LUNAR High Power Launch - Scheduled for 4/4 - Snow Ranch

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I haven't fixed the Leviathan yet, but I will probably be able to do it tonight or tomorrow. All I really need to do to fly it is to cut off the top 6" or so of crunched BT. I can do that pretty quickly.

I also wanted to cut the angled part of the shoulder off the NC and add a bulk plate and eyebolt, and I've considered adding some weight to the NC as well. That wasn't the first time I've had the chute fail to deploy from the Leviathan, and I also had the same problem with the Big Daddy. I'm thinking it might be partly due to the sloped shoulder, so I'd like to get rid of that. And maybe with a bit more mass, the NC would have more momentum for pulling the chute from the airframe. I'm not sure I can get all of that done, but I'll fly it as long as I can get the BT repair done.

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Sounds good. Mine core sampled despite having the NC shoulder modification, so I think it was because I used a 12X12 chute protector rather than 9X9. I'll be using wadding in it for this launch. I had to find a new way to attach the shock cord, since I built this a while ago and it had the (stock) trifold mount. I ended up running a bolt through the side of the airframe to provide a place to link the shock cord to.

Nose weight sounds like a good idea too. In addition to helping with deployment, my ~4" shortened Leviathan is simming out with only 1 to ~.9 calipers of stability on F's through small H's, and since yours has even more airframe removed and less fin area, you may actually need weight to keep it stable. An eyebolt/quick link is probably enough.

SCrocketfan said:

Sounds good. Mine core sampled despite having the NC shoulder modification, so I think it was because I used a 12X12 chute protector rather than 9X9. I'll be using wadding in it for this launch. I had to find a new way to attach the shock cord, since I built this a while ago and it had the (stock) trifold mount. I ended up running a bolt through the side of the airframe to provide a place to link the shock cord to.

Nose weight sounds like a good idea too. In addition to helping with deployment, my ~4" shortened Leviathan is simming out with only 1 to ~.9 calipers of stability on F's through small H's, and since yours has even more airframe removed and less fin area, you may actually need weight to keep it stable. An eyebolt/quick link is probably enough.

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I cut the crunched end off the BT of the crashed Leviathan. It turned out to only be 4.5", not 6". I weighed the piece I took off, and it came to just short of an ounce, so I added 2 oz of BBs to the NC to make up for the lost weight, lost length, plus a bit more. I decided not to modify the NC with the bulkhead and eyebolt at this point. I'm thinking the added mass will be enough to eject the NC with momentum and pull the chute out. I also think the smaller volume of the shorter BT will mean the ejection charge will be stronger. It could be that the sloped shoulder has been a factor in past failed deployments, but I think the added weight and smaller volume should be able to overcome it.

After the glued BBs set up, I need to take some measurements and update the OR file so my sims will be accurate again. In addition shortening the rocket and adding nose weight, I had to trim the rocket's fins due to earlier damage, and I never updated the file at that point. A lot has changed.

I tested out the cable cutter on the DoorKnob tonight. It worked as advertised. I'm going try using a 24" drogue and deploy the main at 500 feet. With the 24" drogue OpenRocket says it will descend at ~55fps. That should reduce my drift by about 60%. :wink:

ChrisAttebery said:

I tested out the cable cutter on the DoorKnob tonight. It worked as advertised. I'm going try using a 24" drogue and deploy the main at 500 feet. With the 24" drogue OpenRocket says it will descend at ~55fps. That should reduce my drift by about 60%. :wink:

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Glad you were able to get the cable cutter working. What motor did you decide to fly?

I painted most of my Frenzy today. It's almost ready for this weekend, just need to figure out what electronics to fly (it's motor eject so I'm just setting it up with an altimeter for data recording).

I think I'll try a K530 Smokey Sam. I'll find out for sure on Friday when I see Mike.

SCrocketfan said:

I painted most of my Frenzy today. It's almost ready for this weekend, just need to figure out what electronics to fly (it's motor eject so I'm just setting it up with an altimeter for data recording).

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Next time I build a big rocket, I think I'm going to avoid designs with so many fins!

Have the 4" Frenzy fin can sitting in the cradle on my workbench where I'm in the process of adding the smaller aft fins...epoxy, clamp aluminum flats to the fins to align them, repeat...

SCrocketfan said:

Sounds good. Mine core sampled despite having the NC shoulder modification, so I think it was because I used a 12X12 chute protector rather than 9X9. I'll be using wadding in it for this launch. I had to find a new way to attach the shock cord, since I built this a while ago and it had the (stock) trifold mount. I ended up running a bolt through the side of the airframe to provide a place to link the shock cord to.

Nose weight sounds like a good idea too. In addition to helping with deployment, my ~4" shortened Leviathan is simming out with only 1 to ~.9 calipers of stability on F's through small H's, and since yours has even more airframe removed and less fin area, you may actually need weight to keep it stable. An eyebolt/quick link is probably enough.

Click to expand...

ThirstyBarbarian said:

I haven't fixed the Leviathan yet, but I will probably be able to do it tonight or tomorrow. All I really need to do to fly it is to cut off the top 6" or so of crunched BT. I can do that pretty quickly.

I also wanted to cut the angled part of the shoulder off the NC and add a bulk plate and eyebolt, and I've considered adding some weight to the NC as well. That wasn't the first time I've had the chute fail to deploy from the Leviathan, and I also had the same problem with the Big Daddy. I'm thinking it might be partly due to the sloped shoulder, so I'd like to get rid of that. And maybe with a bit more mass, the NC would have more momentum for pulling the chute from the airframe. I'm not sure I can get all of that done, but I'll fly it as long as I can get the BT repair done.

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Hah, you two need to check out what I have done to my Leviathan!

o1d_dude said:

Next time I build a big rocket, I think I'm going to avoid designs with so many fins!

Have the 4" Frenzy fin can sitting in the cradle on my workbench where I'm in the process of adding the smaller aft fins...epoxy, clamp aluminum flats to the fins to align them, repeat...

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The extra fins do add a lot of complexity. I glued the front and back sets of fins at the same time using clamps to align them but even still it took a lot of time to build the fin can. It's also quite challenging to finish but it just needs one part of the fin can still to paint so I'll probably finish that today.

I may end up doing some repainting after the launch as the finish on the fins isn't great, but it's definitely going to be ready to fly Saturday. Predicted Rocksim altitude on the I303 is 2390 ft, so hopefully it will not drift to far.

watermelonman said:

Hah, you two need to check out what I have done to my Leviathan!

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What modifications did you do?

watermelonman said:

Hah, you two need to check out what I have done to my Leviathan!

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I'm intrigued...

Sounds like a lot of good flights are planned for Saturday. I'm kind of bummed that I can't make it out there this time. Hope you all have a blast!

I have not gone to bed before midnight in two weeks preparing for Saturday's launch; L-1 certification rocket complete (check), G-Force coupler reinforced (check), LOC Onyx painted, decaled and prepped (check), 9 motors built and rockets prepped (check), supplies and ground support packed and ready (check). OK now I think I can go to sleep before midnight (check). : )

Looks to be windy this launch, so will be packing smaller chutes and flying only fiberglass rockets so they don't incur damage on landing. I want to fly another K motor, so I guess the rocket will have to be around 10 pounds to keep my walk shorter.

Going to be there ealy this month, so I can try to retrieve my payload/av bay that is buried just outside the fence . . . result of last month's launch when I miscalculated the amount of BP needed to pressurize a substantial amount of BT and the shear pins weren't sheared. Main deployed at 800' but the TN shock cord snapped in two places, saving the parachute from damage, but the rest of the rocket buried itself three feet in the ground. Was able to retrieve the lower section (undamaged).:grin:

RKT_ROB said:

I have not gone to bed before midnight in two weeks preparing for Saturday's launch; L-1 certification rocket complete (check), G-Force coupler reinforced (check), LOC Onyx painted, decaled and prepped (check), 9 motors built and rockets prepped (check), supplies and ground support packed and ready (check). OK now I think I can go to sleep before midnight (check). : )

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9 motors?? Wow. I'll be happy to get 2 or maybe 3 flights in. Unfortunately all the reloads/DMS I have are either sparky or meant for higher-flying (4000' plus), or both. Two of those are already built into my two CTI casings as I'd hoped to fly them at the previous TCC launch (my two AT's are empty). So I ordered some lower-flying reloads but it means I can't build the motors until I get them from BAR tomorrow. So I ordered a few AT's and one CTI to possibly swap-out what's in my Pro38-4G right now. I'm also going to try to get my hot-wire cable cutter working tonight to possibly try DD tomorrow. My rocket proved at a TCC launch that it can land at ~3x the intended speed (67 ft/s due to an early-motor-eject chute tangle instead of the usual 24 ft/s) without incurring any damage (Acme fin can FTW!), so I may be able to just fly a smaller chute (SD), or if the main fails to deploy just land on a slightly larger drogue (DD). What worries me is my rocket has a pretty good built-in rock-seeker when it comes to Snow Ranch, the on-board camera generally shows it finding a big rock and heading straight towards it, the fast landing at TCC was on pretty solid dirt but still dirt.

And speaking of cameras, my replacement Mobius hasn't come from HobbyKing yet (the website suggests they don't split orders, yet they sent me my batteries without the camera), so I probably won't have a camera to fly tomorrow unless it happens to get delivered today.

Will - I will have my daughter and her friend with me so we will each get in 3 launches if conditions permit. I have got to get my camera situation sorted out for future launches. I have 2 key chain cameras and a "blade" camera I need to attach. I bought the "aero shrouds" from Bay Rat rocketry for the key chain cameras, but need to paint and attach them. I just need to secure the blade camera with the existing mount as it is already an aero design, I love doing videos, but have got to make the whole process a little more efficient. I hope you have some good flights at the Ranch! R_R

RKT_ROB said:

I have not gone to bed before midnight in two weeks preparing for Saturday's launch; L-1 certification rocket complete (check), G-Force coupler reinforced (check), LOC Onyx painted, decaled and prepped (check), 9 motors built and rockets prepped (check), supplies and ground support packed and ready (check). OK now I think I can go to sleep before midnight (check). : )

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Rob,

Are you doing your L1 cert flight at this launch? I can't remember if you have already certified and you refer to the rocket you used as your L1 cert rocket, or if you are prepping your rocket for your L1 cert attempt. If you are certifying, then good luck! And if you get your L1, I think you should run a victory lap by loading up your G-Force with an H motor and racing it against SCrocketfan and me! (Entirely optional)

It sounds like you have a good lineup and lots of flights ready to roll. I usually do my prep at the launch, but hopefully I can do some of it in advance this evening.

Perfect rocket weather today: No wind and 75 degrees.

Tomorrow will be a different story as we'll be getting the leading edge of Sunday's storm. Rain and snow predicted but you can't complain when we're in the middle of the periodic drought cycle. The current drought everyone is whining about is nothing compared to the one we went through in 1969/1971-ish. Still remember the bumper stickers that said "In this land of drought and sun, we don't flush for Number One".

We've had many more since then as it's the historic weather pattern of Northern California. We supply SoCal with its water so if it's dry up here the south feels the pain.

Making up a few motors today and put some last minute paint on the Goblin 5.5 this morning.

TB: This will be my L-1 cert flight (keep your fingers crossed). I finished the Rocketry Warehouse Formula 75 kit over the last several weeks, did all the validation work and am ready to go. On the G-Force; I did a small extension to accept the 29/120 Plus casing, but can not fit H motors yet. I will do a motor tube modification over the summer and be ready to race in the fall! PS: I need to read through all of the threads above - I just caught up with the possible high wind situation. I may need to crop my chutes since I can't reduce the motor size at this point. PPS: I hope you get the Leviathan ready to fly - it looked very fixable.

TB: I finally figured out how to attach pictures. You will see a picture of the reinforced coupler for the G-Force. I basically split a 4 inch coupler and epoxied it inside the existing coupler and then sanded a nice bevel. Hopefully this will reduce the binding. Also the Formula 75 L-1 certification rocket, the Onyx and the cache of boxed rockets ready for transport. R_R

Crud, mangled my tracker. Anyone got one for loan or purchase? I am not too worried about cost, my big concern is simply having one that works tomorrow! I will check with Bay Area Rocketry too although they do not have any on their web site.

I saw Mike from BAR at lunch. I swapped my K454 skidmark for a K740 C-Star. That ought to rip the Door Knob off the pad. :wink:

I have my Tomach ready for tomorrow, just have to button up a few little things, like adjust the launch tower, etc. I will be doing ground testing there since I don't have igniters that work, and finishing up the wiring. Does anybody know the guidelines for taking your own launch tower? It will have its own blast deflector and a fireproof blanket covering the ground around it.

As I am typing this I am also warming up my smoker to do 5lbs. of tri-tip, which is now my launch tradition.


Does anybody have any dual deploy igniters they would be willing to sell? I just called Mike at BAR and he just sold out of them at today's lunch. I will pay cash for them, and give you a smoked tri-tip sandwich lunch! I need about a dozen, if that is possible, to do ground testing and two flights. If you have any please PM me.

See you all tomorrow,
Kyle

rc dude said:

I have my Tomach ready for tomorrow, just have to button up a few little things, like adjust the launch tower, etc. I will be doing ground testing there since I don't have igniters that work, and finishing up the wiring. Does anybody know the guidelines for taking your own launch tower? It will have its own blast deflector and a fireproof blanket covering the ground around it.

As I am typing this I am also warming up my smoker to do 5lbs. of tri-tip, which is now my launch tradition.
View attachment 259923

Does anybody have any dual deploy igniters they would be willing to sell? I just called Mike at BAR and he just sold out of them at today's lunch. I will pay cash for them, and give you a smoked tri-tip sandwich lunch! I need about a dozen, if that is possible, to do ground testing and two flights. If you have any please PM me.

See you all tomorrow,
Kyle

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Shoot, I could only part with about half as many. Would that still help?

Got a tracker?

watermelonman said:

Shoot, I could only part with about half as many. Would that still help?

Got a tracker?

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I need four per flight, as I have a backup altimeter and charges, so if I get both charges right in the first ground test, six would work. If not I would need more then that.

As for a tracker, all I have is an Eggtimer TRS, and it is wired into my av bay on a sled with the antenna mounted on a bulkhead, so it would be difficult to remove. Sorry.

Got motors from BAR today. I had to get a few motors that were different from what I planned (red I195 rather than the planned blue I236) but I'm almost ready for the launch!

rc dude said:

I need four per flight, as I have a backup altimeter and charges, so if I get both charges right in the first ground test, six would work. If not I would need more then that.

As for a tracker, all I have is an Eggtimer TRS, and it is wired into my av bay on a sled with the antenna mounted on a bulkhead, so it would be difficult to remove. Sorry.

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Oh wow, that explains it. Thanks and good luck!

SCrocketfan said:

Got motors from BAR today. I had to get a few motors that were different from what I planned (red I195 rather than the planned blue I236) but I'm almost ready for the launch!

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The I195 is a Blackjack propellant, not a Redline.

hball55 said:

The I195 is a Blackjack propellant, not a Redline.

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CTI 38mm 3 grain I195 is red.

rc dude said:

I need four per flight, as I have a backup altimeter and charges, so if I get both charges right in the first ground test, six would work. If not I would need more then that.

As for a tracker, all I have is an Eggtimer TRS, and it is wired into my av bay on a sled with the antenna mounted on a bulkhead, so it would be difficult to remove. Sorry.

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I can spare six charge lighters.