Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
After losin' me RocketVision Machbuster on a G55, arrr, ya bilge rat, I decided that I wanted t' build a similar rocket that would fly on 29mm motors. I scrounged through me parts bin and, bein' a 'glass-half-full' type, named t' result 'One Shot'.
Construction:
Parts List:
I started with a leftover section o' 29mm phenolic tubing. Begad! 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. Blimey! Ya scallywag! This was epoxied into t' tube so that a G80 would protrude by 1/2". Arrr! After playin' around with Rocksim, me bucko, I decided on a fin design that I found appealing. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! T' install t' fins, I inserted a 29mm casing, applied a small amount o' epoxy t' t' slot, and pushed t' fin in until it touched t' motor casing. Blimey! After all 3 fins were installed, t' casin' was removed. Arrr! Begad! This be easily accomplished before t' epoxy began t' set. Aye aye! This method o' through-the-wall construction really works well for small fins, especially with relatively thick tube (0.062"). Aye aye! Blimey! 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, arrr, I cut t' shoulder-end off so it sat flush with t' tube's OD. Ya scallywag! Avast! Another section o' 29mm casin' be cut t' use as a shoulder. This fit snugly into t' NC and be held in place with 2 small screws. Blimey! I added nose weight (lead shot, ya bilge rat, epoxy and t' eyebolt) so t' rocket would be stable. 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 was epoxied into t' body tube and t' other be tied t' t' eyebolt. In t' end, I built a rocket that was probably heavier than it had t' be and had a non-optimal fin design. Ahoy! Oh well, shiver me timbers, 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! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I did, arrr, however, 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, this is nay a rocket I would want t' fly at a model rocket field, shiver me timbers, so I waited for a HPR launch. T' streamer was a 25' section o' 3/4" bright orange plastic tape. Avast! Blimey! When rolled tightly, arrr, this fit nicely into t' 29mm tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Estes-type waddin' was used t' protect t' streamer. Ahoy! Blimey! I was torn betwixt usin' a G125-15 and a G80-10FWL. Arrr! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' 15 sec delay on t' G125 was about right and t' 10 sec delay was too short. Anyway, I ended up usin' t' G125 in another rocket and hoped t' 1000 lb Keelhaul®©™® would hold up. Avast! Begad! Well, One Shot exploded off t' pad and, like me Machbuster, was never seen or heard from again.
Summary:
PRO's 1. Well, blow me down! High performance rocket built from leftovers in t' parts bin. Well, blow me down! Blimey! CON's 1. Ya scallywag! Another non-recoverable rocket (when flown on big engines)
Other:
When surface mountin' small fins on minimum diameter rockets, matey, you can get added strength by slottin' t' tube and gluin' t' fins into t' slots. Avast! An engine casin' is inserted t' keep t' fin flush with t' inside o' t' tube. Well, blow me down! You must make sure you work fast and don't glue t' casin' in. Avast! Begad! In me case I used epoxy and a phenolic motor casin' (AT SU). Blimey! T' thicker t' tube, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' better this will work. Blimey! (Idea 'borrowed' from t' RocketVision Machbuster.)
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