Going for level 2

I got back into HPR earlier this year and I've caught the bug bad. My first build, and my level 1 Tripoli certification was with a LOC precision Caliber-ISP. I've also built a 38mm Always Ready Rocketry Basic Blues so I'd have something I could fly cheaply on F and G motors when I didn't want to spend a bunch of money.

Now I'm starting to plan for a level 2 certification flight, hopefully sometime next summer. I could just fly my level 1 rocket, since it will take a J motor, but I think I want to build something new and try to go dual-deploy on this one.

Since Black Friday is coming up I'm trying to make up my mind on which kit to go for. The 3 I like the most at the moment are

https://rocketrywarehouse.com/product_info.php?products_id=821

https://www.madcowrocketry.com/3-fiberglass-frenzy-xl/

https://www.wildmanrocketry.com/ProductDetail.aspx?product=2118

I had a couple of questions though.

It looks like some of these will need some additional pieces. The sled I think? And maybe rails for a couple and the switch band for a couple? Is there something else I'll need (besides electronics and chutes) for dual-deploy with these kits?

And is a 3" fiberglass rocket going to fly to a manageable altitude on a J motor? Or should I be looking at something with a 4" diameter?

Any other advice you have is welcome too.

That depends on what your definition of manageable altitude is. Personally, I have a madcow Nike smoke that has only eaten 54mm 2 grain J motors. It hits about 3,000' every single time. In a 3" rocket on a similar sized J, you might be looking more at 4,000'.

I did my level 2 with a scratch build 3" fiberglass rocket on a 2 grain 54mm CTI J240. It went to 4700 feet.
I went a bit further than most for mine with CF laminated fins and (to be added) tip to tip CF, since I made it
capable of using 75mm motors as well.

I did dual deploy using a cable cutter rather than the traditional way of having two break points with a drogue
and main either side of the e-bay - but that's a personal pref and up to you to decide. I have other rockets
which do DD in different ways - there are a bunch of ways to configure a DD rocket if you scratch build or you can
have a look at the many threads here, videos online and on vendor websites to look at options.


The kits you've chosen look like they just provide the main structure for the electronics bay - designing and building the internals
and wiring is good experience.

With regard parts the best thing to do is to go through the rocket plan from tip to tail and really think out how
each piece is built and attached to work out what parts you will need. I would expect to make a few trips to
your local hardware store.

Do you already have someone at a local club to help you out and give you advice on your plans? If not I would
seek one out - the experienced view is essential.

To me, "manageable altitude" depends on the terrain of where you fly - where you flying?

Every one of those is a fine kit. You'll need sleds, all thread for rails, likely some quicklinks, kevlar, nomex, chutes, altimeter, and a tracker if you can.

My 3" Darkstar came in about at 11 pounds built, 13 pounds with a 54/1706 motor inside. Went about 7,000 feet. Those kits will all fly on J-L motors..... which to use will depend on what altitude you want to hit.

molten_dragon said:

Since Black Friday is coming up I'm trying to make up my mind on which kit to go for. The 3 I like the most at the moment are

Click to expand...

Do many rocket vendors offer black Friday discounts? Maybe I should hold back on my next purchase round!

watermelonman said:

Do many rocket vendors offer black Friday discounts? Maybe I should hold back on my next purchase round!

Click to expand...

Nearly all do at this point. It's mostly a motor/fiberglass bonanza, with crazy discounts, but most vendors have some kind of sale.

Zebedee said:

Do you already have someone at a local club to help you out and give you advice on your plans? If not I would
seek one out - the experienced view is essential.

Click to expand...

I joined my local Tripoli prefecture, and I intend on getting some advice from them as well.

chadrog said:

To me, "manageable altitude" depends on the terrain of where you fly - where you flying?

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I'm not really sure at the moment. I live in southeast Michigan, but the club I joined just lost their field and is trying to find another one. If they haven't found one by next summer, I'll probably head out to western Michigan where there's another club that does launches. I haven't been to that field, but knowing the area, it's likely to be a farm field.

DizWolf said:

Every one of those is a fine kit. You'll need sleds, all thread for rails, likely some quicklinks, kevlar, nomex, chutes, altimeter, and a tracker if you can.

Click to expand...

Having not done dual deploy before, will it be difficult to fit all that stuff in a 3" diameter rocket with a 9" electronics bay?

molten_dragon said:

Having not done dual deploy before, will it be difficult to fit all that stuff in a 3" diameter rocket with a 9" electronics bay?

Click to expand...

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...her-3-quot-Black-Darkstar!&highlight=darkstar

Not difficult, just need to plan it out. If you build the nosecone as an av-bay for the tracker, it opens up a lot of space in the main av-bay. I used two altimeters on my first sled for the darkstar. Now I just use one.

I'm partial to the Adventurer 3 as I just received mine, and it is a nice kit. As for a sled, you could just buy one of these, and you will have plenty of room left for what ever you design:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/177852785/76mm-altimeter-sled?ref=shop_home_active_16

The Wildman kit still needs the upgrades purchased seperately, that the Adventurer 3 already comes with (nosecone & switch band etc)

The Frenzy from Madcow is a nice looking kit. It is a little cheaper, and comes with some nice parts. Any kit you decide on should manage altitude nicely... most any J-class motor will hammer these kits with much authority.