BSD High Power Rocketry Intrepid

BSD High Power Rocketry - Intrepid {Kit}

Contributed by Eric Fadely

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: BSD High Power Rocketry
BSD Rocketry Intrepid

Brief:
T' BSD Intrepid is a 2-stage interchangeable high powered rocket. Versions can be 38mm boost t' a 29mm rocket, a single stage 29mm rocket, me bucko, or a single stage 38mm rocket. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Dual deployment was altered and timer bay be added by the builder.

Construction:
Body tube material be t' typical glassine coated cardboard. Well, blow me down! Fins and bulkheads were aircraft quality 3/16" plywood. Ya scallywag! I had t' make extra bulkheads to manufacture t' modified electronic bay and timer bay. Begad! T' kit included plastic rivets, ya bilge rat, arrr, rail buttons, shiver me timbers, 9/16" tubular nylon shock cord, me bucko, and BSD's motor retention system. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Since t' possibilities for recovery were so varied, ya bilge rat, I was required t' provide me own parachute. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Attachment hardware was also included. Begad!

PROs:

  • T' kit, as advertised, is a very simple kit t' construct.
  • T' instructions were well above average. Ahoy! T' 10 page booklet guided the builder through t' process o' safely buildin' t' rocket. A multitude of photos, nay drawn pictures, me hearties, me bucko, helped show each step. Aye aye! Ahoy! Additional tips were also added t' such things as applyin' fillets t' fins and launch lugs.

CONs:

BSD Rocketry Intrepid
  • Although a very good kit, thar are a couple o' things t' think about before building. Buildin' t' electronics bay needs a little thought before assembling. As bought, you are required t' reach into both t' main and drogue airframes t' insert and/or attach t' deployment charge. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' instructions didn't give much information on how t' use t' e-bay. Ahoy! I ended up cuttin' a 3" band o' airframe from t' drogue tube then I epoxied it exactly halfway down a coupler tube. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! A bulkhead is then epoxied inside one end o' t' coupler. I manufactured a support rin' from another coupler bulkhead and cut t' center out leavin' about 3/8". Arrr! I used this as a shelf t' set t' removable bulkhead on with a rubber gasket. Avast! On both bulkheads I epoxied a 1" PVC pipe cap t' be used as a cup t' hold my ejection charge, me bucko, a 2 bus connector that would accept a wire from me Missile Works RRC2 (with t' wire threaded through a hole drilled in t' bulkhead and epoxied t' seal it and then t' eye bolt t' hold t' tubular nylon recovery. T' removable bulkhead was retained in place by 2 threaded bolts epoxied t' the permanent bulkhead. Arrr! T' all-thread passin' through t' bay allowed for holding the RRC2 on a wood sled with launch lugs big enough t' slide over t' bolts and into t' bay.
  • BSD Rocketry Intrepid
  • T' kit's instructions didn't really cover t' installation o' a timer, which o' course is needed t' use this rocket in a 2 stage configuration. Aye aye! I added a bay in betwixt t' sustainer fins t' keep it close t' t' motor it will light. Aye aye! I used a small brass tube t' connect t' bay t' t' aft end o' the rocket. Aye aye! I also didn't like t' arrangement o' t' sustainer t' booster mating. More on that in t' flight critique.

Finishing:
PROs:

  • No special considerations were needed for t' finish. Arrr!
  • T' vinyl decals are great! Blimey! They are so much better than t' waterslide type. Ahoy! Blimey! BSD provided plenty o' extra decals such as CP, CG and Vent hole decals.

CONs:

  • With vinyl decals you had better be sure you are puttin' t' decal where you want it. Ahoy! Blimey! If you put it on wrong you will stretch it when tryin' t' pull it off. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey!
  • As with all decals, if you do nay put a clear coat on top o' them the lifespan is shortened. I found that vinyl decals it will start peeling, which is me fault, nay BSD's. If I were t' reconsider anythin' I would have slowed down and put a few clear coats on t' entire rocket, but I be eager t' fly it!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

BSD Rocketry Intrepid

Flight:
T' recommended motors per t' BSD website are: Booster: 38mm; I211, me hearties, I284, J350; Sustainer: 29mm; H128, H180, I200. Well, blow me down! Arrr! On t' first flight I used a Pro38 I205 staged t' an AT H238. Ya scallywag! Prior t' this I had ZERO timer experience. T' boost was good but t' sustainer failed t' fire. Begad! My second try be with t' same set up. T' altitude was only 1900', nay too impressive for a 2 stage rocket. Ahoy! My third shot be with a J350 in t' booster and an H180 in t' sustainer. Well, blow me down! This was t' best flight I have done. Aye aye! Avast! Straight as an arrow up, good stagin' to 3200', matey, and a good recovery.

BSD Rocketry Intrepid T' only CON to this rocket in flight be t' sustainer/booster set up. Aye aye! T' motor mount in the sustainer is designed too far up into t' body tube. Avast! When t' second motor lights, t' interior o' t' tube be severely scorched preventin' any future mate up with t' booster. Aye aye! Next time I would either redesign t' mate up, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, coat the interior o' t' sustainer portion with epoxy or fiberglass or use a small BP charge t' separate t' booster from t' sustainer prior t' ignition. A little forethought on me part would have prevented this. Blimey! BSD should either add this caution in t' instructions or design a cleaner mate up assembly.

Recovery:
T' recovery was pretty straightforward. Begad! T' drogue separated at apogee and the main came out at 300'. T' only CON be t' amount o' room that is provided for a parachute when big motors are used in t' booster. Avast, me proud beauty! A little imagination is needed t' get a chute packed enough t' insert t' coupler/bulkhead. T' motor forward closure be only about an inch from t' bulkhead. Aye aye! Begad! Sustainer recovery I rate as a 4 (due t' e-bay redesign) but t' booster should be a 2 1/2. Aye aye! A little more room is needed.

BSD Rocketry Intrepid

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
My overall feelin' about t' BSD Intrepid is that it is an wonderful rocket! With some HPR buildin' experience behind you, me hearties, this rocket is an easy kit to assemble and fly. Ya scallywag! Begad! It allows for a lot o' modification if needed or desired. It was a great entry rocket for me into 2 stage rocketry.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

Comments:

avatar
Mark Saunders BSD High Power Rocketry Glendale, AZ http://www.bsdrocketry.com (January 12, 2005)
Thank you for the review of the Intrepid. You make an excellent point regarding the inter-stage coupler. We will add verbiage to the assembly instructions regarding scorching and staging. The bulhplate in the inter-stage coupler can be mounted lower to allow the sustatiner's MMT to move rearward to help reduce scorching. The best solution is to let the booster drag separate from the sustainer and add a second delay to the staging timer. This requires a less snug fitting of the interstage coupler to the sustainer. The objective is to let the sustainer "slip" off the booster and fall "out of harms way" before the sustainer motor ignights. A layer of Kevlar® on the inside of the inter-stage coupler and bulkplate is another alternative, but this does nothing to protect the lower sustainer airframe. Customer comments are always welcome. We will address the scorching issue with additional instructions and a review of the inter-stage coupler design. Thank you for supporting BSD.

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