V2 for my L3

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I'd say if you must consider satin clear coat, wait until the cert is in the can. If the paint holds up and you hafta' have something to do, you can always "very carefully" wet sand
and shoot the clear later. The paint should be fully out gassed by then.

But................ Ya get a few dings and dinks you might not think it worth the effort. The paint always looks good from 7 feet away anyways.

Kurt
 
I'd say if you must consider satin clear coat, wait until the cert is in the can. If the paint holds up and you hafta' have something to do, you can always "very carefully" wet sand
and shoot the clear later. The paint should be fully out gassed by then.

But................ Ya get a few dings and dinks you might not think it worth the effort. The paint always looks good from 7 feet away anyways.

Kurt

I'm forgetting the clear. This thing is basically done. I have one more RB standoff to make (because of the discontinuity in the diameter of the parts), and a non-load bearing T-nut to glue back in, but I'm basically on to the paperwork stage.

In fact I've spent this evening considering my other major Airfest flight for this year. I'm leaning Loki L-1400 in my CF Mongoose 54. Sims to 22k' and Mach 2.2. The Loki L-1040 is also very tempting, but I don't know if the rocket is up to 29k' and Mach 2.5...too big a jump over previous bests of 14k' and Mach 1.4.

I think I just hijacked my own thread.
 
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I wonder if I can convince the Kloudbusters LCO to count down in German? I'll probably be too nervous to ask.

Make sure you practice "Run! Run! The flying gas pipes are coming!" In a British accent in case there's a recovery mishap. Also, fill the nose cone with photographic propaganda.
 
In fact I've spent this evening considering my other major Airfest flight for this year. I'm leaning Loki L-1400 in my CF Mongoose 54. Sims to 22k' and Mach 2.2. The Loki L-1040 is also very tempting, but I don't know if the rocket is up to 29k' and Mach 2.5...too big a jump over previous bests of 14k' and Mach 1.4.

I think I just hijacked my own thread.

m1378lr
 

You sir, are evil. Also, it won't fit. I checked.

Actually that is the ultimate goal for the rocket. It will require an extra section of tubing that I will probably outfit as a camera bay also. It sims to 42k' and around Mach 3 with that motor. :shock:

I need more experience before I try something like that though.
 
I need more experience before I try something like that though.

Me too. I bought the Mongoose last year, and I think I have some of the same goals as you, but I'm too chicken to even build it. The thought of something that extreme is pretty intimidating.
 
Me too. I bought the Mongoose last year, and I think I have some of the same goals as you, but I'm too chicken to even build it. The thought of something that extreme is pretty intimidating.

As long as it doesn't come in ballistic all other failure modes are unfortunate but orders of magnitude less dangerous and thereby tolerable. As such, I only use one shear pin. As long as the altimeter is alive the NC is coming off (I've heard the symmetric shear pin argument, but for a snug coupler the chance of cocking and binding is minimal). The Mongoose is a really nice kit. If I could get my grubby hands on the CF 75 version I would, but I can always scratch it down the road. Better anyway I guess, my hobby budget is pegged trying to get these two flights up in September.

This "recovery" spooked me (there is over 4' of rocket below ground). It landed a 1/4 mile from the nearest person, but the fin can sits in my garage as a safety reminder. I never want one of these again.



This could also be an EggFinder advertisement. Its last packet took me right to the burial site.
 
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Holy crap! That is simultaneously a terrifying impact and an amazing Eggfinder testimonial.
 
You sir, are evil. Also, it won't fit. I checked.

Actually that is the ultimate goal for the rocket. It will require an extra section of tubing that I will probably outfit as a camera bay also. It sims to 42k' and around Mach 3 with that motor. :shock:

I need more experience before I try something like that though.

All you need is an Additive Aerospace camera shroud, ~$20 plus a Mobius Camera on ebay. The std one about $70-75, HD video, don't need no camera bay!

1490271872516.jpg
 
All you need is an Additive Aerospace camera shroud, ~$20 plus a Mobius Camera on ebay. The std one about $70-75, HD video, don't need no camera bay!

I have both for the V2. For the Mongoose I will internalize the camera though. I even go to the trouble of tower launching and even cutting the head off the shear pin for the Mongoose.

Beautiful V2 by the way.
 
You're kind, up close not so pretty. It's 15 years old, been to hell and back. I refused to glass the old Loc tubing, tore that up and then PML 7.5" tubing. This is the last time 2 yrs ago we chipped the phenolic tube.
It now has all FG tubes. Has the original tailcone, weighted nose and 3 of the fins!
I still have the nose cone(with builtin timer module) for the Bumper setup and the FG WAC Corporal
 
Because the BT is slightly smaller OD than the boat tail I needed standoffs for both 1515 rail buttons. Turns out the easy solution was nylon washers from Lowes. They are each 1/32" thick, so it was easy to shim each button to get good rail clearance for all parts and make them aligned properly so the rocket isn't tilted on the rail (3 on top, 4 on bottom). These are Railbuttons.com 1515 buttons. I have the Doghouse/Binder also, but the are larger diameter, and I didn't like the look.

 
As long as it doesn't come in ballistic all other failure modes are unfortunate but orders of magnitude less dangerous and thereby tolerable. As such, I only use one shear pin. As long as the altimeter is alive the NC is coming off (I've heard the symmetric shear pin argument, but for a snug coupler the chance of cocking and binding is minimal). The Mongoose is a really nice kit. If I could get my grubby hands on the CF 75 version I would, but I can always scratch it down the road. Better anyway I guess, my hobby budget is pegged trying to get these two flights up in September.

This "recovery" spooked me (there is over 4' of rocket below ground). It landed a 1/4 mile from the nearest person, but the fin can sits in my garage as a safety reminder. I never want one of these again.

This could also be an EggFinder advertisement. Its last packet took me right to the burial site.

I've gone done that!! Same thing happened. Got one or two packets and belatedly walked out there and found the fincan just sticking up. Trashed the NC getting the short Formula 54 out of the ground and it lives on with a Wildman nosecone and a coupler repair in the back end after a motor burn through on a subsequent flight.
21000002.jpgburnout.jpgScreenshot (5).jpgScreenshot (8).jpg

The left picture is the repaired Forumula 54 next to a Punisher Sport with a spiral wound nosecone. This was after the burn out repair with an inserted coupler. The maps are the plot from the ballistic flight. I undercharged with shearpins and the nosecone stayed in place.
I didn't get the obligatory "fincan out of the ground" pic as I wasn't comfortable I could keep the track on the screen if I pulled up the camera. The plain map is the second instance of the tracking program that sends the positions to the first instance with the color photos. That has
all the positions as I go back and forth with a shovel. I went out and back twice and made it back every time as one can see. Of course the tracker died on impact but the position was preserved on the map. Replaced the black nosecone and the Eggfinder (that gave its life) and was good to go on to the next flight with the forward closure burn through. The EggFinder survived that flight though and the rocket has has three good flights thereafter now. Kurt
 
I've never seen a burn through quite like that... Was that an Aerotech 29mm load? Any idea what went wrong? Forgot the seal disk or something...

Was a Mohave Green 29mm H250. I'm fastidious with O rings and assembly. Forward closure looked like it was cut with a cutting torch as was the case. The seal disk is missing one side.

20160617_185333.jpg

Borescope picture of the coupler in the tube to stent the hole. The shockcord looks "ratty" but it's intact and still plenty strong.

pic3.jpg

I had a Dino Chutes, chute protector on the shockcord and close by the motor I had boric acid soaked, fireproofed cardboard duct
taped to the protector "to protect" it. The cutting jet of flame went out roughly 180 degrees from the shockcord so it survived pretty
well. That was the shockcord protector above and I cut the duck tape away. The chute protector was singed just a little bit on the
end closest to the motor. I just flipped it around and used it after the rocket was repaired. Rocket flies nice and gets some funny looks
when I go to a launch. Kurt
 
Got the camera shroud finished. Paint didn't line up perfectly, but will still look good at the distance of a launch photo.

 
I swear to God this rocket better work, because I ain't doing another L3 document ever again...I'm at 43 pages without checklists.
 
I swear to God this rocket better work, because I ain't doing another L3 document ever again...I'm at 43 pages without checklists.

:point:

No worries brother...Knowing the way you plan out and build your rockets I have no doubt that your V2 is going to do exactly what you want it to do. As far as the paper work goes, 43 pages seems a bit excessive, maybe try a smaller font :tongue: I had to go back and look at mine, a whopping 12 pages including check list!
 
I swear to God this rocket better work, because I ain't doing another L3 document ever again...I'm at 43 pages without checklists.

Oh, that's just the first one. Its always the hardest.
Now you've got a template for all the rest!;)

If I ever go for level 3, I'm going to dig out my old Heat Transfer lab report template and throw it together there. With At Least one diagram drawn in MS paint hidden amongst the Excel graphs and Solidworks dimensioned drawings.
 
I swear to God this rocket better work, because I ain't doing another L3 document ever again...I'm at 43 pages without checklists.

Hmmmmmmm, That should have worked with some of the hyper-vigilant taps from 15 years ago. I remember a fellow mentioned he had to travel back and forth to a tap with the partially constructed rocket to have it "inspected" 6 times at several stages of
construction. His first attempt he insisted on using a low-quality main chute and it streamered. Fortunately the next attempt was successful after all that labor.

That camera shroud is very nice. No, one isn't going to notice it at 20 feet away. Don't sweat it. I'd recommend you use a good parachute for recovery.:wink::smile: Kurt
 
I will say that the length is mainly attributed to my innate over attention to detail...my Ph.D. thesis was 474 pages, so I kinda have a history of this crap.

My L3CC advisor has been imminently fair and helpful, I have no complaints there. Not one (what I see as an) unreasonable request, but definitely wants "t's" crossed and "i's" dotted. I don't want anyone flying a rocket this big and potentially destructive who hasn't proven they know how to do it safely at a launch I'm at, so I would be a hypocrite to get mad about the requirements...I do reserve the right to be tired of it though.

As for parachutes, if there is a higher quality chute than a Fruity Chute Iris Compact I'm not willing to buy it.

Jeff, it's also funny to hear my builds described as planned out. You have no idea how much of this stuff I make up as I'm going along. It is amazing how much this rocket has changed from the proposal to reality. SO many techniques like balsa filled fins, removable noseweight, and even getting the motor mount in this thing were totally made up on the fly. I have a very, I don't know how I'll do it, but I'll figure something out when I get there approach to building rockets.

Thank you all for hearing my venting. Checklists will be done in a few days, then a day or two of proofing and editing, and I should get it off the computer to my L3CC by this weekend.

Then it is just build the motor, run the checklist a few times, and wait for Airfest.
 
It's going to be worth it when you see the pop of that main Chute...well around 1000' that is.
I thought mine was long at 10 pages :), sry couldn't resist. Likely your 43 pages can be turned into a high power rocketry book as your scratch build is quite involved
 
It's going to be worth it when you see the pop of that main Chute...well around 1000' that is.
I thought mine was long at 10 pages :), sry couldn't resist. Likely your 43 pages can be turned into a high power rocketry book as your scratch build is quite involved

About 25 of it is a rehashing of this build thread with a lot of the pictures. Some of this stuff is hard to explain without pics. Besides, pics or it didn't happen, right.
 
Jeff, it's also funny to hear my builds described as planned out. You have no idea how much of this stuff I make up as I'm going along. It is amazing how much this rocket has changed from the proposal to reality.

I have followed many of your builds. I don't think he meant that you plan your builds completely before starting and won't, or don't need to change any details. It is more that you do not leave any detail unanalyzed. That is a good thing:wink:

Keep up the good work! Looking forward to seeing this thing fly (at least in the video)
 
Done and Sent! :horse::horse::horse::cheers::cheers::cheers::marshmallow::marshmallow::marshmallow::w::w::w:

I would upload it here, but it is too large a file. Apparently there is a 1.9 MB limit on PDFs, and mine is about 5.5 MB...lots of pictures.
 
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That worked well, thanks for sharing. You may want to forward a copy to Mark Koelsch (I may have screwed the spelling) for inclusion on his L3 paperwork section of Rocketry Files.
 
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