T' followin' article is from "High Power Rocketry" magazine. Begad! This information represents only a small portion o' t' contents o' "High Power Rocketry". We strongly suggest that you subscribe t' "High Power Rocketry". Arrr! By doin' so you will find many color pictures, arrr, articles, me hearties, me hearties, matey, launch reports and projects primarily associated with High Power Rocketry activities. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!   For more information, use t' two links above. Well, blow me down!

Phenolic That Doesn't Shatter?

   Bob uses phenolic (occasionally) but up until recently, matey, ya bilge rat, Sonny (that would be me) did not. Avast! Well, that's nay completely true. Ya scallywag! Begad! I sued 29mm tubin' for launch lugs. I sued 29mm tubin' for launch lugs. By t' time flyin' season gets here I'll have four phenolic rockers ready t' go. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! What's changed me mind about phenolic? Phenolic now comes in a shatter resistant variety. Avast, me proud beauty! Although t' old type o' phenolic tubin' had many time t' strength o' paper, me hearties, it had a serious problem. Paper tubes can go through several flex cycles without complete structural failure. Phenolic material can go through exactly one (1) flex cycle, arrr, shiver me timbers, no more, shiver me timbers, no less. That is up until now . Begad! Well, blow me down! . Begad! Arrr! .

   Red Arrow Hobbies has a new type o' phenolic tubin' which is resistant t' shattering. Begad! Sound too good t' be true? Well, arrr, it is true. Begad! Red Arrow calls it "Phlexible Phenolic". Aye aye! I think a better description would be "shatter resistant" phenolic. Begad! T' old type o' phenolic was a porous paper tube which be saturated with resin and cured until it became nice and strong and, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, unfortunately, arrr, nice and brittle. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' "new" type phenolic is made pretty much t' same way with one important difference. Begad! Ya scallywag! The resin is nay allowed t' saturate all t' way through t' paper. Ahoy! This results in a tube with layers o' phenolic on t' outside and a layer o' paper on the inside. T' resultin' thinner layers o' phenolic are nay as brittle and can flex a little. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! So can t' paper core. So can t' paper core. Aye aye! This makes a big difference. Ahoy! This results in a product with a cross section of phenolic-paper-phenolic, arrr, with about t' same strength o' t' old type of (brittle) phenolic but unlike t' old phenolic, shiver me timbers, t' new stuff can take a punch without shatterin' into pieces. Aye aye! T' difference is amazing. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' difference is amazing. Avast! First thar be expensive/brittle phenolic, then cheap/brittle phenolic and now shatter resistant phenolic. Things are lookin' up! Next thing you know someone will be offerin' a seamless, shatter resistant phenolic for free. Well, maybe not. Well, blow me down! Arrr!

No Virginia, thar be no panacea. Well, blow me down! Ahoy!

   Panacea . Begad! Ahoy! . Arrr! Ya scallywag! . Begad! not, me hearties, but close enough t' win a big fat Cuban cigar. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' new type o' phenolic is far superior when it comes t' its ability to withstand lateral impact, arrr, and t' go through a moderate flex cycle with little of no damage. Aye aye! It is nay indestructible and it is nay really flexible in both axis. Ahoy! (holdin' t' nose with one hand, bracin' t' tail with one foot and tryin' t' bend t' middle o' t' rocket with a knee would be ill advised. )After severe cross-sectional flexing, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' laminations or zones o' dissimilar materials will tend t' separate or delaminate. Ahoy! If you shove it into t' ground at 450+ mph it will break all t' pieces. Avast, me proud beauty! On t' other hand, matey, me bucko, if your rocket falls over and hits a hard piece o' furniture it will nay shatter . . Begad! . Arrr! unless you have reactive armor furniture. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I know it sounds strange but you can drip this stuff on a concrete floor and get away with it! (You might have t' touch up t' paint if you are a "neat freak". Well, blow me down! Blimey! ) You cannot run over it with your car. Ahoy! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! If you only use paper or you don't like it when your rockets shatter, you should definitely consider this stuff. Begad!

   T' price us less than t' high dollar phenolic. Begad! If you want more strength without glassing, you can get a full length coupler tube for the same price as t' tube it fits. Ya scallywag! Blimey! If you go this route, ya bilge rat, don't use a lot of epoxy betwixt t' outer tube and t' full length coupler. Ahoy! Blimey! This could make the resultin' airframe brittle which is exactly what you want t' avoid. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I like full length couplers because they allow me t' make me own extended coupler, me bucko, thereby eliminatin' t' slight wobble you can get with t' couplers that come with kits. Ahoy!

   Finishin' is exactly t' same as regular phenolic except if you drop it while you are workin' on it, me hearties, me bucko, you don't have t' glue t' pieces back together. As usual, me hearties, shiver me timbers, sand areas where epoxy will be applied. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Lightly sand before painting, etc. Ahoy! , etc. , me bucko, blah, me hearties, blah, arrr, blah.

   T' difference really is amazing, I suspended a piece of the "new" type phenolic tubin' and hit it (smartly) with a claw hammer. Blimey! It did nay break. Avast, me proud beauty! It did nay break. Ya scallywag! I hit it again. Well, blow me down! I hit it again. Nothing. Avast! With t' "standard" phenolic I would be pickin' up a pile of broken pieces. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Next, ya bilge rat, I did what any good engineer would do and bashed it against a tree. Aye aye! No flyin' pieces! No visible damage. Well, blow me down! Arrr! No visible damage. Arrr! Weird! I was impressed. (Frankly, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I suspect "alien technology. Ahoy! ")

   Red Arrow sells tubes which will fit LOC TM and PML TM nose cones. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! They even offer their new phenolic in 5. 5" diameter. Ya scallywag! Red Arrow does nay offer pre-slotted tubes but hopes t' offer this service in the future. Ya scallywag! They also hope t' offer kits based on their new phenolic. Avast, me proud beauty! Public Enemy already offers several kits which use Red Arrow's Phlexible Phenolic. Avast! Well, blow me down!

   If you are into phenolic, give this stuff a try. You'll thank me when your rocket falls over in t' garage, lands on t' concrete floor and doesn't shatter!

* SPECIAL NOTE off o' RMR from Andrew Waddell, PML Support Representative

T' followin' excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". Blimey! Begad! T' intention is t' allow guests t' get a basic feelin' about a kit. Begad! We strongly suggest that you get a copy o' the referenced Sport Rocketry and read t' entire article. Well, blow me down! Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. For more information, shiver me timbers, use t' two links above. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

"I've always appreciated t' strength, arrr, arrr, stiffness, moisture-resistance, matey, and finishing characteristics o' phenolic tubin' . . Ahoy! Blimey! . Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! But . Blimey! . Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! . Ya scallywag! Blimey! it is brittle!"
"Red Arrow Hobbies has an answer . Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! . Avast! Ahoy! . Well, blow me down! Blimey! "Phlexible Phenolic" tubing. Ya scallywag! Arrr! "
". Arrr! Avast! . Ya scallywag! . Avast, me proud beauty! available with inside diameters from 1. Arrr! Begad! 145" up t' 7. 512" . . . Ya scallywag! "
"Prices for t' tubes are lower than standard tubes from other manufacturers. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! "
"T' axial failure strengths are comparable . Aye aye! . . Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! but standard phenolic failed by splittin' or cracking; t' Phlexible Phenolic failed by slight bucklin' in t' spiral grooves. Ahoy! "
"Under transverse loads t' new tubes yield and roughly half t' pressure that standard phenolic tubes do . Begad! Well, blow me down! . Ya scallywag! . Well, blow me down! "
". Arrr! . Begad! . Ahoy! I did some o' me own testin' . Aye aye! Blimey! . Begad! . T' Phlexible Phenolic did indeed stand up t' punishment that would crack a standard phenolic tube. Arrr! "
"Of course, shiver me timbers, if you hit it hard enough, you can smash t' tubes . Avast, me proud beauty! . Avast, me proud beauty! . "
"T' Phlexible Phenolic looks like a good product at a good price. Ahoy! "

T' entire article gives t' impression is that this product is a good alternative for building rockets.