LOC 4-29SS Build Thread - Hans Style

Damn Damn Damn.

I really want to get back to this build now, and had a great idea for the avionics to simplify my life, but cannot for the life of me find the 38mm av-bay for my Raven. Moved over the summer and thought I had all my rocket stuff in one or two places. Found the raven itself with power perch, but not the av-bay.

-Hans

Found my 38mm raven mount, and came up with an electronics pod that fits just fine into the designated location. Looks neat but has a big issue that I'll need to work around.

See, here's the thing. With this mount I have 3 channels available. I was looking to use two channels for 2nd stage ignition, one channel for apogee deployment, and have the motors for backup apogee charges. BUUUUUT, if I vent it, then it's going to be exposed to shock and debris from those deployment charges. It works so slick that I honestly don't want to redesign it. So I guess I'll just have to go via the accelerometer instead of the baro. Not a huge deal. And, before you ask, I can take out a plate that covers the motor tubes, to let the deployment charges through the main body. I'm also planning on using a chute release for main deployment.

Really at this point I just need to take care of launch lugs, shear pins, and cosmetics. Soooooooo close. It'll fly this summer.

About to re-kick this build, and get this sucker flying soon I hope. I did pick up a chute release, so my deployment options are taken care of. Other than rail lugs and a couple small hardware pieces I can fly this rocket any time.

More good news is that I completely misunderstood something in how the Raven av-bay works. I actually do have all 4 channels available via the av-bay bulkheads. That makes me feel a lot better since I can use dual apogee charges for some redundancy. I'm going to dedicate the Raven to this rocket since I don't want to worry about screwing up settings between rockets. Last thing I want is to stuff this altimeter into something else and have the main deployment charges fire at burnout, or something wacky like that.

I've got two rockets to finish up right now, this one and 'TubeStack'. I really want to fly one of them at the next launch in August. I just don't know which one yet. All depends on how progress goes.

-Hans

I have a 4-29SS that I have flown for years. Electronic only recovery, there is a bulkhead above the motor tubes. A piece of stainless threaded rod, washer, and wing nut for motor retention. Weight is 2.4 lb. prepped less motors. I use fuses to light air starts from the ground start motors. Flights ranging from 4 Estes F15's on up.
Altitude Motors date Location Comments
3731 2G138, F52, F40 10-2-11 Orangeburg, SC
3731 2 I200 1-8-12 Orangeburg, SC
3230 2 H250 6-10-12 Orangeburg, SC
2504 2 H90 7-8-12 Orangeburg, SC
3284 2 H410, G64, G71 9-2-12 Orangeburg, SC G71 did not ignite
4649 2 H163, 2G64 12-9-12 Orangeburg, SC
3360 2 G138, 2 F22 3-9-13 Orangeburg, SC landed in pond, OK
2577 2 H163 6-9-13 Orangeburg, SC
816 2 H54, 2 F22 6-23-13 Manchester, TN 1 H and 1 F lit
2231 H54, G54, 2F22 7-13-13 Orangeburg, SC all lit
3259 2H87, 2G79 9-1-13 Orangeburg, SC 1 G79 not lit
1121 4 estes F15 10-12-13 Orangeburg, SC main at apogee
(none) 2H410, 2F15 6-8-14 Orangeburg, SC H410 cato, booster destroyed
4046 2H237, 2F15 7-5-14 Orangeburg, SC New booster section
2711 2G106, 2F22 10-12-14 Orangeburg, SC
296 2G64 3-12-16 Rembert, SC Only 1 lit, carried launcher leads
3825 2H53 4-15-16 Rembert, SC
1124 4F15 4-8-17 Rembert, SC
2068 2G64, 2F22 7-8-17 Rembert, SC
584 4F15 estes 7-7-18 Rembert, SC Only 3 lit
1195 4F15 estes 8-11-18 Rembert, SC

Very cool to see that many flights. Clusters and air-starts are all things new to me, at least at this level. I did a few staged Estes BP flights when I was a kid. I'm just finishing a couple things on my other build first, then moving back to this one. Hoping to have some big updates by the end of the weekend.

-Hans

Getting close to done. Launch lugs are installed. I was going to try and push for flying it this weekend, but there are a couple of things I'm thinking need changing first.

This av-bay will also be getting redesigned. I really want to get proper venting to use the barometric altimeter in the Raven, so I'll have to figure that out. Not a huge deal and I have some ideas already that should be easy to implement. I should be able to get it all done by this weekend. Not going to rush it though, I have other stuff to fly if this one doesn't go.

My original plan was to use screws to hold the main body tube to the lower motor assembly, but I really think I want a thrust ring. I was going to add it inside the body tube, but I think I may actually do it externally as part of the motor assembly. Really just need to do some enlarged wedges like I already have. This will make more sense once I have pictures.

-Hans

New bulkheads above and below the altimeter, this gives a sealed off section that I can vent through the body tube and the bulkheads insulate it from the ejection charges. New ejection charge holder with the wells built in. That and I chopped an inch off the body tube and glued it down onto the motor assembly to act as a thrust ring. The main body tube got a pair of rail lugs. The only thing missing is the shear pins, easy enough to do.

Plans are to fly it on Sunday. I may get some paint on it before then but that won't hold up the flight if I don't.

-Hans

She's Flown! Launch, boost, and apogee deployment all went perfect. Maiden flight was a pair of G88 Smoky Sam's, and there's a lot of flight envelope left to explore on this rocket. 1230ft .... which was interestingly FAR short of my OpenRocket sim. I need to see where I screwed up the design in the sim. Maybe next month I'll have it painted and do some air-starts.

I don't have photos yet, but one of the guys from the club had a VERY nice one coming off the pad. I hope he'll send it to me soon.

But I did have a couple glitches on the flight. The first was self-induced...... I forgot to turn on the chute release! So the chute never opened up. To quote the movie Airplane II.....she came in hotter than a firecracker. However, other than some green on the paint from the beans, no damage at all. Perfectly fine to fly again any time. Lesson learned. Another guy used the same chute release successfully for his L1 cert flight, so I'm comfortable with the technology. I'm also very happy with the strength of the design being able to survive a moment of stupid like that.

The other glitch is related to my Eggfinder tracker. I have some things I need to work out on that, as the new GPS receiver in the LCD unit proved to be useless. So a manual search was needed to locate it.

A couple small tweaks that I'll do for a new pair of altimeter mounts, mostly just to get a bit easier fit with the 38mm av-bay for the raven. Super happy with how well the charge wells worked. Very easy to service and that small notch for the lead wire helps quite a lot.

video from the club..... don’t worry if the title doesn’t match.

Also from the club, I come bearing photos!

It will fly on 4 I200's but you will need a tracker in it

Cool pic. I imagine flying cluster rockets is much like flying twin engine airplanes.......you don't think much about it until it's time to buy motors!!!

I had an image in my head for a paint scheme. Didn't quite end up looking the way I envisioned, but I think it has a charm all its own. Maybe it'll grow on me over time. Either way, I think I'll declare this build completed finally.

From this point on I still owe you guys a few flight reports but she's a good rocket. I can tell. I also found the glaring errors in my openrocket file, so sims are now matching actual performance. Depending on my Mega Magg build I don't know if this guy will be flying again next weekend or not. All depends on my mood, the crops, and the winds. Either way this one is a proper member of the fleet now.

Yesterday this rocket went up on a pair of H118's.

Well, the first time it had a pair loaded but only one fired at the pad. It weather cocked about 15-20 degrees and landed in some corn without any real issues. We switched over to RDF trackers and I tossed in a beeper too based on gut instinct. The tracker got me close, and the beeper steered me the last 30 feet.

I was frustrated with that first flight, so I loaded it up again and the 2nd try had both motors fire perfectly. Just shy of 4,000ft apogee which was pretty much spot-on to the simulations. My highest shot in a few years.

I think next flight I'm going to start looking into air-starts finally. It needs a bit of a tweak to the motor retention though, the washer I'm using is too big and doesn't let the retaining caps for the ignitors fit properly. I'll need to come up with an alternate method for holding the CTI ignitors in place.

I've got a few changes that I've done, so I'll update with some new photos in the near future here.

HHaase said:

Yesterday this rocket went up on a pair of H118's.

Well, the first time it had a pair loaded but only one fired at the pad. It weather cocked about 15-20 degrees and landed in some corn without any real issues. We switched over to RDF trackers and I tossed in a beeper too based on gut instinct. The tracker got me close, and the beeper steered me the last 30 feet.

I was frustrated with that first flight, so I loaded it up again and the 2nd try had both motors fire perfectly. Just shy of 4,000ft apogee which was pretty much spot-on to the simulations. My highest shot in a few years.

I think next flight I'm going to start looking into air-starts finally. It needs a bit of a tweak to the motor retention though, the washer I'm using is too big and doesn't let the retaining caps for the ignitors fit properly. I'll need to come up with an alternate method for holding the CTI ignitors in place.

I've got a few changes that I've done, so I'll update with some new photos in the near future here.

Click to expand...

Both flights were fun to watch.