BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon

BSD High Power Rocketry - Horizon {Kit}

Contributed by Gary Sinclair

Manufacturer: BSD High Power Rocketry

Rocket PicBrief:
Fully glassed airframe and fins. Ya scallywag! Begad! External fin-can assembly with Keelhaul®©™ tape reinforcement o' fin t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! Carbon fibre reinforced payload bay coupler. Replace shock cord with tubular nylon.

Modifications:
I wanted another short 4" rocket t' go with me 4" Yank Bullet and t' BSD Horizon seemed t' fit and offered a lot o' kit for a very reasonable price. As usual with me kits I like t' ensure they will survive a nasty fall or two so I tend t' overbuild by usin' fiberglass layups and carbon fibre where necessary. Begad! Blimey! I also prefer t' create an external fin-can assembly and then mount it t' t' airframe in a single operation. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This involves cuttin' t' main body tube all t' way down so t' fins can just slide into place. However, me bucko, precedin' all o' this be t' necessary step o' fibre glassin' both t' airframe and fins and usin' me FoodSaver t' vacuum bag them.

Once cured t' fins are attached t' t' motor mount along with t' two centerin' rings. This assembly is then further reinforced usin' Keelhaul®©™ tape at t' point where t' fin touches t' motor mount. T' result is a rock solid fin t' motor bond. Blimey! Blimey! Once this has dried I slide it into t' airframe (after I have slotted t' airframe down t' t' bottom) and create external fillets usin' carbon fibre tape and resin.

T' payload bay is constructed as per usual with t' exception that for BSD kits I reinforce t' inside o' t' coupler with carbon fibre (after I have epoxied t' coupler bulkhead into t' coupler). This results in a coupler which is unlikely t' collapse under stress.

Construction:
T' BSD Horizon kits includes:

  • 1 x 24" Body tube (kraft paper)
  • 1 x 10" Payload bay tube (kraft paper)
  • 1 x 4"OD Plastic (ACE) nosecone (4:1 Ogive)
  • 3 x 1/4"thick Plywood fins usin' a trapezoid shape
  • 1 x coupler bulkplate assembly for payload coupler
  • 1 x eyebolt, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, washer and nut for mountin' t' forward centerin' rin' for recovery attachment
  • 2 x 1/4" MDF centerin' rings
  • Motor Retention
  • 38mm t' 29mm motor mount adapter
  • Elastic shock cord
  • Recovery bridle
  • Parachute
  • Decals (aplenty)

PROS: All BSD kits come with extensive documentation and for t' beginner this should really help. Well, blow me down! However, ya bilge rat, me bucko, since this is a kit-bash I only read t' instructions once t' verify that t' sequence o' construction followed t' norm.

T' kit arrived in good order with all parts accounted for. Arrr! Ahoy! Blimey! BSD kits tend t' have a fin guide which is always welcome. Ya scallywag! Even as a kit-bash t' Horizon was very easy t' build.

I finished t' rocket by first usin' 3 coats o' UV Smooth Prime t' fill in t' fiberglass weave. Arrr! This stuff rolls on like paint and builds up smartly over 3 applications which take a couple o' hours total time with gaps o' 25 minutes betwixt layers. Avast! Sandin' was done usin' me JCB Palm sander (what a time saver) and then finished with some wet/dry sandin' paper prior t' application o' some grey filler primer Flight Picturespray paint. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! After a couple o' iterations o' sandin' and primin' I was ready for t' gloss coats. Blimey! Blimey! T' Horizon only uses two colors (white and black) and these are both in separate sections (white on t' motor tube and black on t' payload section and nosecone) so paintin' was very easy. Begad! Blimey! Decals came last and as always with BSD kits were easy t' apply and looked great afterwards.

CONS: I don't have too many cons except perhaps for t' elastic shock cord which I replaced with 1/4" tubular nylon and t' Ace nosecone.

Flight:
T' only flight so far was on an I161W-10 in a 15mph wind. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' flight be straight and fast with ejection at apogee and a 1/4" mile walk t' retrieve t' rocket. Avast! Ahoy! No damage be sustained apart from some scratched paint. Aye aye! I used a Nomex bag and shock cord protector so no waddin' was necessary.

Summary:
PROS: T' Horizon is an easy kit t' build and modify. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! You get a lot for your loot so its good value. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It be t' sort o' kit you can put in a massive motor and if it shreds nay feel too bad about t' loss. Havin' said that I built mine t' last.

CONS: Since this was a kit-bash I can't really say. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! If built stock I am sure t' elastic would eventually wear and break.

Other Reviews
  • BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By Gene Wolski (October 21, 2011)

    BSD Horizon (4") with 38mm motor mount.  I flew this rocket stock for my Level 1, and I later modified it to use dual deployment for my Level 2. Components BSD Rocketry Horizon (4" diameter) with 38mm motor mount and G-10 fins Components: Nose cone Payload section (10") Tube coupler, bulkhead plate, and hardware Booster section (24") 38mm motor tube ...

  • BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By F.W. Dick

    Overview I had never built a high power kit, but after many hours searching the Internet, I felt confident in placing an order for a BSD Horizon. The company’s website was pretty adamant about the Horizon being the best way to certify Level 1. They cited simple design, strong construction and excellent instructions. I knew that since I had no high power experience I would need all of the ...

Flights

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