Limits of Loc tubes and NCs?

So I have this Tomahawk rocket that can easily accept a 6-Grain 29mm casing... But, my question is, will the airframe hold up? It's a standard Loc tube and nosecone, 2.6" diameter. Anyone have numbers I should be sure not to cross? Mach numbers, max acceleration, etc? No fiberglass wrap is going to happen, so please just give me tips on how far I can push cardboard and plastic. Oh, 1/8" plywood TTW fins, too....

You will be fine. I have a paper 4" rocket I have flown on a K1100, and fly regularly on H's and I's.

jimzcatz said:

You will be fine. I have a paper 4" rocket I have flown on a K1100, and fly regularly on H's and I's.

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I concur.

LOC paper will handle any 29mm motor you can put in the motor mount.

Here is a picture from 3000' above Bong at LDRS33 from my BT-80 (2.6" paper tube) Cherokee-I.

Paper, Plastic and plywood. No reinforcement.

Flown on a 6-grain 29mm CTI I-205. I Don't think there was any excessive stress to the rocket at all. You should be fine!

my vulconite has flown on the J600, no modifications, done with wood glue. Don't believe them when they say you need glass to go more then mach. It's probably the same people who brought you spill proof gas cans and safety scissors

Thanks everyone! Now on to the hard part... Tracking it over 4000 feet...

CzTeacherMan said:

Thanks everyone! Now on to the hard part... Tracking it over 4000 feet...

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For the Cherokee-I flight at Bong, I dropped it about 100 yards from the pad using motor deploy to push the nose cone off at apogee. The rocket free-fall's (tumbles) straight down to 700' - then an inexpensive altimeter in the nose cone opens the parachute - using a cable cutter. I did have an RF tracker in it just in case.

RRC2+ Altimeter $45

Archetype Cable Cutter $30

Wildman Tracker $125

it's not a 6 grain, but you could start with something lower thrust, like the CTI mellow reload. Then it has less tendency to tear the fins off. in 29mm, the mellow comes in a 5 grain H motor.

No need for low thrust motors. That airframe can handle a lot more than your would think. It has become trendy to over build, glass and do everything possible to reduce the poor little pig's performance. Not needed. I have a 2.6" that I have absolutely punished and it has never shown even the slightest hint of asking for mercy.

Fiberglass does last longer hanging in a tree. Also has more weight to help pull it down over time.

I have a healthy mix of both cardboard and fiberglass rockets. Not sure if I broke mach with any or not. Never tried to figure it out.

JMZawodny said:

LOC paper will handle any 29mm motor you can put in the motor mount.

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Agreed. I've got one I call "mincemeat" that I was trying to rip the fins off of. 2.6" LOC tubing, 29mm MMT. It's taken everything I have thrown at it, including H250G, I200, etc.

I'm now in the process of building the same rocket with a 38mm MMT. Mine uses an eggtimer altimeter and Archetype Rocketry cable cutter for recovery. Tracking is a good idea too (one I'm still perfecting).

I have a LOC “High-Tech” which I recently modified for dual deploy, as modified I have flown it on an AeroTech I284W and a Loki I110 Moonburner the later putting the rocket up close to 5,000’.

It will be a while before I get the chance to fly it on anything more energetic such as a J350W.

I have had both a Caliber ISP and a HyperLOC 835 near or above mach and both have never had any problems.

My Loc Norad Pro Maxx went to 6,053' @ 826 mph (mach 1.06) and didn't have a problem. That's one of the reasons I chose a Hyperloc 1600 for my L3.

CzTeacherMan said:

Thanks everyone! Now on to the hard part... Tracking it over 4000 feet...

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Trackers are your friend

conman13 said:

Trackers are your friend

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Egg Finder!