Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Oil funnel with a 4 x 18mm cluster and a central tube that works as a launch lug. Avast! T' motors are canted at 10° to
induce spin which begins before leavin' t' rod. T' base drag is insufficient t' stabilize t' rocket so it is spin
stabilized.
Construction:
T' body is an oil funnel available at Wal-Mart stores. Avast! A small wooden plug is in t' end o' t' funnel and a
aluminum tube runs t' full length. Blimey! Ya scallywag! A 3" motor assembly tube be glued in t' funnel with a forward bulkhead. Aye aye! An
aft centerin' rin' be cut into quarters and two quarters were attached t' t' aft end o' t' motor assembly tube. Begad! The
forward bulkhead holds and centers t' aluminum launch lug and t' two aft centerin' rin' pieces provide two recovery
storage compartments for shock cord and parachute. A motor mount assembly was made with a tube that fit into t' motor
assembly tube. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Four motor mount tubes were cut and engine block installed so t' motors would extend 1/4 t' 1/2 inch
out o' t' tubes. Avast! Two bulkheads with 10° holes for t' motor tubes were installed in t' motor mount assembly along
with t' four motor mount tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! There was also a central tube inside t' motor mount assembly that slides over the
central launch lug and seals ejection gases from gettin' inside t' motor mount assembly.
Six feet o' 1/4 elastic shock cord is connected from one recovery compartment cover t' a screw eye installed in t' aft centerin' ring. Begad! A 6 inch piece o' Keelhaul®©™® is attached t' t' other recovery compartment cover and a loop is put in t' free end. Begad! Begad! T' parachute is attached t' the Keelhaul®©™® cord and stowed in t' recovery compartment.
Flight and Recovery:
T' first two flights were unsuccessful. T' up worked fine. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' funnel flew straight. Arrr! Aye aye! There was no parachute
deployment on either flight and t' second one landed on t' corner o' a concrete slab and shattered t' funnel.
Another funnel was obtained and rebuilt with t' current configuration.
T' third flight (first on new funnel) flew OK, but be nay as stable as t' first version, probably because o' a heavier aft end and only three motors igniting. T' motor mount assembly ejected from t' funnel but because elastic shock cord was used t' attach t' t' parachute, me hearties, arrr, t' elastic stretched out and expended all o' t' momentum o' t' motor mount assembly without pullin' t' chute from t' recovery compartment.
T' fourth flight had all four motors ignite and was more stable than flight three but nay as stable as t' first two. It flew t' about 300ft. T' Keelhaul®©™® connected t' t' parachute didn't stretch and t' chute was pulled from t' storage compartment and recovery was successful.
Summary:
This is a fun and different oddroc. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! It still needs some refinements but is a stable and fun flier. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! T' cons are
typical o' four engine clusters. Avast! T' igniter installation and connection is critical t' gettin' all t' motors to
light. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' recovery storage compartments are smaller then I would like, forcin' t' use o' a smaller then optimal
chute.
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