My 3" Punisher Build thread and flights

maxvelocity · Dec 17, 2014

This showed up at the office today. Early Christmas present to myself.

All the VERY nice parts. I am very impressed with the nosecone. Also picked up the necessary kevlar and an aeropack for the build. I plan to build it and paint it in time for a shakedown flight on a K1440 WT at our TCC January launch, Jan 17th. Should be a very easy and quick build and I will be building it all stock, no modifications. I will use Rocketpoxy throughout. When i get home tonight I will give the parts a bath and then get started.

maxvelocity · Dec 17, 2014

My 54mm Aeropack came with a very thin plain aluminum ring, anyone know what this is for? Never had an Aeropack come with this?

stealth6 · Dec 17, 2014

Are you using a tailcone retainer? If so, these have to be mounted precisely so that they line up with the bottom edge of your airframe. You will find that snap-ring motors (such as Loki) fit differently than CTI/Aerotech. The difference is such that if you glue the retainer in place with the correct spacing for one type, it will either not work at all for the other, or you will be left with a gap. That ring is a spacer to compensate for the difference. Glue your retainer in place with proper spacing for a snap-ring motor, then you use the spacer when flying CTI/AT motors. Your tailcone will always line up correctly this way, with no gap.

s6

maxvelocity · Dec 17, 2014

No, standard retainer.

maxvelocity · Dec 17, 2014

daveyfire · Dec 17, 2014

It's an adapter piece to take out the slack between the retainer body and the new thin-wall tubing. Removes the need for lots of extra glue and a case to align things

patelldp · Dec 17, 2014

See Dave's post. Not sure if I'd want that ring or a properly sized retainer. Seems like it should work.

stealth6 · Dec 17, 2014

Oh, THAT ring.

never mind.

s6

daveyfire · Dec 17, 2014

patelldp said:
See Dave's post. Not sure if I'd want that ring or a properly sized retainer. Seems like it should work.

None of the existing Aeropacks fit the new tubing OD without some serious slop (2.232 for thin FWFG vs. 2.260 for paper or 2.276 for phenolic). Maybe we can get Bob to tool up for a run to fit the new tubing since it's becoming prevalent?

maxvelocity · Dec 17, 2014

That's what we were guessing it was for. Thanks

blackjack2564 · Dec 17, 2014

daveyfire said:
It's an adapter piece to take out the slack between the retainer body and the new thin-wall tubing. Removes the need for lots of extra glue and a case to align things

Correct

patelldp said:
See Dave's post. Not sure if I'd want that ring or a properly sized retainer. Seems like it should work.

Well then.....

Here's the story:

It is properly sized, and discussed with and agreed to, by the manufacturer as the best solution.

The "new' trend is to make fiberglass kits lighter & higher performance.
To accomplish that all of Wildmans kits are utilizing lightweight...thin-wall tubing. Not only for airframes, but also motor mount tubes.

On other different sizes the current retainers available be will work, [meaning the paper or phenolic retainer] off hand a can't recall which ones but for now the question at hand.....

By simple glueing this ring to the thin wall 54 MM tube, The OD now becomes same as standard wall 54 & the regular retainer will simply glue on over the ring. Problem solved. This saved manufacturing a new retainer and all the costs involved with design

End result, saves inventory control, increased cost of retainer, confusion & the flier money....we all want that.:smile:

Now, let's get back to Max's build.................

Edit: on my build the prototype used regular tubing, the new thin wall had not come in yet, so I used the standard retainer. Not mentioning the new style was an oversight by me.

RKeller · Dec 18, 2014

so what is the wall thickness of the tubing in the production punisher?

maxvelocity · Dec 18, 2014

Last night I gave the parts a bath, then got them all dried and then cleaned them again with alcohol and a microfiber. Next I got the centering rings fitted and cleaned up the ends of the MMT, switch band and coupler tube. Then marked the switch band area on the coupler and sanded that. I sanded the motor tube then layed out where the fins would land, the centering rings and the kevlar strap. Last I JB Welded the aeropack on and also the aft centering ring.

maxvelocity · Dec 19, 2014

Last night I got my Kevlar harness epoxied to the motor mount and added the upper centering ring along with fillets on both rings.

maxvelocity · Dec 27, 2014

Last week I got the fins tacked on. Then marked where the fillet tool would run.

maxvelocity · Dec 27, 2014

Then taped off the fins and tube to protect from getting excess epoxy from the fillets all over the place.

maxvelocity · Dec 27, 2014

Gave it another cleaning with alcohol on a microfiber and then did the first set of fillets.

maxvelocity · Dec 27, 2014

With the extra epoxy from tacking the fins, I also epoxied the switch band on the coupler.

maxvelocity · Dec 29, 2014

Last night I finished up the last set of fillets. Now I just need to work on the AV bay, which I plan to use a perch so there isn't much work to be done, a little sanding on the coupler/inside nosecone for fit and she's ready for primer and paint later this week. I will be going with the red that CJ used on his since that color looks awesome on this rocket, but will not be doing any accent colors, at least at this time. The bright red alone just looks FAST!! And this rocket is going to be FAST!!

watermelonman · Feb 9, 2015

blackjack2564 said:
Correct

Well then.....

Here's the story:

It is properly sized, and discussed with and agreed to, by the manufacturer as the best solution.

The "new' trend is to make fiberglass kits lighter & higher performance.
To accomplish that all of Wildmans kits are utilizing lightweight...thin-wall tubing. Not only for airframes, but also motor mount tubes.

On other different sizes the current retainers available be will work, [meaning the paper or phenolic retainer] off hand a can't recall which ones but for now the question at hand.....

By simple glueing this ring to the thin wall 54 MM tube, The OD now becomes same as standard wall 54 & the regular retainer will simply glue on over the ring. Problem solved. This saved manufacturing a new retainer and all the costs involved with design

End result, saves inventory control, increased cost of retainer, confusion & the flier money....we all want that.:smile:

Now, let's get back to Max's build.................

Edit: on my build the prototype used regular tubing, the new thin wall had not come in yet, so I used the standard retainer. Not mentioning the new style was an oversight by me.

I have a pair of thin wall kits and a pair of regular retainers, but no adaptor rings. Should they have come with the kits, or do I order them from somewhere?

blackjack2564 · Feb 9, 2015

watermelonman said:
I have a pair of thin wall kits and a pair of regular retainers, but no adaptor rings. Should they have come with the kits, or do I order them from somewhere?

If you ordered a regular/standard retainer .....No..... If you ordered a thin wall retainer, Yes.

Call wherever you ordered it & discuss solution with them.
I don't know if you can get the ring separate.
Originally they came with thin wall-retainer from Aero-Pac.

My 3" Punisher Build thread and flights

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

Well-Known Member

Attachments

Well-Known Member

insert witty tagline here

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Piled Higher and Deeper

Well-Known Member

insert witty tagline here

Piled Higher and Deeper

Well-Known Member

Crazy Jim's Gone Banana's

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

Crazy Jim's Gone Banana's

Similar threads

Join the conversation!

Join today and get all the highlights of this community direct to your inbox. It's FREE!