Magnum 2032 (E-mod) build thread + CATO, Rebuild & Relaunch!

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Cabernut

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My favorite rocket of all time from my teen years(1990-ish) was the Estes Magnum #2032. On it's maiden flight, the parachute didn't deploy - either it was stuck or the motor ejected out the back instead. Either way it lawn-darted into a hard packed softball infield. :facepalm:
Now that I'm a BAR, I just HAVE to do this again... just without the recovery failure part.
After searching high and low for that extra-long BT-60 nose cone, I found an existing kit that has 90% of what I need to do this thing. I picked up an Estes Vagabond #3217 kit for $22.99 CDN at a local hobby shop. Not only does it have almost everything, but the exact part# matching nose cone... and an "E" motor mount :D Never liked that 18mm sustainer anyway.

All I needed was to fabricate the booster 24mm motor mount as well as the nose block, then "borrow" the clear payload bay from my Loadstar II, which is also an exact part# match for the Magnum.

I downloaded one K'Tesh's modded .ork files and modified it a bit to use as a "blueprint" only.
View attachment Magnum-E_build.ork

Just getting started on the booster engine mount, made from some thick walled(1.2mm) 24mm tube I had standing by. The centering rings were cut from 1/8 balsa using the kit carboard rings as a pattern, sanded to fit.



By the way, now that I'm just getting started, I'm open to advice before more glue happens.
 
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you might have to adjust your fin tabs if you are using thicker walled tubing, sand carefully to get a proper fit.
Rex
 
Motor mount in place


Fin tab slots cut, and a test fit shows what Rex mentioned above. Need to sand the fin tabs down a bit, square up the corners, and generally tweak the fit so it's flush as possible.


Booster complete. Reminds me of the Imperial Shuttle.


I also finished the E motor mount. For the centering rings, I had to re-measure several times and glue twice once I realized the mount that came with the Vagabond kit was 8.87cm long instead of the 9.5cm I had thought.
A quick test fit with D & E engine spacers shows everything lines up pretty well now.


My first time with fin tabs and I've learned a lot. Now on to the nose block/bulkhead and start on the sustainer fin set.
 
While I'm thinking of it, I have an extra 24mm motor retainer. The plastic Estes one(cheap one). Would it make sense to use one on a booster?

I bought a pack of 2, used one on my 2nd scratch build - the "TPS Report"

As of now, just friction-fit is in the plan. I'm sure that's fine for a pair of C11's on its maiden flight, but what about E9+D12 later on?
 
Ok... Just got home from going out and working at Portland Saturday Market. I'm beat. So, forgive me if I don't answer any questions about how to do things.

1) I'm glad that you found the Vagabond. It's a fun kit. Keep those fins, and all your leftovers. You're likely to want to build one someday (I didn't at first, but it grew on me).

2) the current (2015) version of the PNC-60 nosecone assortment includes the modern version of the PNC-60RL nosecone (the original had smooth sides on the shoulder, the new one has ridges and isn't quite as snug). There's some really good other nosecones in there that would be great for upscales of some classics. Don't ask me which right now, my eyes feel like they have Pb weights attached to them.

3) Oh and before I doze off, Very importantly... Don't forget to :yawn: SnZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz :wink:
 
Welcome to the Magnum Fan Club! K'Tesh and I are also members. Your build is looking really good.

I rebuilt my Magnum a few months ago after a CATO with a 24 mm motor mount in the sustainer and a 29 mm motor mount in the booster (Magnum+). The sustainer has flown great as a single stage on D12-5 and E9-6. And I just flew it yesterday as a two stage with a C11-0/C11-7 configuration using the booster from my original kit from the early 90's (24 mm). The flight was perfect. I wanted to try for some more altitude, but it was pretty windy at the CMASS launch yesterday, and the LCO limited flights to ~1000 ft to prevent hanging a rocket on the nearby power lines.

I really want to put it up on a F15-0/E9-6, but that sims to about 3000 ft. I'm not going to do that until I finish assembling my Eggfinder GPS and figure out some sort of Chute Release or Cable Cutter apparatus.
 
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... Keep those fins, and all your leftovers. ...
I'm definitely keeping these Vagabond fins, I like the design. I also now have an extra 4.8" of BT-60, and an extra 5.5" Rocketarium nose cone... I wonder... "Dr. Vagabond's Mini-Me" ?



Welcome to the Magnum Fan Club! K'Tesh and I are also members. Your build is looking really good.

I rebuilt my Magnum a few months ago after a CATO with a 24 mm motor mount in the sustainer and a 29 mm motor mount in the booster (Magnum+). The sustainer has flown great as a single stage on D12-5 and E9-6. And I just flew it yesterday as a two stage with a C11-0/C11-7 configuration using the booster from my original kit from the early 90's (24 mm). The flight was perfect. I wanted to try for some more altitude, but it was pretty windy at the CMASS launch yesterday, and the LCO limited flights to ~1000 ft to prevent hanging a rocket on the nearby power lines.

I really want to put it up on a F15-0/E9-6, but that sims to about 3000 ft. I'm not going to do that until I finish assembling my Eggfinder GPS and figure out some sort of Chute Release or Cable Cutter apparatus.

Not long after joining this site I learned that higher is not always better, that is, if you want it back... I'm OK with C11s to start. I'm also reconsidering the stock rubber shock cord and plastic chute. Maybe 18" nylon chute with a more durable shock cord of some sort?

As for progress, today I've glued in the upper MMT and cut the fin slots.
 
I have also fabricated a nose block as close to the original as I can get. I used the remaining coupler tubing with a 1cm section of BT-60 glued in the middle with a balsa bulkhead in the center for attaching the parachute and shock cord.


It's coming together... upper fins aren't glued yet, still need to sand for flush fit.
 
I'm definitely keeping these Vagabond fins, I like the design. I also now have an extra 4.8" of BT-60, and an extra 5.5" Rocketarium nose cone... I wonder... "Dr. Vagabond's Mini-Me" ?

That nosecone (Rocketarium 5.5") looks an awful lot like something someone would use for a V2. I'll have to start digging for info on that NC, and where I can find it.
 
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I have also fabricated a nose block as close to the original as I can get. I used the remaining coupler tubing with a 1cm section of BT-60 glued in the middle with a balsa bulkhead in the center for attaching the parachute and shock cord.


It's coming together... upper fins aren't glued yet, still need to sand for flush fit.


First... That is looking SWEET!

2nd, don't forget to seal the balsa nose block with something, whether it's CA glue, or gluing a paper ID disk to it. I've ejected nosecones on payload sections (not the entire payload section, just the nosecone) just using my breath to test the separation. If that were to happen in the field, that could be really bad for the payload,the rocket, and possibly anybody or thing standing around in the recovery area.

3rd. Don't forget to use Testors Gloss Bright Blue (1210) to match the decals (if you have unused original decals somewhere).
 
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4 - 6' of sewing elastic would be my choice anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" width, one can usually find it at Walmart (though oddly enough I have also found it at 'True-value hardware'). I have found that I can usually get away with going down one size for Estes chutes, ex. if 18" is stock a 15" might do better(of course I usually use OR to run flight sim.s so I can 'play' with different sizes aiming for about 15 fps descent rate) Top flight recovery llc makes/sells some very nice chutes.
Rex
 
I agree with Rex on downsizing the chute. Believe it or not, I'm still using the original 25+ year old chute. (The chute, payload bay and nosecone survived the CATO.) But I cut a ~2" spill hole in it this weekend. Unless you are planning on landing on pavement, the stock 24" chute is excessive.
 
Man, how did that slip past me... I could have swore that it used an 18" chute. I just double checked and BDB is right it had 24" chutes. Still, I cut a spill hole in my clones' 18" chutes.
 
I sure hope you guys have a HUGE recovery field:
Been flying my Magnum for many years on D12/C6-7 combinations and have nearly lost the sustainer on several occasions coming down on a 3" x 72" 1/2mil mylar Streamer in 120-200 acre flying fields.
Using an E in this model is just bagging to loose the sustainer, if not both booster and sustainer sections. Hope you guys really like long walks in the weeds. More Power is NOT always a good thing!
One more thing: I switched from a 12" chute on the C6-7 powered sustainer after walking almost 2 miles to recovery the thing in very light breeze. That is With a 1" spill hole.

069a2_Magnum Goes Loadly 2-Stage_05-17-06.jpg

069b_Magnum Goes Loadly_PhiBetaCatta payload_05-15-06.jpg

069Lp05a_Magnum  2-Stage @ Staging(Manassas Va)_07-1990.jpg

069Lp05b_Magnum 2-Stage MidFlight (Manassas Va)_07-1990.jpg

069Lp05c_Magnum 2-Stage @ D12 Staging(Manassas Va)_07-1990.jpg
 
Great call on the streamer, John. I'll probably copy that next month.
 
I'm definitely taking notes on the recovery system, now is the time.

Blue and white are good sky-camouflage colors. I remember the one and only time I flew my original one, I launched it on a D/C combo and lost it in the sky after burnout.
 
Looks awesome, looking forward to your updates. You posts motivated me to get back to work on my downscale version!
 
Looks awesome, looking forward to your updates. You posts motivated me to get back to work on my downscale version!
Thanks! Last night I finished gluing the sustainer fin set then got distracted with OR designing a sweet shorty rocket with those spare parts I mentioned earlier.

I was in fact motivated by yours as well. Funny how that works.

Now considering I don't have any decals, just a .jpg of the originals, nor do I have ink for my inkjet printer, I may have to go to Kinko's or something for that.
 
So I've decided on the recovery system. I'll use sewing elastic from body to nose block, then a short length of kevlar cord from the nose block to a 1/8" quick link & swivel so that I can "fly the field" and swap from 18" or 9" chute to a streamer as the conditions dictate. Sounds like the best option to me.

Going to wait for Black Friday sales to order the next round of parts - maybe I'll also treat myself to an RMS 24/40 while I'm at it.:D But then I'll need something to put it in... I can already see my $20 shopping turning into $150...

Anyway, I have everything glued - except for the launch lugs. Then prime/sand/paint! So far I'm not great at nice paint jobs, so I'll have to take it up a notch and try my best on this one.
 
After looking high and low for blue paint #1, Testors Gloss Bright Blue and not finding it anywhere, I found blue paint #2 that I saw on another thread, Krylon Fusion Patriotic Blue. So I picked that up along with gloss white, silver, and red - the red is for another rocket - "Shorty"



I sanded the fins a bit and rounded the edges with 150 grit then I started coating with Aero Gloss, then sanded with 400 grit. Going to repeat (sealer/sand/sealer/sand) a couple more times.



The recovery parts I ordered should be arriving on Monday.
 
One thing to keep in mind... Tester's Bright Blue is a match for the original decals. Reproductions of the decals may not match that shade of blue.

In the downscale thread, the decals didn't match for that reason. (Still it's a B@D@SS rockets).
 
I'm actually tossing around the idea of mimicing the top decal by masking and painting it on instead. Would be a sure color match but it would be quite a challenge(for me) to make it look sharp.
 
I'm actually tossing around the idea of mimicing the top decal by masking and painting it on instead. Would be a sure color match but it would be quite a challenge(for me) to make it look sharp.

One trick you could do is to print the decals on a clear self adhesive material (FedEX/Kinkos), then cut it to create your mask, and apply it (or use it to create a template for a mask).
 
Silver paint... the bane of perfectionists.

For the booster: 3 coats of Aero Gloss, coat/sand/coat/sand/coat/sand then 3 coats of silver paint. Looks pretty good from a few feet away



But up close I can still see the wood grain... Oh well, the silver and I are done. Moving on.




I picked up some 1/4" sewing elastic today and I also have a swivel, hook and 10 feet of 220-lb kevlar cord. I also have a 9" and 15" nylon parachute as options. Recovery system is next while paint dries.

Currently waiting for the 5th application of Aero Gloss on the sustainer fins to dry before I sand again and start painting it white.

I was also thinking of tying a short section of kevlar cord from the nose cone through the payload bay to the nose block with just a bit of slack as a way to make sure that hard to find nose cone doesn't jump ship at 1500ft. Might make it possible to deploy something from the payload section as well.

...Oh! and the launch lugs, still need to glue those...
 
Assembled the recovery system - for now two options, 9" and 15" nylon parachutes attached to their own swivels and hooks for easy swapping. Six feet of 1/4" sewing elastic for the shock cord. I also ran a short section of kevlar cord from the nose cone through the payload bay to the nose block as an added measure.


White paint went on OK. First blast of paint came out kind of spackled, so I had to stop and wait for it to dry so I could sand it down again and continue. After that, it came out in the end as a nice bright white glossy finish.
All masked off for the Blue! I used automotive masking tape as it's the best I has on hand.


And here it is, almost complete!


I forgot to run my fingernail down the edge of the tape before painting so it leaked through a bit in spots. All in all pretty good. I'm happy with the results so far.


Here you can see the difference between 3 coats and 5 coats of Aero Gloss.


Next I'm going to do some detailed masking for the silver part of the middle decal. After that all that's left is the "Magnum" decals for the fins. Can't mask that for sure, will have to print them somehow.
 
Done!


This time masking for the silver, I gave it a quick spray of clear acrylic before painting the silver. Turned out better, sharper lines.


For the fin decals, I printed them out a few times on office paper until I had a color very close. Then after meticulously cutting them out with an x-acto, I rubbed the back with a glue stick and stuck them on. I coated them with 3 coats of clear acrylic to finish them off. Not perfect but pretty close which is good enough for me.


Once I get a chance to send it up, I'll post the vid.

I have definitely enjoyed building this. Definitely my favorite of all time. This rocket was "unfinished business" as I lost my original one on it's maiden flight about 23-24 years ago. I'm determined to make this one a success. If for some unforseen reason I lose this one as well, I'll just try again. Maybe I'll do an upscale or downscale in the future. A BT-5 downscale would be fun. A 3" upscale would be awesome, but staging composites is way beyond me at this point.
 
From the the photo showing the fin decal, I'd never have guessed that's how you did it.

NICE!!!

You *may* be able to clean up the blue/white joint by gently scraping the blue off of the white with a sharp Xacto blade.
 
So I decided to load it up with a C11-0/C11-5 for it's maiden flight - and my first with Cambridge Rocket Club...

Spectacular!

[youtube]HYNDzSEZfMo[/youtube]


...or would craptacular be more fitting?


Pics of the carnage to follow...
 
So I decided to load it up with a C11-0/C11-5 for it's maiden flight - and my first with Cambridge Rocket Club...

Spectacular!

[youtube]HYNDzSEZfMo[/youtube]


...or would craptacular be more fitting?


Pics of the carnage to follow...

What Happened?!!

Usually when mine failed, there was a kaboom... An Earth shaking kaboom (followed by the rocket flying at odd angles), or a much higher flight followed by the terror of watching it coast much much higher then turn over for a ballistic return.

Looks to me like the booster spit the nozzle, then the rocket returned, and the sustainer failed to light (fortunately).

[EDIT] Rewatched it again looks like the sustainer did light as well, but that doesn't explain why it didn't fly close to a normal flight... Did it spit its nozzle too?
 
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