Estes Optima 3" upscale

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Its flyable!

Since there are so many options and ways of doing it for the recovery harness, I went with what makes sense at this point. Please feel free to critique what I've done so far. I'm inexperienced with rockets this size so hopefully I got it halfway decent...

Here is the entire recovery chain starting with a 36" rip-stop chute attached via swivel and quick link to 6' of 5/8" elastic connected to the eye bolt of the dummy av-bay and then about 2' more until it connects to about 10' of kevlar cord, which is then attached to the body tube. Attachment points are overhand loop knots and bowline knots.






With everything now it weighs 40.3oz? Wow thats 1144g.



And here it is next to my Ventris for comparison

 
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WOW! looks great, I am thinking about doing a 7.5 in upscale and the optima is top 3 choices so far!
 
Yay done! I have learned quite a bit with this build. My goal starting out was more of an MPR with HPR capability. It straddles the HPR/MPR line pretty well since it should be flown on a G minimum, and can handle most Hs. 2gr to 5gr 29mm. According to AeroFinSim, if I'm using it correctly which I think I am, the flutter velocity is 512 mph, which means an I motor likely would be a problem. Anyway, on to the pics...

I received the "orange" reflective tape today which turned out to be yellow. :facepalm: Oh well, that's how it's going to be then I guess. Still looks great. The chrome tape worked really well. A bit rough up close but all in all looks sweet to me!



Here you can see how close the color is for the stripe vs. the fin




This was actually my 2nd attempt at the mask-and-paint method of making the Optima lettering. I royally f-ed up the first time so I sanded that off and tried again. Worked out OK the second time. I know what I'd do differently next time. Use a new sharp X-acto for cleaner lines.




Here you can see the reflectiveness of the tape I bought. Since I couldn't find a metal flake, I went with reflective. And boy is it reflective!



Better shot with the flash




Currently weighs about 1150g, or about 40 oz without motor. With motor its getting close to the MPR limit weight-wise.

I'm going to bring this to the next CRC launch and see if I can give it a good shakedown on a nice 2 or 3 grain G - that is if I can pick one up on site. It's definitely coming with me to NYPOWER though so it will be launched soon.
 
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Cabernut said:
Yay done! I have learned quite a bit with this build. My goal starting out was more of an MPR with HPR capability. It straddles the HPR/MPR line pretty well since it should be flown on a G minimum, and can handle most Hs. 2gr to 5gr 29mm. According to AeroFinSim, if I'm using it correctly which I think I am, the flutter velocity is 512 mph, which means an I motor likely would be a problem. Anyway, on to the pics...

I received the "orange" reflective tape today which turned out to be yellow. :facepalm: Oh well, that's how it's going to be then I guess. Still looks great. The chrome tape worked really well. A bit rough up close but all in all looks sweet to me!



Here you can see how close the color is for the stripe vs. the fin




This was actually my 2nd attempt at the mask-and-paint method of making the Optima lettering. I royally f-ed up the first time so I sanded that off and tried again. Worked out OK the second time. I know what I'd do differently next time. Use a new sharp X-acto for cleaner lines.




Here you can see the reflectiveness of the tape I bought. Since I couldn't find a metal flake, I went with reflective. And boy is it reflective!



Better shot with the flash




Currently weighs about 1150g, or about 40 oz without motor. With motor its getting close to the MPR limit weight-wise.

I'm going to bring this to the next CRC launch and see if I can give it a good shakedown on a nice 2 or 3 grain G - that is if I can pick one up on site. It's definitely coming with me to NYPOWER though so it will be launched soon.
Click to expand...

Very Nice work!
 
So it's decided. It's maiden flight will also be my L1 attempt. While at NYPOWER this weekend, I'm going to look for a vendor(AMW?) that has one of the three following motors:
H133-BS
H87-IM
H90-CL

I'll have a FireFly altimeter on board as well as my 808 cam.

Less than 2 days away now...:marshmallow:
 
Successful flight today at NYPOWER on a CTI H133 Blue Streak!

Thanks to Robert @ AMW for guiding me through the motor prep!

I have pad view video as well as onboard cam view of the flight that I'll post later once I cut the videos down to size.
 
Uh Oh... Now you did it... Yer wallet will never be the same again...

Congrats!!!
 
The previous night I wrote down a checklist because I get absent minded when it's go-time. That really helped things go well.

My 'prep table'




Hello. Here I am, all set on pad #16




Here is the video from the ground - This camera happens to have a wide FOV if you don't adjust beforehand.

[youtube]0KBlX0-78sU[/youtube]


I do have a cool on board 808 cam view of the launch - just have to soften up the audio a bit so that people with headphones don't get their ears blown out. I'll post that soon.

How I found it - dragged quite far in the dirt.





Ya, a different kind of soil sampling. The Dirtima!




I actually have a really good video of what a rocket goes through when it's dragged along due to wind. I'm still working on cutting down that video as well. I'll post that in a bit.

Really scuffed up now. Looks like it's been through hell.



More to follow...
 
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Here is the on board view. You can even see the blue glow of the flame. :cool:

[youtube]wtPEQmFarlw[/youtube]


And here is how it got so scratched and dirty... While waiting for the go ahead to retrieve, a few gusts of wind picked up and dragged it maybe 100ft through the dry dirt.

[youtube]jwLToLkDg3w[/youtube]
 
Congrats on your cert!
The H133 seems to be a very very popular cert reload, mine was also a H133, tho in a Big Daddy.
 
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Viking said:
Congrats on your cert!
The H133 seems to be a very very popular cert reload, mine was also a H133, tho in a Big Daddy.
Click to expand...

Thanks!, I really liked the bright blue flame. It really is different when you see it in person. Next I may try a Red, and a Green, and what about a Mellow Yellow, then there's the Pink... Yup, my wallet is feeling lighter already...
 
Recovery failure today. Separation due to the fact that 3/4" elastic can't handle an eject thats a second early.

Top section is ok, but the bottom section made use of it's "crumple zone"

Now that I'll be hacking off half the lower body tube, I can make some changes to the recovery setup. Perhaps include some tubular nylon. But NO MORE ELASTIC

Funny thing, Exact same thing happened to my son's Mega Mosquito on its 2nd flight on an E9-4. Flight was great but separation due to broken rubber shock cord.
 
Cabernut said:
Recovery failure today. Separation due to the fact that 3/4" elastic can't handle an eject thats a second early.

Top section is ok, but the bottom section made use of it's "crumple zone"

Now that I'll be hacking off half the lower body tube, I can make some changes to the recovery setup. Perhaps include some tubular nylon. But NO MORE ELASTIC

Funny thing, Exact same thing happened to my son's Mega Mosquito on its 2nd flight on an E9-4. Flight was great but separation due to broken rubber shock cord.
Click to expand...

Beautiful build, nice rocket.
Yep...that elastic stuff...no good.
I had the standard elastic that came with the old Loc Precision kits (a Loc IV in my case) fail on me...
Tubular nylon, braided Kevlar on smaller projects...and a NOMEX sheath for the part near the ejection charge are good things to use.

Good luck on your next flight.
 
Cabernut said:
Recovery failure today. Separation due to the fact that 3/4" elastic can't handle an eject thats a second early.

Top section is ok, but the bottom section made use of it's "crumple zone"

Now that I'll be hacking off half the lower body tube, I can make some changes to the recovery setup. Perhaps include some tubular nylon. But NO MORE ELASTIC

Funny thing, Exact same thing happened to my son's Mega Mosquito on its 2nd flight on an E9-4. Flight was great but separation due to broken rubber shock cord.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, leave the elastic where it belongs....in underwear!

I no longer use elastic or stainless steel leaders for LPR recovery systems as they seem to always fail.
 
I was taking a video with my phone but it pulled a SpaceX and didn't catch the separation or landing - I mean "unscheduled disassembly". :lol:

Here is what I do have - the aftermath.

Optim-ouch!



The tube is damaged all the way down to just above the fins - cut it all off and replace.




A little depressing for sure, but such is rocketry. Not so bad though as I still have the nose cone, electronics and hardware. I have been wanting to try my hand at some fiberglass. May be a good opportunity. They have plenty of it at my LHS.

To be continued...
 
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K'Tesh said:
:sad: Bummer.

You going to add the baffle to it this time?
Click to expand...

I could... The chute protector has two small holes burnt through already so it's going to need some help.

That's the good thing now is that I have plenty of options.
 
rharshberger said:
I feel your pain, leave the elastic where it belongs....in underwear!
I no longer use elastic or stainless steel leaders for LPR recovery systems as they seem to always fail.
Click to expand...
Steel leaders...my Cosmodrome Aerobee -hi came with steel leader as a stock item.
It seemed to do fine, (the only trouble I ever had was the SU Aerotech G79s kept blowing the booster to smithereens...bad run of casings - I fixed that by going to reloads in the booster).

I upscaled the concept when I built a 4 inch dia. Wac Corporal w/ tiny tim booster.
I used steel leader in the sustainer.

Years down the road I'm wondering what kind of shape that steel leader is down in the tube....after seasonal humid storage and all.
The steel leader looks shiny on the Wac, and I think I can reach the eyebolt with a quick link to bypass it if a back up is needed.
But unfortunately, a check deep down inside the Aerobee hi sustainer shows obvious rusting. Won't be betting on that in the future.
Narrow body tube and distance to the link prohibits anything but a replacement.

What happened with yours?

Wac Corporal steel leader link.jpgDSCN8542 (2).jpg
 
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MaxQ said:
Steel leaders...my Cosmodrome Aerobee -hi came with steel leader as a stock item.
It seemed to do fine, (the only trouble I ever had was the SU Aerotech G79s kept blowing the booster to smithereens...bad run of casings - I fixed that by going to reloads in the booster).

I upscaled the concept when I built a 4 inch dia. Wac Corporal w/ tiny tim booster.
I used steel leader in the sustainer.

Years down the road I'm wondering what kind of shape that steel leader is down in the tube....after seasonal humid storage and all.
The steel leader looks shiny on the Wac, and I think I can reach the eyebolt with a quick link to bypass it if a back up is needed.
But unfortunately, a check deep down inside the Aerobee hi sustainer shows obvious rusting. Won't be betting on that in the future.
Narrow body tube and distance to the link prohibits anything but a replacement.

What happened with yours?

View attachment 294458View attachment 294459
Click to expand...


Most broke at the loop (not pulled out, broke the wires), the last one was a case of that type. Two others have actually broken in the middle. I have used them only in LPR and lightweight MPR builds but no more, from now on I plan on using kevlar loops that are easier to inspect and replace (as long as you replace them before they break). My concern with the leaders is that as fine a wire as they are (even being stainless steel), just how resistant to the corrosive action of BP are they?
 
I picked up some 3" x 36" mailing tubes from Staples yesterday. Much better than the dollar store stuff and not much more expensive.

I cut the "fin can" from the damaged tubing 40cm from the bottom, ready for rebuilding. I can still smell the AP from this thing. (sniff) ahhh, wonderful.:)

While I'm at it, I'm going to change a couple things. First is that I'm going to omit the av bay if I'm not doing DD yet. That will save ~180g of unused weight.

These tubes I bought are also smoother and a bit lighter than the ones I used previously. 206g for 3x36" tube. ID is 3", OD is 3.1", identical to an LOC tube - plus 2" in length. Not bad for $4CDN after tax.
 
Cabernut said:
I picked up some 3" x 36" mailing tubes from Staples yesterday. Much better than the dollar store stuff and not much more expensive.

I cut the "fin can" from the damaged tubing 40cm from the bottom, ready for rebuilding. I can still smell the AP from this thing. (sniff) ahhh, wonderful.:)

While I'm at it, I'm going to change a couple things. First is that I'm going to omit the av bay if I'm not doing DD yet. That will save ~180g of unused weight.

These tubes I bought are also smoother and a bit lighter than the ones I used previously. 206g for 3x36" tube. ID is 3", OD is 3.1", identical to an LOC tube - plus 2" in length. Not bad for $4CDN after tax.
Click to expand...

You will also find a Loc nose cone or Pinnacle nose cone fits them perfectly, and that Loc couplers work in them as well.
 
For the recovery system, I'm thinking of using a kevlar leader attached to a u-bolt down inside. The #1500 kevlar cord will have a loop near the end of the tube, from which I will attach 15' of 5/8 tubular nylon to a quick link.

Similar to what I did for my Partizon:

anchor_1.jpgleader_1.jpg
 
Cabernut said:
For the recovery system, I'm thinking of using a kevlar leader attached to a u-bolt down inside. The #1500 kevlar cord will have a loop near the end of the tube, from which I will attach 15' of 5/8 tubular nylon to a quick link.

Similar to what I did for my Partizon:

View attachment 294877View attachment 294876
Click to expand...

That what I plan on doing with future builds.
 
After examining the forward CR to see what size anchor I'll need to pick up at the hardware store, I realized this is going to be a bit tough as I have no access to the rear of the forward CR, which is also still 5" down from the end of where I cut the tube.




I can't get behind it to thread nuts on, so how is this going to work? Should I go with a screw-in type eye bolt? What other options are there that would allow easy changing of the shock cord?
 
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I would epoxy a stupid heavy kevlar harness in there. half inch epoxied around the top of the CR and onto the BT will likely outlast the rocket.
 

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