terryg
Well-Known Member
With our upcoming Desert Heat launch and It's night launch I decided I needed to add to my night launch fleet. I have had a Rickter Recker kit in the build pile for several years, so I blew the dust off of it and decided to convert it to a night launch vehicle. The advent of cheap and easy to work with LED strip lights have opened up a lot possibilities for night launches. I purchased a 5 meter 300 LED strip light from a Chinese ebay source ($6.95 and free shipping).
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-3528-SM..._Lights_Fairy_Lights&var=&hash=item72182d89e8
I built the Richter Recker kit with the following mods. I substituted basswood for the balsa fin stock and used 1/4 inch launch lugs with standoffs of screen molding to give clearance for the led lights. I added an extra coupler in front of the motor mount to give extra strength on landings and a 1/4" Kevlar shock cord and nylon parachute to keep both pieces together for recovery (the base is not lit). The nose cone was coating in epoxy and a baffle was also coated and used to make a battery compartment at the nose. It sims out to 900 to 1000 ft altitude with three E12-6 motors.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/5M-3528-SM..._Lights_Fairy_Lights&var=&hash=item72182d89e8
I built the Richter Recker kit with the following mods. I substituted basswood for the balsa fin stock and used 1/4 inch launch lugs with standoffs of screen molding to give clearance for the led lights. I added an extra coupler in front of the motor mount to give extra strength on landings and a 1/4" Kevlar shock cord and nylon parachute to keep both pieces together for recovery (the base is not lit). The nose cone was coating in epoxy and a baffle was also coated and used to make a battery compartment at the nose. It sims out to 900 to 1000 ft altitude with three E12-6 motors.
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