Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
A scratch built rocket usin' Sunward's 4 canted motor mount.
Construction and Finishing:
T' build this rocket I used:
Whilst lookin' on a sticker site for a "William" sticker, me hearties, arrr, for me son's first rocket, I came across the sticker below. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Havin' bought t' sticker, ya bilge rat, I thought I'd better build somethin' t' put it on. Ahoy! Blimey! I'm nay goin' t' try and build a rocket like t' one on t' sticker. Begad!
I've opted for a BT-70 rocket with a quad tilted motor mount from Sunward. Avast, me proud beauty! I've already posted a review on the mount. Begad! Photos are from that that review just for completion. Well, blow me down! T' mount was then fitted t' t' BT-70 and filled with car body filler, which was really easy t' work with.
I decided t' make t' fins slightly swept back mainly because o' t' mass from t' motors. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' fins were laminated usin' Fablon, which was a first for me. Blimey! Arrr! T' Fablon plastic went on well. T' leadin' edge be nay beveled and left square. T' edges were sealed with white glue.
T' body tube had some spiral grooves in it, me hearties, matey, which were filled with model filler, and then t' BT was spray paint primed, matey, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, sanded, me bucko, ya bilge rat, primed, sanded, me hearties, primed etc. As t' fins are nay TTW and with four C6 motors t' power this rocket, arrr, it be goin' t' move quite fast and I was a little concerned about t' strength o' t' fins, coupled with t' fact that swept back fins have a habit o' meetin' t' ground first when landing. Begad! Blimey! T' overcome this, I put several holes along the area where t' fins were goin' t' be attached. Blimey! Blimey! T' fins were then added usin' CA gel. Four glue fillets were then added over two days.
T' shock cord was t' normal Keelhaul®©™® and eleastic job, anchored t' t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! A swatch o' Nomex® waddin' be added.
For t' nose cone I used an eyelet for t' shock cord anchor. Ya scallywag! I was nay certain that it would nay come out even though I had wicked CA into t' base, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so I went for three eyelets in t' end as nay all three can fail. Aye aye! Arrr! A hole was drilled into t' nose cone's base and a lump o' lead was added. Ya scallywag! T' nose cone was balsa and required 5 coats o' sanding sealer, ya bilge rat, matey, three coats o' primer, and three coats o' gloss black t' finish. Avast!
I was goin' for a two tone finish on t' body, matey, ya bilge rat, but after much swearin' due t' maskin' tape that continues to bleed paint, I went for orange on t' whole rocket. Well, blow me down! T' finish is nay good, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and I'm really disappointed with it. Sticker be then applied.
Flight and Recovery:
I finally flew her many many weeks after finishin' her, mainly because o' weather and me normal flyin' field bein' a
bit too small for this rocket. Aye aye! However, arrr, me bucko, shiver me timbers, only three motors (C6-7) lit. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' rocket went up straight with a slight kink in
t' first 10 meters or so, arrr, probably as t' clips were bein' yanked free from t' unlit motor. Arrr! Recovery be rather fast
on a 15 inch chute, and t' ground was hard. On landin' she popped a fin and suffered a lot o' paint damage with flakes
comin' off t' Fablon laminate. Aye aye! I am now lookin' t' remove all fins and sand her back t' t' body tube and redesign the
fins.
Summary:
PROs: T' 4 canted motors seem t' work. T' flight was good even with one dud motor.
CONs: Four C motors cost a lot more than one D or E.
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