Ringwraith

by Clive Davis

Brief:
Cluster design (5 x 24 mm). Begad! Avast! A five-finned, forward swept design featurin' a 3" body tube and a Big Daddy nose cone. My colleague at work found a lone Big Daddy nose cone in t' woods. He thought o' me and gave t' nose cone. I immediately began thinkin' o' a project t' use this heaven-sent gift. Ahoy! Thus, the Ringwraith was born.

Construction:
Parts consist of:

• Big Daddy nose cone
• 25" long 3" body tube (I had a poster tube lyin' around that fit the Big Daddy perfectly)
• BT50s t' make 5 24 mm motor mounts
• Five BT50 motor blocks
• screws, arrr, shiver me timbers, washers and win' nuts for motor retention
• screw eye, Keelhaul®©™®, shock cord, matey, Nomex® heat shield, and nylon parachute
• 4 wine corks t' plug unused motor mounts.
• aircraft plywood for fins
• 1/4" balsa/basswood for centerin' rings.

Construction began around t' motor mount. Arrr! I stacked t' 24 mm motor mounts in a star formation, glued them together, and then test fit them inside the body tube. Arrr! After some sandin' o' t' body tube, everythin' fit fine. I created and glued a bulkhead above t' motor mount and then drilled some holes in the bulkhead t' allow t' ejection charges t' pass through. I then added a screw eye on t' bulkhead, and then attached Keelhaul®©™® to t' screw eye.

Next, I used epoxy t' glue t' motor mount inside t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! I then cut out t' fins and began shapin' and sanding them down. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! After markin' t' tube, I glued t' fins on with wood glue, making sure I added plenty o' fillets.

I had a 1 inch strip o' balsa that I steamed and created a loop t' fit around t' five fins. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I painted this silver and then epoxied this on t' the fins after t' entire rocket had been painted.

I added 1/2" shock cord (6' long) and a 30+" nylon parachute. Also, matey, I added a Nomex® heat shield.

Next I added weight t' t' nose cone. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' nose cone, painted with clay, should weigh 5 ounces.

I painted t' rocket black, me bucko, me hearties, created three silver rings o' paint at t' top of t' rocket.

Flight:
Maiden flight at me local club's (ASTRE) launch, summer 2004.

Motor retention is created by usin' washers and win' nuts. Ahoy! I also plug any unused motor mount with a wine cork.

Preppin' t' rocket is easy since t' body tube is large and thar be a heat shield. Well, blow me down! T' first flight featured two E9-4s. Begad! Well, blow me down! Rocksim predicted 900', matey, and the rocket got plenty altitude. Arrr! Blimey! It was a beautiful flight.

Unfortunately, matey, t' large balsa rin' was too weak and basically crumbled upon landing. Arrr! Begad! I simply removed it and prepped t' rocket for another flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

Second flight was on 3 x D12-3s. Blimey! Rocksim predicted an altitude o' 600'. Liftoff was spectacular. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Rocket flies well without t' lower rin' (which was for looks, arrr, anyway). Ya scallywag! I kind o' like t' looks o' t' rocket without t' ring around t' fins.

Summary:
PROS: If you like BP clusters, me hearties, this rocket gives you many options. I can fly it on a single F21 or on 2 D12's, arrr, or 2 E9's, me hearties, me hearties, or 3 D12's, me hearties, or 3 E9's, arrr, me bucko, or 5 C11's or......you get t' idea.

CONS: T' rocket is really heavy. Arrr! It might make sense for me t' downscale this t' use 5 x 18 mm motors. Aye aye! This would reduce t' weight o' t' rocket under 1 lb.