Experience with PML 11.4" Nose Cone?

Does anyone have experience with the PML 11.4" nose cone? I am looking at building a really big (at least by my standards) rocket this winter and am curious about this nosecone.

The airframe I am hoping to use is 11.25" ID and my plan is to sand down the collar of the nosecone and then build up an anti-zipper band on the outside of the airframe tube to match the OD of the nosecone. I would probably glass the interior of the nosecone collar to make up for strength lost by sanding off about .08" in order to fit the body tube.

I would love to see photos of any rockets built with this nosecone, so please post if you have them! op:

7 motors.....1 N surrounded by 6- 3in M's.

Flew at Airfest couple weeks ago after a new paint job & refurbish.
They make a very nice cone.



See post 18 here for more.https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?128741-Wayco-s-reflections-on-Airfest-21

What you making?

RocketFeller said:

Does anyone have experience with the PML 11.4" nose cone? I am looking at building a really big (at least by my standards) rocket this winter and am curious about this nosecone.

The airframe I am hoping to use is 11.25" ID and my plan is to sand down the collar of the nosecone and then build up an anti-zipper band on the outside of the airframe tube to match the OD of the nosecone. I would probably glass the interior of the nosecone collar to make up for strength lost by sanding off about .08" in order to fit the body tube.

I would love to see photos of any rockets built with this nosecone, so please post if you have them! op:

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its not worth the little bit of money you will save to go to a none standard tubing. It will cost more in head aches later down the road rings, bulk plates, couplers, nose cone.
just go with the pml tubing.
If you still want to use that tubing, check out python for a nose cone.

blackjack2564 said:

7 motors.....1 N surrounded by 6- 3in M's.

Flew at Airfest couple weeks ago after a new paint job & refurbish.
They make a very nice cone.
View attachment 272708


See post 18 here for more.https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?128741-Wayco-s-reflections-on-Airfest-21

What you making?

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Wow, that is an impressive cluster of motors! Great looking rocket, too!

I am building a rocket with my rocket club kids. I teach at a small rural k-8 school and we have run a low-power rocket club for fifteen years. Over the years I have done a couple high-power builds with some of the older students. This one is going to be our biggest by far, it will be going up on an M. The tube is being built by a (sort of) local company out of carbon fiber. Because of their tooling, I am a little bit limited as far as airframe diameters.

WILDMANRS said:

its not worth the little bit of money you will save to go to a none standard tubing. It will cost more in head aches later down the road rings, bulk plates, couplers, nose cone.
just go with the pml tubing.
If you still want to use that tubing, check out python for a nose cone.

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Thanks, I think they might be just the ticket!

RocketFeller said:

I would love to see photos of any rockets built with this nosecone, so please post if you have them! op:

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My 11.5" Little John uses this nosecone with PML Phenolic tubes and has 5 flights including 2 P motors. The cone is nice and the gelcoat on PML cones is pretty durable. It's actually pretty light for a nosecone this large. FYI - Without bulkheads or an interior structure, you can flex the shoulder of the cone. Mine has an 8" tube centered the length of the cone and 30lb of noseweight and it's worked great.

Todd Harrison

THarrison said:

View attachment 272717

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Todd--amazing green!!!!

THarrison said:

View attachment 272717View attachment 272718

My 11.5" Little John uses this nosecone with PML Phenolic tubes and has 5 flights including 2 P motors. The cone is nice and the gelcoat on PML cones is pretty durable. It's actually pretty light for a nosecone this large. FYI - Without bulkheads or an interior structure, you can flex the shoulder of the cone. Mine has an 8" tube centered the length of the cone and 30lb of noseweight and it's worked great.

Todd Harrison

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That is a really beautiful takeoff.

I talked with tech support at PML about my idea and he said that the collar was only about .06" thick, so it doesn't look like we are going to be using the PML cone.

THarrison said:

View attachment 272717View attachment 272718

My 11.5" Little John uses this nosecone with PML Phenolic tubes and has 5 flights including 2 P motors. The cone is nice and the gelcoat on PML cones is pretty durable. It's actually pretty light for a nosecone this large. FYI - Without bulkheads or an interior structure, you can flex the shoulder of the cone. Mine has an 8" tube centered the length of the cone and 30lb of noseweight and it's worked great.

Todd Harrison

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Crazy Green!

Why not use PML cone. You will be putting a bulk plate in shoulder. It will work out great.

I think I am going to go with a Python cone. The PML cone is really nice and lightweight, but it just won't work for the airframe we have available, according to Frank at PML.

The reason that I am so set on using the 11.25" carbon fiber tube is that the manufacturer has invited me to bring my students up to his facility where we would get to watch the entire fabrication process. This is quite an opportunity an a few levels, so we definitely want to take them up on the offer! Not to mention that an airframe built entirely of carbon fiber looks pretty darned cool....

RocketFeller said:

I think I am going to go with a Python cone.

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Good choice! Dan at Python will not disappoint!

RocketFeller said:

I think I am going to go with a Python cone. The PML cone is really nice and lightweight, but it just won't work for the airframe we have available, according to Frank at PML.

The reason that I am so set on using the 11.25" carbon fiber tube is that the manufacturer has invited me to bring my students up to his facility where we would get to watch the entire fabrication process. This is quite an opportunity an a few levels, so we definitely want to take them up on the offer! Not to mention that an airframe built entirely of carbon fiber looks pretty darned cool....

Click to expand...

That is a really cool opportunity for your group. If you still wanted to go stock you could cut the entire shoulder off and make a coupler out of sonotube. You could even permanently attach a short section of your bt to the nc and couple that to the body as the break point for recovery. All that said a custom nose is certainly the ideal solution, and one best fitting such an awesome bt. Seriously, that tube would be worth a good deal, and is going to look sweet.

Wildman's suggestion of PYTHON for the cone is really the best approach.

You may want to consider not building with any of the 5-6 common nosecone shapes and contact Dan from Python for ideas
about 11.5" cones that look like no other cone you have seen.
Python made the cone below...something like a conical cone.... for an 11.5" tube..it's widest point is 16" and total length 72".

TOM C said:

Wildman's suggestion of PYTHON for the cone is really the best approach.

You may want to consider not building with any of the 5-6 common nosecone shapes and contact Dan from Python for ideas
about 11.5" cones that look like no other cone you have seen.
Python made the cone below...something like a conical cone.... for an 11.5" tube..it's widest point is 16" and total length 72".

View attachment 272967View attachment 272968

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Awesome looking rocket. Nice!

dixontj93060 said:

Good choice! Dan at Python will not disappoint!

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So far, so good! I wrote him with a couple questions and he got right back to me.

Cl(VII) said:

That is a really cool opportunity for your group. If you still wanted to go stock you could cut the entire shoulder off and make a coupler out of sonotube. You could even permanently attach a short section of your bt to the nc and couple that to the body as the break point for recovery. All that said a custom nose is certainly the ideal solution, and one best fitting such an awesome bt. Seriously, that tube would be worth a good deal, and is going to look sweet.

Click to expand...

That definitely is an option - if it weren't for Python I would probably end up doing that. Considering that Dan will custom turn a nosecone for about the same cost, it does seem to be the ideal solution. I am really excited about the tube, I think it will be really beautiful and the experience should be well worth driving a couple hours each way! As far as the value, I'm sure that this tube would cost more than all my previous rockets combined if they were selling it to the Pentagon!

TOM C said:

Wildman's suggestion of PYTHON for the cone is really the best approach.

You may want to consider not building with any of the 5-6 common nosecone shapes and contact Dan from Python for ideas
about 11.5" cones that look like no other cone you have seen.
Python made the cone below...something like a conical cone.... for an 11.5" tube..it's widest point is 16" and total length 72".

View attachment 272967View attachment 272968

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That is awesome! Is that your rocket?
I did see a few of the odd-shaped cones on his site and they definitely drew my attention. I really like the way the rocket you posted has the stepped tubes and the huge fins. My goal for this rocket is to build something that is like nothing else out there, thanks for the inspiration!

RocketFeller said:

So far, so good! I wrote him with a couple questions and he got back to me.

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He's a real craftsman. You should go see his workshop at his house--really cool!

A PML cone is great to build with but you'll see many of the same cones at a launch.
A unique cone can set a rocket apart from others.
To go beyond the ordinary is possible.

PYTHON made the black and white cone pictured below.

It flew at MDRA in Maryland this past Saturday.