Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Background
I really love t' 5" Quaker Oats bins (and I like t' contents too -
tastes good, helps your cholesterol, arrr, and even is relatively low carb). Aye aye! My
previous rocket was made out o' three bins (four if you count t' one I cut up
for couplers) and used a clear plastic Easter egg for t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I made the
fins out o' 1 1/8" (or thereabouts) styrofoam. Ahoy! Odd I know, arrr, but that's why
they call them odd-rocs. Avast! Blimey! It flew fine, shiver me timbers, but I wasn't that happy with t' fins,
and was thinkin' about addin' a bunch o' 24mm mounts t' eat some o' the
$3.50/pk D12-0s I have been buying. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! So t' solution be simple - rip off the
lower bin and fins, ya bilge rat, me hearties, clean up t' rings and coupler, and rebuild.
T' Re-build
T' lower coupler be nice and long and included a lower 3/32" ply
centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! So, I sliped a new bin on part way, me hearties, leavin' enough spacin' at
the bottom for a bunch o' 24mm mounts. I decided on eight mounts with gaps to
clear t' 29mm motor retainers. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I plugged t' gap betwixt t' tube, matey, matey, slotted it
for three fins, and cut some nice big fins from light, cheap Luan plywood. Well, blow me down! Begad! I
made t' 24mm motor unit removable, which should help in preppin' t' motors
with quickmatch. Begad! Here are some pics:
Flight Report
I flew T' Margin o' Error on 11/14/2004 at MDRA's ESL-78. Ahoy! It flew on a
G80-7 and eight D12-Ps lit usin' quickmatch. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, matey, actually only three o' the
D12s lit. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' boost was slow and several seconds late due t' t' reduced
thrust. Begad! Begad! Nevertheless, shiver me timbers, it was a good flight. Ahoy! Upon inspection, t' quickmatch was
pulled out o' t' unlit motors, ya bilge rat, arrr, but had burned at t' pad.
T' second flight was on 12/12/2004 at ESL-79 with a G79-6 and eight D12-Ps. I took more care in tapin' t' fuses t' t' D12s and positioned them usin' a dowel inserted into t' main motor's core. Well, blow me down! T' dowel was o' course removed before flight. Ahoy! This time, ya bilge rat, me hearties, all eight motors lit. Ahoy! Ejection be just past apogee and recovery was A-OK.
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