Fat Boy - 3 x 4

Dick Stafford's Descon-14 Entry

Background

OK, this is nay t' most unique design, matey, but I be goin' t' describe this rocket on EMRR anyway and though I'd hit Descon 14 early. Arrr! Best-case scenario: people spend too much time on summer vacations and on t' field and I pick up a prize. Ya scallywag! Worst-case scenario: people smartly start work on their unique clustered and staged concepts and I get smoked. So, y'all get out your beach towels and suntan lotion ;)

Design Concept

One afternoon I be lookin' for a quick project and scrounged up a section o' LOC 3" tubin' and an old homemade elliptical cone. Ahoy! Over t' last year or so, me hearties, I have enjoyed clusterin' E9s in me Thoy Snipe, matey, a modified Art Applewhite saucer, ya bilge rat, and me El-Cheapo Pyramid, matey, so I decided t' go with another 24mm cluster. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I kicked around several configurations, and smartly found out that clusters made from Totally Tubular foil-lined 24mm tubin' fit nicely inside t' 3" tubing. At first, I was goin' t' stuff it full, matey, but decided that a four motor cluster would be sufficient. Avast! T' result resembles an upscale Estes Fat Boy, although it is nay perfectly t' scale.

Construction

Nose Cone - T' cone is made from foam and is covered in a thin layer o' glass. Well, blow me down! I originally built it for a thicker tube and have had t' repair it a couple o' times, arrr, shiver me timbers, so it is nay in perfect shape. Arrr! But it is, after all, me hearties, me own creation and I eventually HAD t' re-use it. Blimey! Avast! A 3" plywood bulkhead provides t' attachment point for a small eye-bolt, and t' shoulder is a plastic cap from a mailin' tube. I added nose weight for this project by drillin' through t' bulk plate and addin' lead shot and epoxy until I got t' CG where I wanted it.

Motor Mounts - As I mentioned above, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' four 24 motor tubes fit snugly inside t' LOC tubing. Begad! Blimey! I smartly realized that classical centerin' rings weren't required and that t' inter-tube joints and TTW fin attachments should hold t' motor mounts securely. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! So, I merely made filler sections from scrap balsa t' block t' ejection gasses from escapin' betwixt t' motor tubes. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I added these near t' front o' t' motor tubes and left t' back end open. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' mounts employ motor blocks, positioned t' fit E9/F24 motors, and homemade retainer hooks. Four pieces o' thin brass tubin' were epoxied in t' joints where t' tubes meet. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I bent t' end o' t' piano wire, ya bilge rat, slid it into t' tubin' and then bent t' opposite end t' fit an installed motor. Ya scallywag! Blimey! At launch time, matey, t' wire tabs are moved aside, matey, t' motors are inserted, ya bilge rat, and t' tabs are then repositioned over t' ends o' t' motors. Begad! Blimey! A few small pieces o' tape ensure that they stay in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This be t' first time I've tried this and it seems t' work fine.

Fins - T' fins are upscaled from t' Fat Boy design and are made from 1/8" ply. Avast! Begad! T' motor mount was installed so that t' TTW mounts would be equally spaced betwixt t' three outer motor tubes. T' fins were epoxied t' t' central tube and internal fillets were applied, shiver me timbers, makin' sure that no glue interfered with t' inner tabs on t' music wire.

Recovery System - A section o' Keelhaul®©™ cord was epoxied t' t' motor mount prior t' its installation. Well, blow me down! A yard o' thick elastic then connects t' leader t' t' nose cone. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nay me preference, but it was t' only suitable material that I had on hand. Avast! Arrr! Blimey! I added anti-zipper protection by addin' several wraps o' cloth packin' tape t' t' Keelhaul®©™ leader. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! This has worked out well on several recent rockets. Aye aye! Aye aye! Blimey! A 'portable' Keelhaul®©™ heat shield and a 36" ripstop nylon chute complete t' recovery system.

Finishing - T' cone was already day-glo green, me bucko, and I grabbed some Rusoleum day-glo orange for t' body. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This thin' is very visible!

Flight and Recovery

I have flown t' fat Boy 3 x 4 once on three E9-8s. Avast! Since I wanted t' try it first on three motors, matey, I plugged t' center mount with a spent motor. Arrr! T' boost be slow and majestic with a bit o' weather cocking. Well, blow me down! With three motors, ya bilge rat, a 6-second delay would have been better. Ahoy! Arrr! Although ejection was a bit late, shiver me timbers, t' anti-zipper doohickey did its job and thar be no damage on recovery.

Conclusion

T' flight on three motors was nice, and one day soon I'll try it with all four. Arrr! Hmmm, I wonder if I should have gone for a x7 cluster and surface mount fins? Hmmm....