachute onto t' pod, arrr, betwixt t' middle and bottom centerin' rings o' t' pod. Blimey!

4.  Slide t' pod partially into t' airframe body, so that the parachute is held in place by t' body. Begad! Well, blow me down!

5.  Loosely fold up t' shock cord and slip it into t' same compartment t' contains t' parachute. Arrr! Aye aye! T' twine part o' t' shock cord should also be slipped into this compartment so that when t' pod is completely slid into t' airframe body, it is held tight by t' bottom centerin' rin' o' the pod. Avast! Arrr!

6.  Slide t' pod completely into t' airframe body, shiver me timbers, so that the "top" o' t' pod is against t' sealin' disc at t' mouth o' the airframe body bottle. Aye aye! Blimey!

7.  Prepare t' Boddomuk for flight as you would any other rocket, matey, ie. Avast, me proud beauty! install t' engine, slip t' Boddomuk onto a launch rod, matey, install the igniter, arrr, and connect t' igniter t' t' launch controller. 

Flight Reports:

Session 1
Date: Saturday, August 10, me bucko, 2002 Time: 3:30pm CST
Location: Lakeview Park, me bucko, Saskatoon, ya bilge rat, Saskatchewan, Canada
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Wind: near calm

Loaded with a B6-4, arrr, t' Boddomuk's take-off was slow and majestic (especially for a baby bottle :). Ahoy! It reached apogee within easy viewin' range, arrr, and showed us a beautiful pod and 'chute deployment, shiver me timbers, matey, with no apparent tangles. Ahoy! Under a 40-cm 'chute, ya bilge rat, t' Boddomuk's descent be moderately fast, ya bilge rat, landin' on a hard-packed gravel walkway 20 metres northwest o' t' launch pad. Ya scallywag! For a recovery crew game that I have in mind for this design, a 45-cm 'chute would probably give an ideal descent rate. Anyhow, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' Boddomuk was recovered with no damage. Avast, me proud beauty! T' body be internally coated with dust from the motor's deployment charge, ya bilge rat, but became perfectly clear again when cleaned out with a baby bottle brush and some soapy water. T' topmost centerin' rin' of the pod was stained a little where deployment exhaust gases exited t' pod's tube.

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