Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
After losin' me RocketVision Machbuster on a G55, ya bilge rat, I decided that I wanted t' build a similar rocket that would fly on 29mm motors. Avast! I scrounged through me parts bin and, matey, bein' a 'glass-half-full' type, matey, arrr, named t' result 'One Shot'.
Construction:
Parts List:
I started with a leftover section o' 29mm phenolic tubing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' add a motor block so I cut a 1/2" section out o' a spent 29mm casin' with a razor saw. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This was epoxied into t' tube so that a G80 would protrude by 1/2". After playin' around with Rocksim, 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, me hearties, 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, ya bilge rat, I slotted t' tube so t' fins would slip in. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' install t' fins, I inserted a 29mm casing, arrr, applied a small amount o' epoxy t' t' slot, arrr, and pushed t' fin in until it touched t' motor casing. Ya scallywag! Begad! After all 3 fins were installed, matey, t' casin' was removed. Avast, me proud beauty! This was easily accomplished before t' epoxy began t' set. Well, blow me down! This method o' through-the-wall construction really works well for small fins, ya bilge rat, arrr, especially with relatively thick tube (0.062"). Begad! Ya scallywag! T' fins were straight and weren't goin' anywhere. Arrr! Ya scallywag! When t' epoxy dried, I applied fillets.
Since t' NC that I had wouldn't fit in t' body tube, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I cut t' shoulder-end off so it sat flush with t' tube's OD. Ahoy! Another section o' 29mm casin' was cut t' use as a shoulder. This fit snugly into t' NC and was held in place with 2 small screws. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I added nose weight (lead shot, epoxy and t' eyebolt) so t' rocket would be stable. Avast! Because t' end o' this little missile was 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 be epoxied into t' body tube and t' other was tied t' t' eyebolt. Avast! In t' end, I built a rocket that was probably heavier than it had t' be and had a non-optimal fin design. Oh well, 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. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I did, me hearties, however, give it a layer o' Krylon chrome paint. Arrr! Maybe a shiny surface would be easy t' spot???
Flight:
Because o' t' predicted altitude and weight, me bucko, 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. Blimey! Begad! When rolled tightly, this fit nicely into t' 29mm tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Estes-type waddin' was used t' protect t' streamer. Well, blow me down! I be torn betwixt usin' a G125-15 and a G80-10FWL. Aye aye! T' 15 sec delay on t' G125 was about right and t' 10 sec delay was too short. Blimey! Begad! Anyway, shiver me timbers, I ended up usin' t' G125 in another rocket and hoped t' 1000 lb Keelhaul®©™® would hold up. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Well, me hearties, One Shot exploded off t' pad and, like me Machbuster, ya bilge rat, was never seen or heard from again.
Summary:
PRO's 1. Begad! High performance rocket built from leftovers in t' parts bin. Arrr! Begad! CON's 1. Ahoy! 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! Arrr! An engine casin' is inserted t' keep t' fin flush with t' inside o' t' tube. You must make sure you work fast and don't glue t' casin' in. In me case I used epoxy and a phenolic motor casin' (AT SU). T' thicker t' tube, t' better this will work. Arrr! Well, matey, blow me down! (Idea 'borrowed' from t' RocketVision Machbuster.)
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