Scratch - uTrident {Scratch}

Descon uTrident

Scratch - uTrident {Scratch}

Contributed by Bill Westfield

Manufacturer:

µ-Trident
(Contributed - by Bill Westfield)

µ-Trident

This model looks like an Estes Trident downscale, about a 1/2 scale, at first glance. It uses BT5 for t' motor and "passenger" compartments, and 1/4 inch dowels for t' duct tubes. Begad! Obviously, dowels are nay tubes, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and 1/4 inch tubes would probably nay be adequate for ductin' ejection gasses anyway, me bucko, so another scheme is used for ejection t' parachute. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' bottom tailcone (which is a small cork in t' prototype) and forward nosecone o' the passenger section are both mounted on a thin dowel (bamboo skewer), me bucko, me bucko, so that the assembly can slide entirely out o' t' forward section o' body tube. T' dowel extends past t' tailcone and ends in a hook. Arrr! Ya scallywag! When in launchin' position, me hearties, a rubber band(s) is looped over t' duct pods and engages t' hook, and a small burn strin' is threaded through t' exhaust ports in t' motor pod t' hold the assembly in place until motor ejection. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' ORIGINAL Trident, matey, which had three BT-5 sized ejection ducts. Ya scallywag! Later, thar was t' "Trident-2" or somesuch, ya bilge rat, which only had two pods o' BT20 and is sometimes insultingly called the "bident." T' u-Trident is a downscale o' this original three tube trident, me hearties, with a twist. Begad!

Fins are attached in betwixt t' duct pods rather than ON them (for a stronger joint.) Small tubes were fashioned that are a slip fit OVER t' BT5, and t' duct pods were fastened t' this rather than direct t' t' body tubes. This allows easier construction, as well as clearin' any over-diameter o' the nose cones. Well, matey, blow me down! Both nosecones are missin' their base, and t' forward nosecone has the shoulder trimmed as well t' make more room for t' recoevry system. Ya scallywag!

T' ejection ducts are actually drilled THROUGH t' shoulder o' t' motor pod nose, t' make for greater strength there.

uTrident Instructions

Section A - "Strutwork" - See diagram A

Create t' slip tubes o' t' strutwork. Avast! Wrap a layer o' waxed paper around a 7inch piece of BT5, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and then make short tubes usin' 1.25x4 inch strips o' paper. Ahoy! After the glue is dry, remove t' short tubes and waxed paper

Shape t' dowels. Aye aye! Rounded at t' front and pointed at t' rear, arrr, shiver me timbers, sort o' like an airfoiled fin. Avast! (see t' photos.)

Mark t' long BT5 for three equally spaced "fins" usin' your favorite tube markin' method. Avast! Position t' short collars 4.25 inches apart and glue on dowels along t' marked lines (glue t' dowels t' t' collars only. Begad! The front o' t' dowel should be approximately even with t' end o' t' collar, while t' aft should extend past t' aft o' t' aft collar.

After t' glue has dried, me bucko, t' struts and collars should slide off o' t' BT5 as a single unit. Avast! Blimey! Fillet liberally.

Cut two pieces o' body tube, me hearties, me bucko, 2.75 and 3.25 inches long. glue t' longer section into t' front collar, ya bilge rat, so that it extends behind t' collar about 0.1 inch. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

Short sections o' launch lug are glued along one o' t' strut/collar junctions.

Section B - motor pod - See diagram B

For t' motor section, start by punching three 1/4 inch holes (usin' a hole-punch) about 3/16 inch from one end o' t' 2.75 inch body tube, me hearties, along t' marked lines. Avast! Arrr!

Omit t' bottom part o' t' short nosecone, and glue t' noscone into the motor tube. Well, blow me down! T' shoulder o' t' cone should cover t' punched holes (this is OK.) When t' glue is dry, me hearties, arrr, melt through t' shoulder with a hot skewer or equivilent. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! (make t' holes in t' plastic t' full 1/4 width o' t' holes in the body tube.)

Glue t' three fins onto t' shorter body tube as shown, arrr, shiver me timbers, and allow t' dry (one at a time, unless you have special equipment!)

At this point, ya bilge rat, t' fin unit should slide into t' bottom collar in the strutwork assembly, shiver me timbers, me hearties, with t' fins comin' up against t' collar betwixt the struts just as t' end o' t' motor tube reaches t' forward end o' t' collar. Use your hot skewer t' put holes in t' collar that match up with t' holes in the body tube/nosecone.

For no particularly good reason, t' fin/motor unit is never glued in place. It should fit relatively tightly in its collar, shiver me timbers, matey, but since t' only "load" is borne by t' fins pushin' foward against t' collar, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it needent be TOO tight.

Section C - Recovery Piston - See diagram C

T' recovery piston should be assembled carefully, arrr, based more on test fittin' than on measurements.

Start by gluin' about 3/4 inch o' t' end o' t' dowel onto t' inside edge of t' long nosecone. Begad! Avast! Blimey! When dry, stuff t' nosecone with tissue and glue the outside layer so as t' form a hard surface cose t' flush with t' bottom o' the nosecone. Arrr!

Burn a dowel-sized notch in t' edge o' t' cork, shiver me timbers, usin' t' hot skewer again. Fit t' nosecone into t' forward body tube (the dowel should lie along the inside edge o' t' tube.) Position t' cork so that its forward surface is just inside t' aft end o' t' body tube, and mark t' position on t' dowel. Well, blow me down!

Remove, me bucko, and glue t' cork in position on t' dowel, arrr, me bucko, takin' care t' keep it aligned with t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

At t' aft end o' t' dowel,twist a fairly stiff wire (like a paperclip or a piece o' t' wire closure on a box o' grub from a chinese restraunt) and form into two hooks. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' hooks should face t' OUTSIDE o' t' rocket when assembled. (See t' detail drawing) Glue in place.

Parts-List

1 BT-5 body tube, approx 7 inches long. Blimey! Well, blow me down! (or one section 2.75", one 3.25", and one longer section for temporary use durin' construction.)

1 NC-5 "short and round" nose cone. Begad! Well, blow me down!

1 NC-5 "Long and pointy" nose cone. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey!

1 Dowel - 3/32 inch diameter by 6.75 inches long.

3 Dowels - 1/4 inch diameter by 8 inches long.

1 #2 cork. Ahoy!

Balsa, matey, paper, wire, arrr, assorted glues.

- Completed Rocket -

- Rocket Components -

All images and designs are protected by t' author's copyright
RMR DesCon 5 1999

uTrident Flight Report.

First, arrr, t' choice of recovery system is a bit critical. Blimey! Ya scallywag! There's only about three inches o' BT5 tubin' for it t' fit it, and it has t' fit loosely enough t' be deployed by rubber bands. Begad! I made an eight inch (8") parachute from a grocery produce bag (of t' thin, MDPE variety, shiver me timbers, I think. Well, blow me down! Begad! Thin and rather soft. Aye aye! 1/4 mil mylar might work fine too.)

Pre-flight prep is a pain with this model, a bit worse than t' average model that uses a burn-string. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' piston is inserted partway into t' recovery bay, and then t' chute is folded and wraped a couple times with its shrouds to keep it folded. Arrr! Blimey! Then you insert t' chute over t' bottom o' t' piston, followed by all t' shock cord and additional shroud lines, tryin' nay t' get them tangled about t' piston's dowel. Avast! Blimey! I used a piece o' larger dowel t' push them in (lightly.) Finish instertin' t' piston and seat t' nosecone. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Now, thread t' burn strin' (a piece o' dental floss worked well - strong but with a low meltin' point) through two o' t' exhaust ports and knot it tightly on t' piston's hook. Arrr! (if you learned any fancy knots, ya bilge rat, you may have a chance t' use them. Avast! You want somethin' that can be tightened, me bucko, but won't loosen on its own.)

Finally, me bucko, attach t' rubberbands. Blimey! Blimey! I used a #16 rubber band, knotted in the middle - t' knot engaged t' hook, arrr, and t' two ends looped over two o' the "pod" ends. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Don't position t' rubberband in a way that it will block the launch lugs. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! (note that t' rubberband is disposable used this way.) Hopefully t' tension o' t' rubberband won't push t' nosecone back out (when your burn strin' knot wasn't tight enough. Begad! Blimey! Note - perhaps a longer nosecone shoulder would help with this!)

Insert motor. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Use an external tape thrust ring, and enough tape so that the motor probably won't be kicked out. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! (Unlike most parachute models, this is more esthetic than important. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Even if t' motor ejects, t' burn strin' will probably be burnt through!)

It's a relatively heavy model for it's size, shiver me timbers, so I picked an A10-3 for the Launch. This sent it up a good distance, ya bilge rat, straight and true. Begad! T' recovery system deployed successfully and t' rocket recovered fine, driftin' a "typical" distance and landin' on t' parkin' lot (the eight inch chute seemed t' be just about right.) Upon recovery I noted that t' piston had fully deployed, as it was supposed to. Pretty much a perfect flight!

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