I used an audio CD study guide by Gordon West. That way I could listen to it over and over while driving places. His approach of putting things into context makes it easy to remember.
Type: Posts; User: hardinlw
I used an audio CD study guide by Gordon West. That way I could listen to it over and over while driving places. His approach of putting things into context makes it easy to remember.
I have my L3 project under construction and plan to use redundant charges with the backups being 50% larger than ground testing shows to be necessary. If the primary blew the chute out, the larger...
We did this for my unofficially adopted son's Jr. certification with a Wildman Jr. We built the avionics bay as though we were going to do dual deploy. The plastic rivits like PML sells were used...
We have flown on the order of a hundred F39s over the past 4 years in TARC competetion and have never blown a closure. If you jam the red cap on with no hole (done that) it just spits it off,...
The wobble sounds like it might be caused by wind shear. Was there a row of trees or some other obstacle upwind of the launch site? If so, the rocket would see a sudden increase in wind speed as it...
When you place the altimeter in a transition you have to be aware that the pressure it reads will not be accurate. Rule of thumb is you place your altimeter ports something like 3 diameters aft of...
All you have to do to fly the Aerotech F39 reloadable is to grind off the end of the engine hook that interfers with the forward closure. I think the E30 single use will drop in with no mods.
You are correct to be worried about breaking the fins on a hard surface. My Barracuda has snapped a fin a couple of times on the stock chute. I've used and like Fruity Chutes. They have a drag...
There is not enough room for the BP in the depression on top of the 24/40 casing. It was designed with the red cap as the charge holder. I don't see that the plastic cap will do any more damage...
Sounds like it is used to bond insulators inside solid rocket motors. http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/20020024316_2002012035.pdf The long cure at room temperature is probably...
I like the Behlen lacquer sanding sealer that Woodcraft carries. Light coats can be sanded in about 20 minutes.
I have no experience with the Harbor Freight airbrush. I got this...
To eliminate zippers, I sometimes use heavier shock cord that is really required just long enough to get out of the airframe and attach thinner stuff outside the rocket. If you are not worried about...
Go to an auto parts place and look for the bumper primer. I think it is sometimes called adhesion promoter. Use that as a first coat on the plastic parts and use the same brand of primer and color....
Until current flows, the voltage should not drop. Voltage drop says you have current. Is the ready light supposed to come on as soon as you connect the leads or only when you flip an arm switch? ...
A fairly cheap but fun reload is the F39-6 which kicks off the pad fast but does not hit the stratosphere. I'm in New England and while the ground is not sun-baked, you could bet on hittting a rock...
I've flown my Barracuda on G80-10s. That's good for 3000' according to Aerotech and I used to be able to see it all the way up and all the way down. The kid had an Arreaux which was a bit smaller...
X-acto blades are steel. It's the handles that are aluminum.
Small fins give less stability than large fins all other things being equal. Since your previous posts indicate that you have adequate stability, don't worry about stability. If you have not...
I have the kit in my hands and going over the instructions, which were well hidden in a tube, I see that this model separates in the center for ejection and recovery. Are the ejection charges strong...
If left exposed to air, the surface of the propellant will oxidize and I've had both redline and white lighting reload swell so that the slot closed up. That runs a severe risk of overpressurizing...
Composites are much more difficult to ignite than black powder engines. Stacking them and allowing a booster (no delay or ejection charge) engine to blow through and ignite the upper stage won't...
Look at Apogee's standard rail button #13060. It has a blind nut that sticks through the airframe and into the rail button. You could adapt that idea to any size button but buying the blind nut...
Has anyone tried a tile saw. These are available from places like Home Depot for around $150 but they are limited in the thickness of the material they will handle to a couple of inches. They would...
Seems like the ideal solution would be to have the 5/16-18 tapped hole for the retainer stud go all the way through the retainer so you could put a 5/16 eye nut (working load is 840 pounds) on the...
These are available at Dick's Sporting Goods for $25 http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4460572&cp=4406646.4413993.4414427.12114955
I helped a young man get his Jr L1 last year. I'll try to clear up the confusion about the motor. The sponsoring adult must assemble the motor and place it in the rocket. The Jr can then install...
The Barracuda with those swept fins is prone to breaking a fin on landing. You need the parachute to keep the descent slow enough, so just using a streamer is not a real option. There is plenty of...
There is another possibility. The -4 delay is going to have a long spacer. If you install the delay assembly upside down (I've had TARC teams do that) then most of the BP can migrate down into the...
You mentioned the igniter going along for the ride. Does that mean the red cap was stuck on the engine? If so, it would have vectored the thrust and caused the arc. Cramming it on too far or...