L3 suggestions needed

I've been trying to order from RDS aka Maximum Thrust but I cant seem to connect with the guy. I'm searching for a good L3 project kit that I can customize as I go. any suggestions?

I highly recommend Bill Rossi at Smokin' Rockets (https://members.aol.com/SMOKINRKTS/). He has a whole line of custom kits, or tell him what you want and he can make it for you. They are excellent quality-- PML components, thick plywood fins and rings. And I don't have a financial interest in them or anything-- I just love the customer service.

DF

Yo Apexturn, check out the kits that Ky sells at his Rocketman site. The Big Kahuna may be a little over the top, but there are other kits that might fit your needs. All the parts are from PML just like Bill Rossi's, and I know that you have the imigination and skills to modify any kit to give it that special "island spice".

As for more pressing matters, hopefully we can all go up to the launch next Sunday. I'm more than ready; I'll even have a new spool rocket to test fly. Noreen is waaay overdue to take her Level Two test and subsequent flight.

Originally posted by rocketmanMV
Noreen is waaay overdue to take her Level Two test and subsequent flight.

Click to expand...

Hehe, sounds like Frank Kosdon... he was supposed to do it in December, but he never got around to it...

I concur with davyfire. My level 3 is a Smokin Rocketry Mega-Nuk. I had to add 2' to the rocket for an alt bay. The fins are really cool. Thick tapered plywood.

Why the kit obsession?

Isn't Level 3 supposed to be your chance to do what you want, prove that you have it all together (aerodynamics, construction, electronics, etc) and then put a big motor under it?

I don't universally endorse my way of doing things b/c not everyone likes to do stuff the hard way ;-) My L1/L2 rocket was scratch built. Maybe L3s should be scratch built? That concept is under consideration by our national organisation.

My 13 year old daughter started out with a Loc/Precision Lil Nuke, added about three feet of tube between the nose cone and the original body, built a baffle/anti zipper coupler and then, when Aerotech failed to deliver the 29mm goods, grafted a screw-on 38mm motor tube on the bottom (using a 29mm Aeropak retainer) and added 4 oz of lead to the nose.

I helped a bit with the engineering... but just a bit. Mostly b/c I wanted to convert it to a 29mm RATT afterwards and I wanted to be sure she didn't convert it permanently to 38mm ;-)

But it was her Level 1 so you have to start somewhere ;-)

See pic

I suspect that it will be her last kit (aside from an Aerocon FlippiFin)

Very nice rocket bro, or should I say sis?

My philosophy, if you can say I have one, on level certification is to take the path with the least chance for failure. The flight should be low altitude so you will recover it easier. If possible, the flight shouldn't include electronics. (Level 3 it is a must) And, it should be a tride and true kit. Something that has been tested and tried before. Then, when you are successful with your cert flight, then do some serious scratch building....

Course, that is just my opinion....

Hey, I dont want to start an arguement over scratch vs kit here. But my rockets may start from kits but usually (at least recently) develop their own personality. My most recent, albeit untested, monster is an extended LOC Bruiser EXP with a mostly self designed and scratch built alt bay for dual deployment. Fglassed body tubes with pigment mixed into the resin. Oh sure, I could have started with a sono tube for kicks and maybe I will for the 12 pound bowling ball I scored on my last trip to visit dear old mom. When I get my next shipment of parts (kits), there will be some serious alterations for sure. Thanks everyone for the feedback.

i think that when u are goin to go for a cert flight you should always have built the rocket ur self even if it is a kit but never get some one else to do it otherwise you didn't completely certify on ur own