This is where I purchased mine from.
LOC Fantom modifications
- Thread starter Tim51
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This is where I purchased mine from.
Tim51
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Sorry for the delay in replying - I must have missed your post! I designed them on Adobe Illustrator then got them laser cut from a sheet of aeronautical 3mm birch ply I bought at a professional model maker's store. I made sure the surface area is the same as the original Loc ones.
Tim51
Well-Known Member
Some shots of my LOC Fantom with the more or less finished paint job, and the anodised retainer attached as a try out. I used adhesion promoter, (thanks to Grouch!) on the nose cone as recommended.
That turned out real nice, excellent work!
Tim51
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Thank you! Here's hoping for a smooth Level 1 Cert flight..
Tim51
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Hi again - this is a noob question - I plan to use a 2 grain Cesaroni motor for this rocket. When measuring the 'dry weight', should the weight of the empty alu motor casing and spacer be included (without the reload, obviously) or should the casing and spacer be excluded?
blackjack2564
Crazy Jim's Gone Banana's
for me:
Dry weight =more commonly we call built weight. Rocket parts assembled with glue, no paint. That magical number manufacturer puts on the label that kit should weight built...BUT never does!LOL
Ready to fly weight sans motor. everything loaded, chutes cords, nomex, batteries, electronics trackers....everything but motor.
Flight ready: all the above with loaded motor. This is one you use when picking motors and figuring thrust to weight ratios.
When deciding on chute size/descent rate, you include the case and closures to "ready to fly sans motor" because under chute the fuel will have already burned.
So by my definition of dry weight...it would only be the built rocket.
Edit: Dry weight by definition is vehicle ready to go minus ALL liquids or carry weight. No fuel, brake fluids radiator fluids, gasoline etc. Most of us carry that over, meaning the rocket with nothing else in it.
Dry weight =more commonly we call built weight. Rocket parts assembled with glue, no paint. That magical number manufacturer puts on the label that kit should weight built...BUT never does!LOL
Ready to fly weight sans motor. everything loaded, chutes cords, nomex, batteries, electronics trackers....everything but motor.
Flight ready: all the above with loaded motor. This is one you use when picking motors and figuring thrust to weight ratios.
When deciding on chute size/descent rate, you include the case and closures to "ready to fly sans motor" because under chute the fuel will have already burned.
So by my definition of dry weight...it would only be the built rocket.
Edit: Dry weight by definition is vehicle ready to go minus ALL liquids or carry weight. No fuel, brake fluids radiator fluids, gasoline etc. Most of us carry that over, meaning the rocket with nothing else in it.
Last edited:
Tim51
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Thank you for the clarification - a very comprehensive response!
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What motor retainer is that you're using?
Tim51
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It's an anodised alu one manufactured by Rowes Retainers in the UK.
Tim51
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Some pics of my completed Loc Fantom being prepped and padded on Sunday 5/9, and as I found it in the field after its successful landing (there are also some pictures on in the UK section). I'd pre-ordered a Cesaroni G115 and an H125 from our vendor, with the initial idea of doing a test flight before the certification flight, but in the end I just went for it and did my cert flight with the H125 first. Everything went fine - the sim suggested 1978 feet, and that looked about right. Given the extra weight in this build, in the end I replaced the stock 36" chute with a 44" swivel Loc angel one, and it worked beautifully. The pics of the rocket in the cradle and on the rail were taken as I was prepping for this second flight. This was a much lower altitude of course - around 870 feet - but satisfying all the same. Next month I plan to fly it on a CTI I195, and the next step in terms of adaptation will be to add an EXL extension for dual deployment. I'm beginning to gather the components together to do that.
Congrats on the successful level 1 flight... looked like a beautiful day to fly and certify!
Tim51
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Thank you, sir! And thanks for the encouragement along the way. Yes I was very fortunate with the weather - after a pretty dull and rainy week it was a dry, sunny Sunday with just a moderate breeze.
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Great flight, congratulations!
Tim51
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Thank you!
Tim51
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As an addition to this old thread, some pictures of my trusty Loc Fantom in flight under thrust and at burnout last Sunday (6 March), in its EXL dual deploy configuration. The altimeter is a Stratologger CF, and the motor was a CTI I236, which was perfect for a low 'n' slow flight, given the heavy clouds. The blurry blotches on the pictures is a shower of rain and hail which began just as the rocket climbed into the gathering afternoon gloom.
Tim51
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As another captain's log supplemental: Successfully passed my UKRA Level 2 (exam and flight) yesterday at EARS using a CTI J410 on this same rocket that I did my L1 with, this time again in its EXL DD configuration. The stratologger CF gave an apogee of 4222 ft. The pics show it before and after - with considerable blistering and scorching on the back plate. In some senses felt like I'd pushed this bird as far as it will go with a 6G but it functioned perfectly - a relatively fast high flight on a hazy sunny day.
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Did you have a stand off from the blast plate? I've had trouble with the launch rails of the clubs where I launch not having any stops or stand offs, so I cut several 2x4s into several lengths to keep on hand to help prevent bottom scorching. Also, since I started armor plating the bottom plate with thinned JB Weld, any damage is paint only.
Congrats on the cert and the flight!
Tim51
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Thanks!
I didn't use a stand off as such - just the 'door stop' that's integral to the rail. The blast plate on the club rail is angled downwards at 135 degrees from the vertical (see picture). The J-B weld suggestion is a good one. I'm in the process of sanding off the blistered areas and I'll re-seal it as you suggest, then re-paint with Hammerite.
amell
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The J410 will certainly have some blowback that close to the blast plate. Would move it further away next time. A few wraps of electrical tape a bit higher up would do the job.
I can't remember if you fibreglass wrapped this one but if it was solely loc cardboard it's done well
K1440 min diameter next time?
Tim51
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Thanks Andy. I think when it's your own cert flight it's hard to stand back and take it all in, as you're sort of focussed on each individual step, but others there yesterday said it was pretty spectacular and 'it went straight up'. I was also a bit stunned by the difference between the J410 and the I236 I flew it on March.
I can't remember if you fibreglass wrapped this one but if it was solely loc cardboard it's done well
No it isn't FG wrapped. When I built it I just filled the spirals and then sealed it on the inside and out with a few coats of slightly dilute yellow wood glue, sanding between coats.
K1440 min diameter next time?
Ha ha! When I passed my driving test (a long time ago..) someone told me 'It's after your test that you really start to learn to drive'. I think there's something in getting to L2 that's a bit like that. Having the knowledge means you want to learn how to use it. I suppose my current CF wrap build can now become a prototype for something bigger...
amell
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Doesn't have to be bigger = expensive motors. Going small is a challenge in itself. Launched a Cirrus successfully last year on a 2G 38mm VMax and it just teleported. Didn't even get a picture as it was there one microsecond and not there the next. Would have lost it if it wasn't for the radio tracker
Tim51
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Doesn't have to be bigger = expensive motors. Going small is a challenge in itself. Launched a Cirrus successfully last year on a 2G 38mm VMax and it just teleported. Didn't even get a picture as it was there one microsecond and not there the next. Would have lost it if it wasn't for the radio tracker
Agreed about size, although I like 4" dia airframes. I'll see how my current 'back in black' project flies before deciding how to develop things further.
What kind of radio tracker do you use? I have bought a TK102 GPS tracker which I had planned to test on Sunday, but ran out of time.
amell
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It's a DIY LoRa 434Mhz GPS radio tracker. Sends me GPS position of the rocket if I am within 2 miles or so of it.
The GSM tk102 ones are fine if you're sure of mobile phone signal on the ground. I've been told if you buy an Isle of Man telco sim over the Internet it will connect to all UK networks. Not got round to trying that.
Tim51
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Thanks - that's all useful to know.
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