Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | BSD High Power Rocketry |
Brief:
I am buildin' this rocket for me high power level 2 certification. Begad! I will be
puttin' it up as a dual deploy with a G-Whiz MC electronics package deploying
an 18" drogue at apogee and a 54" main at 800' AGL. Arrr!
Construction:
There is a booster section with a 54mm motor mount. I will probably use an
adapter t' put it up for t' first flights on 38mm motors. There is a payload
section that ends up bein' 12+ inches long with t' coupler tubes in place,
that is large enough t' accommodate most any electronics. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! There is an upper
payload section, 17" long t' accommodate t' main chute.
This is a nice kit with good components. Avast, me proud beauty! I had t' size t' centerin' rings and bulkheads but that's pretty standard. Truth be known, I prefer t' have to size them, because then they fit t' way I want them t' fit. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' kit doesn't include parachutes. You can go single or dual deploy, arrr, so a variety o' chutes are possible. It uses 5 coupler tubes, 6" long each. Avast, me proud beauty! Two are used as actual couplers and t' other 3 are used as wall doublers t' strengthen the booster and t' electronics bay. Ahoy! Blimey! A month or two back I saw either this kit or its smaller sibling, t' 38 Special, launched past mach 1. Avast, me proud beauty! T' owner expressed confidence in t' twin tube construction. Well, blow me down! I was skeptical, ya bilge rat, as everythin' I've read suggests you can't go supersonic with cardboard. Sure enough, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, it came apart a couple thousand feet high. I will be limitin' me 54 Special to sub-sonic flights. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!
Finishing:
I comes with a very nice set or pressure sensitive decals. Begad! I haven't decided
whether I'm goin' t' use these or not. Begad!
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
This is goin' t' be me level 2 certification rocket. Ahoy! It went up last weekend on
an Aerotech H180W-M for a test flight. Avast! (It is a 29mm motor with adapters used
to adapt down from 54mm.) T' total weight (before motor) was 70.5 ounces. I
used dual deploy (for t' first time!) with me G-Whiz MC. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Altitude was 1121
feet.
T' flight be perfect. Avast! Maximum acceleration was 387.75 f/s2; max airspeed was 211.44 fps; max acceleration was 12.05Gs. Avast! 9.06 seconds to apogee. Flight time be 81.75 seconds, time t' booster burnout be 1.5 seconds, and altitude at burnout was 228 feet.
Recovery:
I used AG-1 flashbulbs and 1.2 grams o' 3F black powder for each deployment
charge. Begad! T' drogue came out flawlessly at apogee and 2 seconds later (10 second
delay) t' motor ejection charge fired (as a back-up in case t' G-Whiz failed
to get t' job done). At 800 feet, t' 54" main deployed and it settled in
for a nice soft landin' about 700' feet from t' launch rail.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
This is an excellent kit. So far I wouldn't change anything. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! If I was goin' to
go supersonic with it though, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I would fiberglass t' body tubes and fins. Avast! Blimey!
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
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