Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
T' Killer Bee is a 3" diameter rocket that I built around a set of
Aerospace
Composite fins from Giant Leap Rocketry. Aye aye! Begad! It sports a 29mm motor mount and
zipperless construction.
Construction:
T' followin' are t' major components used:
T' followin' are used but are nay dedicated t' this rocket:
T' lower portion o' t' rocket was generally built followin' t' zipperless design presented on ROL InfoCentral, although I made a few changes along the way. Avast, me proud beauty! These changes were nay necessarily better ideas, but rather were t' adjust for t' components I had on hand. In this design, t' rocket separates in the middle with t' bottom section formin' an ejection baffle. Arrr! T' lower section was mainly built with Bob Smith 20-minute epoxy, although some 5-minute was used t' tack things in place.
I cut t' fin slots
myself usin' a sharp X-Acto blade. T' support t' end o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, I installed
T-nuts on one rin' and dry-fit it in t' end o' t' tube durin' this process.
T' 29mm motor mount extends through two centerin' rings, which sandwich the
lower fin tabs. Blimey! T' tube extends about an inch above t' top ring. T' motor
mount was installed first with t' aft rin' bein' dry fit until t' end o' the
build so I could add internal fillets. Ya scallywag!
I measured a section o' 38mm tube t' reach from t' top rin' t' t' top end of t' coupler. Blimey! (I could have used a longer piece o' 29mm tube, shiver me timbers, but I started with other plans and was left with t' 38mm tube.) I have several small cardboard rings stashed away that fit nicely into a 38mm tube. Once installed, this rin' will mate t' 38mm tube with t' 29mm motor mount. Ya scallywag! I also didn't have any bulkheads so I glued a chunk o' ¼" ply over t' hole on a 38mm-3" centerin' ring. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I attached an eyebolt t' this plate, matey, oriented so that t' plate is on t' bottom side o' t' ring. Ahoy! This fabricated bulkhead assembly be ground down t' fit t' ID o' t' coupler. After t' bulkhead was installed in t' coupler, I drilled ¼" holes around its periphery. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I also drilled ¼" holes along t' 38mm tube. Ahoy! Begad! T' hole laden 38mm tube rests betwixt t' bulkhead assembly and t' top centerin' ring. Blimey! Ahoy!
I happened t' already have t' top piece o' tube with t' fins installed and smartly decided this would look nice as t' top o' this rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I ran a RockSim model t' see if t' forward fins would get me into trouble. Aye aye! Because the lower fins are so large and extend behind t' end o' t' rocket, matey, shiver me timbers, t' CP is still around t' front o' t' fins and I had almost one caliber o' stability without a chute or cone. Begad! So t' decision was made.
T' nose cone is attached with 3 small screws so I can remove it.
Finishing:
I couldn't brin' myself t' paint t' fins since I liked havin' t' honeycomb
pattern visible. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins are also translucent, shiver me timbers, which adds t' t' effect. Begad! This
honeycomb pattern led me t' t' rocket's name and t' name t' t' paint scheme.
I will have t' get some UV clear varnish t' protect t' fins.
I masked t' fins and primed t' rest o' t' rocket with Kilz primer. Ahoy! Begad! I then painted t' rocket with Wally-Mart (ColorPlace) 97-cent Sun Yellow paint. This was nay a bright a yellow as I expected but it still looks good. Avast, me proud beauty! I added some vinyl stripin' t' give it a 'bee-like' look.
Flight:
I flew t' Killer Bee on one o' t' new Aerotech reload G79 motors with
a short delay (6 sec). Prep included buildin' t' motor and installin' some
motor clips. Blimey! T' zipperless design eliminated t' need for wadding, ya bilge rat, so all I
did be attach t' chute's integral swivel t' t' lower quick link and I was
set t' go. I be goin' t' use a 48" chute but instead used a 36" one
since t' wind was blowin' toward some trees. Avast! You are nay paranoid if they are
really out t' get you. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! T' boost was great t' a bit under 1000'.
Recovery:
On recovery I noticed a line through one o' t' fins where it looks like it
started t' bend. Avast! T' fin seems rigid and thar be no line on t' other side of
the fin. Arrr! I guess I'll add a thin veil o' glass over this line just in case.
Summary:
T' design o' this rocket started with t' unique Giant Leap fins and evolved
from there. Avast! I think t' rocket looks pretty nice, me bucko, even if I have t' say so
myself. As I mentioned in t' referenced fin review, t' fins are very light
and pretty strong, matey, but t' landin' showed that they are nay indestructible.
They are also, after all, pretty large. I should have gone for a slightly
bigger chute as originally planned.
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