LOC Aura finished

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caveman

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Here is my first mid power rocket finished. Really easy build and was done as instructions state. Except that I drilled holes under the fins and cut grooves at 90 degrees to the fins on the BT to create epoxy rivets. Hopefully will not break a fin. Now to choose a motor. Have some E9's but those just don't seem powerful enough, so I'll start with an F62T reload.

Came in at 8.24 oz. without engine

Eventually, the nose cone will get opened up for a mini GPS tracker and I'll through something big into the rear!

Aura1.jpg

Aura2.JPG

Aura3.jpg
 
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I love my Loc Aura... F62 will zoom. You using the standard streamer? I've swapped mine out for a tiny 9" chute on occasion.
 
The LOC Aura was the first MPR I built. Launched it on an E20 about 3 years ago, total gateway rocket. On a related note my field dealer just told me my M650 is ready for pickup, it was one heck of a gateway I tell you.

Enjoy it, that F62 may render it single use. They can really cloak if they are going fast enough when the motor burns out.
 
This was the very first mid power kit I ever laid my eyes on back in 1993-1994 at Phil's Hobbies in Carrollton, TX. My first mid power kit turned out to be the LOC Graduator, aptly named.... Very nice paint job by the way, I like your style :).
 
Yeah, I really liked the look of this little rocket (and price, it came with a collection of motors I bought). Something about it looking really fast, but stable with the relatively large fins. And it's pretty close to a min diameter. I spent a lot of time filling and sanding, priming, sanding, painting, sanding, etc..... Man I thought building balsa sailplanes took a lot of sanding, this is ridiculous.

Hmmm, you are scaring me now with the F62 reload (I just happen to have one).. The recommended motors are from F40 to H220 reloads so i figured it wouldn't disappear. I do have some smaller loads for the 24/40 hardware that might be safer.

I am using the standard streamer, but tied it on at the end so it would be longer when coming down, hopefully giving more surface area to wag and flutter. Might load up some colored chalk in it to get a good visual at ejection.

Thank You for the comments!
 
caveman said:
Yeah, I really liked the look of this little rocket (and price, it came with a collection of motors I bought). Something about it looking really fast, but stable with the relatively large fins. And it's pretty close to a min diameter. I spent a lot of time filling and sanding, priming, sanding, painting, sanding, etc..... Man I thought building balsa sailplanes took a lot of sanding, this is ridiculous.

Hmmm, you are scaring me now with the F62 reload (I just happen to have one).. The recommended motors are from F40 to H220 reloads so i figured it wouldn't disappear. I do have some smaller loads for the 24/40 hardware that might be safer.

I am using the standard streamer, but tied it on at the end so it would be longer when coming down, hopefully giving more surface area to wag and flutter. Might load up some colored chalk in it to get a good visual at ejection.

Thank You for the comments!
Click to expand...

The colored chalk is a good idea. It'll come down pretty fast on that streamer. Mine has popped all 3 fins at least once, but once fixed, they don't pop again. I like your epoxy rivet idea... Beautiful paint job too.
F62 will hit about 2000 with a quickness. Because it's such a small rocket, it might be hard to see apogee. But the poof of chalk will help. Any 24/40 reload works great in the Aura. G53-10 FJ is really fun. 3000 on a stick of black smoke.
Enjoy, post pics and videos!!
 
That was my first rocket! And I still have it. My first flight on an F40 was on the streamer, and I broke a fin off. After epoxying it back on, I flew it again with a G64. NOT recommended! It will go our of sight. After I broke another fin, I switched out to a small 'chute. I still fly it some, an F62 does give it a good ride.

Phil L.
 
OK so the H128W reload I have on hand is not a good idea? Thinking about modifying the nose cone to fit a mini GPS tracker. I really enjoy the small field Estes rockets to be honest, but this Aura is really stout and gets the big ideas rolling.

Is the F62 bad idea because tracking is so difficult? Seem like the suggested motors for this kit are all pretty bad ideas...
 
The E20W is a good, safe, and entertaining starting point. I admit, that if a tree hadn't eaten mine, I would have probably gone H97J by now.

If you end up certifying L1 on a LOC Aura, that would be epic.

You got me thinking about making another and putting an H135W DMS in it.
 
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Cl(VII) said:
The E20W is a good, safe, and entertaining starting point. I admit, that if a tree hadn't eaten mine, I would have probably gone H97J by now.

If you end up certifying L1 on a LOC Aura, that would be epic.

You got me thinking about making another and putting an H135W DMS in it.
Click to expand...

+1..... Just be ready to hunt for it afterwards. If you cert on an Aura, instant rocketeer props...
 
This was my first MPR rocket as well, followed shortly afterwards by the Graduator. It's a great kit. I've had mine since 1992 and still fly it. It was a great rocket on the old E28's, the E20's and even the F44-8's work really well on it. (with the adapter). With the streamer, the later deploy the -8 isn't as bad. -6 would be ideal.
 
Yea it's gonna get up there. Mine did 3500' on a G126 White Thunder. Needless to say I didn't see apogee, heck I didn't even know what direction it landed. Thank goodness for the tracker!
 
Wow Grouch 3500 on a G? Hmmm maybe with the gps I could hit the mile mark and L1 at the same time! Then I would drop the launch controller like a "mike drop" and walk away, haha.
 
Yup, it got up there. There was plenty of meat on the bone still. It weather cocked a bit due to winds, probably could have gone fair click higher.

Screen%20Shot%202014-10-22%20at%209.06.08%20PM-L.png
 
Finally found some pictures of mine... Red, white, and black. Love love, love this rocket. I call it "Not a Lawn Dart" because the one I had as a kid, well.... It was a Lawn Dart. F22 without enough BP, and... Splat
I was a kid and thought removing BP from the charge would be a good idea...

1448420874901.jpg

1448420929684.jpg
 
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That's over Mach 1! I'm a noob so that's still pretty cool.

CZTeacherMan, love the paint job. Gave me an idea to paint a rocket white on one side and black on the other, lengthwise. Then put some canted fins on. It would flicker on the way up!

Going to launch the Aura this weekend. Altitude predictions show just over 2200 on the F62 so I might still do that. We have lots of landing area here in NM.

Surprised there isn't a Aura gallery in the Loc/Precision thread. Seems most people love this little rocket.
 
Beautiful Aurabee Hi! I read your thread before starting my build, but did not want to get that advanced with this one. I'll be ordering another for a fun project, maybe a stretch. Or just order the body tube and nose cone, then go from there. Really like your tracker sled, and especially the paint job.

Not sure how the Gallery thing works to start one. I will sent JAL3 a note, because is seems they started every one of the galleries.
 
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