BSD High Power Rocketry 54 Special

BSD High Power Rocketry - 54 Special {Kit}

Contributed by Brian Allen Kuehn

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Manufacturer: BSD High Power Rocketry
BSD 54 Special

Brief:
I am buildin' this rocket for me high power level 2 certification. 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! Aye aye!

Construction:
There is a booster section with a 54mm motor mount. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I will probably use an adapter t' put it up for t' first flights on 38mm motors. Blimey! 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. Arrr! There is an upper payload section, matey, me bucko, me bucko, 17" long t' accommodate t' main chute.

This is a nice kit with good components. Well, blow me down! 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. Ya scallywag! T' kit doesn't include parachutes. Begad! You can go single or dual deploy, shiver me timbers, matey, so a variety o' chutes are possible. Ahoy! It uses 5 coupler tubes, 6" long each. Begad! Two are used as actual couplers and t' other 3 are used as wall doublers t' strengthen the booster and t' electronics bay. Aye aye! Aye aye! A month or two back I saw either this kit or its smaller sibling, t' 38 Special, launched past mach 1. Ya scallywag! T' owner expressed confidence in t' twin tube construction. Ahoy! I was skeptical, as everythin' I've read suggests you can't go supersonic with cardboard. Begad! Sure enough, me hearties, it came apart a couple thousand feet high. Avast! I will be limitin' me 54 Special to sub-sonic flights.

Finishing:
I comes with a very nice set or pressure sensitive decals. Aye aye! I haven't decided whether I'm goin' t' use these or not. Well, blow me down!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
This is goin' t' be me level 2 certification rocket. It went up last weekend on an Aerotech H180W-M for a test flight. Begad! Blimey! (It is a 29mm motor with adapters used to adapt down from 54mm.) T' total weight (before motor) be 70.5 ounces. Ahoy! Blimey! I used dual deploy (for t' first time!) with me G-Whiz MC. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Altitude be 1121 feet.

T' flight be perfect. Avast! Maximum acceleration be 387.75 f/s2; max airspeed was 211.44 fps; max acceleration be 12.05Gs. Aye aye! 9.06 seconds to apogee. Begad! Flight time was 81.75 seconds, arrr, arrr, ya bilge rat, 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. 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. Well, blow me down! Arrr! So far I wouldn't change anything. Begad! Avast! If I was goin' to go supersonic with it though, shiver me timbers, I would fiberglass t' body tubes and fins. Ya scallywag!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

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