Questions about Altimeter Bays

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eclipsejpw

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Im in the process of researching duel deployment and before i read an article about it last night i was under the impression that you glue the coupler into the other side of your payload bay or where ever else the the bay is going. The article i was reading talks about using plastic rivets to secure the bay for flight, making it removable. How many of you guys use this method of securing the bay?

Josh
 
I don't use plastic rivits, I actually use small bolts. I use something simular to this. You can buy em at any hardware store, or on the Great Planes assesory rack in any hobby shop that carries RC airplanes.

Plastic "sheer" pins can be used to anchor the nosecone. When the ejection charge goes off, the plastic pins snap allowing the nose cone to go free.
 
Hi Eclipse,

Let me start by welcoming you to TRF.:cool:

May I suggest that you try a search (top right of the main page).
Here you will find a wealth of info on this subject that members have input on before. Just click on search then enter "Altimeters" or try "Duel Deployment".
I hope this helps you find the answers you seek.

Good Luck!

John
 
I have used T-nuts like n3tjm showed. However, I prefer using hex-head screws with knurled heads so you can insert/remove them more easily with just your fingers. You can also get larger sizes at many hardware strores.
 
I prefer using hex-head screws with knurled heads so you can insert/remove them more easily with just your fingers.

That is exactly what I use :). I could not think of what they are called, and I could not find an exact picture... so I used closest picture I could find.
 
I used a method simialar to doug's. Mine however needed to be non-magnetic (I wasnt using an altimeter but a MAD). I couldn't find those things with the spikes to screw the screws in so I bought some nuts that fit the bolts and drilled holes a little smaller than the nuts about half way through the wall of the bay and popped the nuts into the holes and CA'd them in (I used the hardner so no CA would get in the threads. This seemed to work fine and was pretty easy if you can't find the spiky things
 
Welcome to the Forum!

As was previously mentioned, a search for Altimeter Bays should render satisfactory results.

For what it's worth, I have built and tried about 3 different setups (including the movable AB) and have come to the conclusion that I like the one-end-glued method. With the the setup that I've come to love I simply move the bulkheads and the guts from rocket to rocket. I never have to deal with screw-in setups nor "attachment" screws. I've tried this in the past and formerly used a setup where the entire bay moved from rocket to rocket, but I kept running into "wobble" problems (fit inconsistencies) and I definately disliked that! Now the coupler fits are of little concern because they are permanantly attached.

Again welcome,

Shane Heilman

If you need pics, let me know and I'll throw some your way.
 
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