DARS HP Launch

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I hope so. My range box is getting a bit stuffed. I inventoried composite motors last night...8 HP, 17 MP. I need to burn some of these.
 
I walked down to the mailbox about and hour ago. It's crunchy but beginning to melt. Tomorrow should be above freezing and will turn the frozen tundra into a quagmire. I there any outdoor activity that is more dependent upon the weather than rocketry? :pop:
 
I hope so. My range box is getting a bit stuffed. I inventoried composite motors last night...8 HP, 17 MP. I need to burn some of these.

You can never have too many motors. Don't ask how I know :).
 
I walked down to the mailbox about and hour ago. It's crunchy but beginning to melt. Tomorrow should be above freezing and will turn the frozen tundra into a quagmire. I there any outdoor activity that is more dependent upon the weather than rocketry? :pop:

Can't remember who I was talking to the other day, but I made a similar comment that rocketry is probably the most weather dependent hobbies there is. I bet if we formed a kite flying club then there would be no wind!
 
You can never have too many motors. Don't ask how I know :).

I'm sure no one wants me to burn them more than you.

Can't remember who I was talking to the other day, but I made a similar comment that rocketry is probably the most weather dependent hobbies there is. I bet if we formed a kite flying club then there would be no wind!

So what your saying is we should invite a kite flying club to a launch. Maybe some storm chasers too, just to cover that base as well.
 
I'm sure no one wants me to burn them more than you.

It's a therapeutic thing for me :).

So what your saying is we should invite a kite flying club to a launch. Maybe some storm chasers too, just to cover that base as well.

That's the ticket. A joint club gathering should work well. I'll bring it up at the next meeting!
 
Try Hot Air ballooning.... Rain, wind, mud, airspace shut down, etc. It's worth it when you do get to fly though!

My kids both have Soccer games on the 28th, so not thinking we can makes it :(
 
I hope I will have something to fly in another month. I really need warmer weather to paint since I have to paint outside.

David
 
Try Hot Air ballooning.... Rain, wind, mud, airspace shut down, etc. It's worth it when you do get to fly though!

My kids both have Soccer games on the 28th, so not thinking we can makes it :(

Hot Air ballooning. Yeah that must be a challenge considering weather. Then you've got to have people on the ground chasing you around, which doesn't sound like fun to me. We might undermine our prospects if we invite them out to a launch... Conversely, the weather could be perfect, those guys go aloft and just float right about our flight line and we can't launch anything!
 
I hope I will have something to fly in another month. I really need warmer weather to paint since I have to paint outside.

David

I've got a bunch of rockets that need to be painted or touched up. I'm so bad at it and have so little patience that I'm strongly considering foregoing painting of any rockets indefinitely!
 
What are you guys working on?

I plan to be at the meeting this Saturday although I might be a little late.
 
Still working on my 29mm MD. It's been so cold I can't get out and finish up the composites I have to do to complete it. Other than that I've got an Estes leviathan that I'm upgrading to a 38mm mount, and I'm trying to repair my old four motor cluster. Hopefully I'll be able to get some work done on these when spring break starts next week.
 
I'm still working on finishing the Frenzy. That and patching the paint on the Torrent. I thought about purchasing a set of 38mm hardware for the Torrent in your next order, but decided against it for now. Maybe next time.

David
 
What are you guys working on?

I plan to be at the meeting this Saturday although I might be a little late.

I'm working on taxes...all of them. Now that I'm "retired", I still must annually prove my lack of gainful employment to the Authorities Having Jurisdiction. But I know "it's all for the children".
 
38 mm MD. Fiberglassed airframe with carbon fiber plate fins. Coming along nicely, probably will wait until April as I don't want to deal with the tower and my L2 in teh same day.
 
Rolling the dice here:

In the midst of becoming a father several years ago I was in a frenzy to clear the house out and make room for baby stuff. In my haste, I threw out my rather nice West Systems epoxy and pumps. I used about half of it at that point the containers had become sticky and not fund to handle and I thought, "You know, I won't need this for a long time and I'll never miss it!" Well, it hasn't been that long and I already miss it!!!! Can't believe I threw it out...

Anyhow, before I shell out some dough for a new West System setup I thought I would see if anyone has some stronger-than-bob-smith-epoxy that's getting in the way and they wouldn't mind parting with? I've got some fiberglass kits I'd like to start on and I rather avoid the Bob Smith stuff. Maybe I'm making too big of a deal out of using Bob Smith on a FG rocket but it seems like a weak link hence my angst over ridding myself of West Systems.... I'm also considering US Composites as an alternative.

I recall that at one of the DARS meetings a member had brought some expired aircraft grade epoxy to donate for a donation to the club in kind. I wasn't quite in build mode yet so I missed out on that opportunity :(. It seems I can't catch a break so I thought I would reach out to you fine gents!

What are you guys using on your fiberglass/carbon fiber rockets? I used Bob Smith back in ~'94 on a scratch 5.5" LOC rocket and it worked just fine on a J415 and K550. It's pricey per unit compared to West Systems and others.
 
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Now I use Aeropoxy ES-6209 for structural, and US Composites 635 (3:1 medium hardener) for laminating. They are both excellent.

That being said, I built that Cherokee I keep hitting harder and harder with Bob Smith 5 min and 30 min, and Zpoxy laminating resin.
 
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Now I use Aeropoxy ES-6209 for structural, and US Composites 635 (3:1 medium hardener) for laminating. They are both excellent.

That being said, I built that Cherokee I keep hitting harder and harder with Bob Smith 5 min and 30 min, and Zpoxy laminating resin.

Was that Bob Smith on the fillets? Did you fiberglass the fillets or put any fg strands in there?

How do you measure out Aeropoxy? I don't recall seeing a pump system or ability to use a squeeze bottle like Bob Smith, maybe because it's too thick?
 
I'm still working on finishing the Frenzy. That and patching the paint on the Torrent. I thought about purchasing a set of 38mm hardware for the Torrent in your next order, but decided against it for now. Maybe next time.

David

You'll be happy with the hardware and all of the reload choices especially with the 38's. I have more of everything due in soon.
 
Still working on my 29mm MD. It's been so cold I can't get out and finish up the composites I have to do to complete it. Other than that I've got an Estes leviathan that I'm upgrading to a 38mm mount, and I'm trying to repair my old four motor cluster. Hopefully I'll be able to get some work done on these when spring break starts next week.

We're about 3/4 through with a slight modified Leviathan. I plan to launch in on some F motors. I think that should be about right when trying to minimize walking to get it back :). I gave serious thought to upgrading it to 38 but decided to pass. I do have a Der Red Max that I'll definitely bump up to 38 but who knows when I'll get to that!
 
I'm working on taxes...all of them. Now that I'm "retired", I still must annually prove my lack of gainful employment to the Authorities Having Jurisdiction. But I know "it's all for the children".

A time sink; I know.
 
Was that Bob Smith on the fillets? Did you fiberglass the fillets or put any fg strands in there?

How do you measure out Aeropoxy? I don't recall seeing a pump system or ability to use a squeeze bottle like Bob Smith, maybe because it's too thick?

The fillets on the Cherokee are 5 min Bob Smith with no adatives. The fins on that one are fiberglassed using Zpoxy. That rocket has literally sustained zero damage in 5 flights, including the teleportations. I do rough up the fillet area with a dremel and sanding drum, so there is plenty of surface roughness to bite on.

Aeropoxy is really thick. I put it into 99 cent condiment bottles sold at Walmart in the cooking section, and weigh it on a kitchen scale that reads in grams.
 
The fillets on the Cherokee are 5 min Bob Smith with no adatives. The fins on that one are fiberglassed using Zpoxy. That rocket has literally sustained zero damage in 5 flights, including the teleportations. I do rough up the fillet area with a dremel and sanding drum, so there is plenty of surface roughness to bite on.

Aeropoxy is really thick. I put it into 99 cent condiment bottles sold at Walmart in the cooking section, and weigh it on a kitchen scale that reads in grams.

What weight of fiberglass cloth did you use for the fillet reinforcement. I managed to keep my fiberglass cloth (I guess because it folded up nicely and rested in a drawer without getting in the way....) but I have no recollection what the specs are. I bought it from Mike at Mike's Hobbies. It's somewhat 'thin' but that's pretty subjective....
 
I didn't reinforce the filets on that one, but the entire fins are glasses on both sides with 6 oz. in other cases I have added milled fiberglass to the epoxy.
 
I didn't reinforce the filets on that one, but the entire fins are glasses on both sides with 6 oz. in other cases I have added milled fiberglass to the epoxy.

Where did you pick up your milled fg from? I thought about using that with Bob Smith as a compromise.
 
I used some 30 min bob smith with milled fiber and micro balloons for fillets on the Tyrannosaur I'm building. Smoothed them with a 3/4" pvc.... They came out really nice, at least for a guy that had not done it for 20 years.

Found the milled fiber on Amazon, great planes branded I believe. Micro balloons where in stock at Hobby town in Arlington.

I'll try to update my build thread with pics.
 
I got milled fiberglass and microbaloons from Hobby Town on 75. The one inside 635, not the plano one, but they may have it too.
 
Many thanks to Scott Cook who set me up, as well as others, with some aircraft grade epoxy. It should easily fit the bill!
 
If we can get some decent painting weather on a day when I don't have other priorities, I'll get the Scortch back in business. Maybe in time for the March launch.
 
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