Scratch One Shot Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - One Shot {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch

Rocket PicBrief:
After losin' me RocketVision Machbuster on a G55, me hearties, I decided that I wanted t' build a similar rocket that would fly on 29mm motors. Begad! Begad! I scrounged through me parts bin and, bein' a 'glass-half-full' type, named t' result 'One Shot'.

Construction:
Parts List:

  1. 29mm phenolic tube, 9.25" (Giant Leap)
  2. 0.047" G-10 stock for t' 3 fins (Giant leap)
  3. 1/8" aluminum tubin' for launch lug
  4. one NC, ya bilge rat, matey, BT-55 (Estes)
  5. one spent 29mm casin' for nose cone shoulder and motor block.
  6. one eyebolt
  7. 5' o' 1000 lb Keelhaul®©™ cord (Pratt)
  8. 3/4" x 25' plastic tape (Home Depot)
  9. lead shot

I started with a leftover section o' 29mm phenolic tubing. Arrr! I decided t' add a motor block so I cut a 1/2" section out o' a spent 29mm casin' with a razor saw. Well, blow me down! Begad! This was epoxied into t' tube so that a G80 would protrude by 1/2". Begad! Aye aye! After playin' around with Rocksim, me bucko, I decided on a fin design that I found appealing. Since I wanted t' fins t' sit flush with t' end o' t' rocket and I wanted t' be able t' wrap a layer o' tape around t' end o' t' rocket and t' engine, t' last 3/4" o' t' root edge o' t' fin was recessed by ~ 1/4" (see pic or Rocksim file).

Usin' a dremel cuttin' wheel, I slotted t' tube so t' fins would slip in. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' install t' fins, me hearties, I inserted a 29mm casing, shiver me timbers, applied a small amount o' epoxy t' t' slot, and pushed t' fin in until it touched t' motor casing. Ya scallywag! After all 3 fins were installed, t' casin' be removed. Aye aye! Blimey! This be easily accomplished before t' epoxy began t' set. Avast! This method o' through-the-wall construction really works well for small fins, especially with relatively thick tube (0.062"). Avast! T' fins were straight and weren't goin' anywhere. When t' epoxy dried, I applied fillets.

Since t' NC that I had wouldn't fit in t' body tube, me hearties, I cut t' shoulder-end off so it sat flush with t' tube's OD. Another section o' 29mm casin' was cut t' use as a shoulder. Well, me bucko, blow me down! This fit snugly into t' NC and be held in place with 2 small screws. Avast, me proud beauty! I added nose weight (lead shot, me bucko, epoxy and t' eyebolt) so t' rocket would be stable. Aye aye! Because t' end o' this little missile be now largely lead, I was conservative on settin' t' CG (see Rocksim file).

T' recovery harness consisted o' 5' o' 1000 lb test Keelhaul®©™ line. One end was epoxied into t' body tube and t' other was tied t' t' eyebolt. Ahoy! In t' end, I built a rocket that be probably heavier than it had t' be and had a non-optimal fin design. Begad! Blimey! Oh well, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, won't be able t' see t' difference at ~5000ft anyway! I didn't bother fillin' t' grooves in t' tube since I wasn't optimistic about gettin' this rocket back. Arrr! Aye aye! I did, me hearties, however, me bucko, give it a layer o' Krylon chrome paint. Maybe a shiny surface would be easy t' spot???

Flight:
Because o' t' predicted altitude and weight, arrr, me bucko, this is nay a rocket I would want t' fly at a model rocket field, so I waited for a HPR launch. T' streamer was a 25' section o' 3/4" bright orange plastic tape. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! When rolled tightly, matey, shiver me timbers, this fit nicely into t' 29mm tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Estes-type waddin' be used t' protect t' streamer. Blimey! Blimey! I was torn betwixt usin' a G125-15 and a G80-10FWL. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' 15 sec delay on t' G125 was about right and t' 10 sec delay be too short. Anyway, I ended up usin' t' G125 in another rocket and hoped t' 1000 lb Keelhaul®©™® would hold up. Well, One Shot exploded off t' pad and, ya bilge rat, like me Machbuster, ya bilge rat, was never seen or heard from again.

Summary:
PRO's 1. Ahoy! Blimey! High performance rocket built from leftovers in t' parts bin. CON's 1. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! Another non-recoverable rocket (when flown on big engines)

Other:
When surface mountin' small fins on minimum diameter rockets, you can get added strength by slottin' t' tube and gluin' t' fins into t' slots. Begad! An engine casin' is inserted t' keep t' fin flush with t' inside o' t' tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! You must make sure you work fast and don't glue t' casin' in. Aye aye! In me case I used epoxy and a phenolic motor casin' (AT SU). Begad! Begad! T' thicker t' tube, me bucko, t' better this will work. Avast, me proud beauty! (Idea 'borrowed' from t' RocketVision Machbuster.)

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