AIM 54 Phoenix 5.5 /75mm contrail hybridz

Friends,

It's been a while since my last posting. Eventually some pissed me off and life is not a garden party some times.... Well after 2 years of sleep I felt it was time to be creative and have fun again with my rockets.

So... let's do it again

Here is my latest project: the AIM54 Phoenix. Build from scratch with... the content of the rocket garbage bin...interesting pieces I found + a few hours later:

First assembling the 75mm MM with fins to check the fit:



Following: glueing the lower fin set on my high-tech alignement board + glueing the airframe



Next: aligning the upper fins, the long ones with the perfect aligned lower ones. Just using some large V2 Fins I found in the corner (8 pieces!) to align



Well it's time for an ebay. I could not find a right place as the bird is pretty short in the usual positions, so I decide to open/cut the airframe and use the cover...as the support for the ebay. It's much easier to access. I put the power switch into position. All nicely compact.



Next will be the filets (lots of them on the bird) and the thrust plate. Found a nice heavy one somewhere in the corner. These Contrails have an hot butt I tell you...
If I got time I shall wire the altimeter next week.

Flying soon eventually, with some K relaods from Contrail, of course.

-dedicated to my friend Karlbaum here on the TRF, which reactivated the rocektry virus in me-

just forget *lol*:

here it is as of tonite in the workshop:

That's pretty!!!

Hey great! Nice to have the hybrid expert back!

That's looking good. I just finished my 5.5" Phoenix on Sunday. 9+ hours of applying decals

Wish I could have made it a little shorter but with the 24" motor tube and 12" coupler for the ebay not much room left.

Yours looks about perfect on length, how tall is it? Mine is right at 69"

Beautiful work, as always. Thanks for sharing the work in progress.

Wish I could have made it a little shorter but with the 24" motor tube and 12" coupler for the ebay not much room left.

Yours looks about perfect on length, how tall is it? Mine is right at 69"

Click to expand...

I measured for you: overall 56 inches on mine. It will host a 32 inches of contrail hybrid motor on a K-something impulse (need to check what I have got in my magic reload box left). Will need pretty much lead in the nose to fly right I guess...

Next... long and time-waisting job to get 4x2 fillets done... last ones on saturday as the sun finally reappeared in Bavaria over Munich...







Next was to adjust and glue/screw the 75mm retainer... nice butt, isn't it?
Please note "Arsch" mentioned on the airframe. Enjoy google





Next was a more complex one: get a good estimation of the mass repartition, define CG and check against CP. Next play with the bird's nose and lots of lead. Bring it to balance...

So first I built the planned Contrail 75mm engine, a powerfull short K with a relatively small nitrous tank (1400cc) and the smallest combustion chamber you can get with contrails. All over 32 inches of hybrid motor. I loaded it to ensure near-reality data.



Next I taped the recovery gear, chute and harness, on the top of the tube approx in place... I charged the nose many times with more and more lead... finally...
I got it balanced on a very small piece of wood. 1,4 caliber between CP/CG, but...3 kilos of lead!! Scale isn't that rational sometimes...

last but not least for today... check very precisely *LOL* the weight status of the bird vs the motor caracteristics...

View attachment 287088

Blei (lead) 3100g
loaded motor 3400g
nitrous 1700g
rocket empty 4200g
Recovery gear 1500g

total 14200g... 14kgs...31lbs...loaded and tanked on the ramp...
here is my planned motor:K-543, black smoke, Peak 2128Ns, total impulse 2096Ns, average thrust 586Ns, burn time 3,6 sec...

Shall work and please the crowd I would say... Rocksim says 3,100ft...well also happy with 2,800ft ;-)

Next will be the altimeter setup & wiring...stay tuned...

Now finishing the Booster with anti-zip metal band.
I am going to use a dual recovery with sequential deployment out of the same Booster with my good old Badazz tether descender... so it needs some extra protection.

Now the anti-zip band is dry and in place. I finished to install the rail buttons.
Now from a construction point of view the rocket is ready to fly but of course not finished. Still looks very hugly Eventually I will put some primer at the weekend. Later next week I also need to test the ejection charges and the tether descender.

Denis is back! Glad to see you at it, and sharing the build.

Glad to see you back, any chance we will see this wonderful rocket in Manching?