MDRA Eastern Shore Launch 219 this weekend.

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Rocket2Russia said:
Sunday afternoon was my first visit to a MDRA launch. Of course I got there late and being that it was a bit slow at the end the event ended early. I didn't get to shoot much but here are a handful of photos from the event. I am looking forward to going in October as a spectator as I plan on joining in December.
You can find the photos I shot on my flickr page https://flic.kr/s/aHskHkrLoy
 DSC_4055 by Petworth Traction Co., on Flickr DSC_4052 by Petworth Traction Co., on Flickr
Click to expand...

Welcome to MDRA. Saturday's can be more of a sure thing. Pre-prepping everything helps tremendously.

Regarding the website and LDRS, LDRS has it's own site so the MDRA website shouldn't matter much. That said, the site could use some navigational improvement as it's very klunky to find information about the launch (waivers, field info, etc) as it's not necessarily linked to the launch page itself. Any improvement would be great.

You going to be flying and HPR?
 
NateLowrie said:
You going to be flying and HPR?
Click to expand...
V201.jpg

I would like to get my level 1 certification so that I can fly my Estes Ventris on an H motor on occasion. I also plan to build the Loc Precision V2 during the winter.

In the very near future I'd like to build another Estes V2 utilizing the things I have learned just in the past few months. Somewhere online there is a pattern to make scale fins instead of the "sport" fins that come with the kit. I found a way to build internal fillets when mounting the fins to the motor mount. This time I will use epoxy instead of Elmer's Wood Glue. I will use the Testors Model Cement to build external fillets between the boattail and fins. If I use a Kevlor shock cord do you suggest 6 or 8 feet? I am trying to educate myself on Aerotech RMS motor casings. I know I will want to get a 24mm one for my V2 and a 29mm for my Ventris.
 
Rocket2Russia said:
View attachment 302031

I would like to get my level 1 certification so that I can fly my Estes Ventris on an H motor on occasion. I also plan to build the Loc Precision V2 during the winter.

In the very near future I'd like to build another Estes V2 utilizing the things I have learned just in the past few months. Somewhere online there is a pattern to make scale fins instead of the "sport" fins that come with the kit. I found a way to build internal fillets when mounting the fins to the motor mount. This time I will use epoxy instead of Elmer's Wood Glue. I will use the Testors Model Cement to build external fillets between the boattail and fins. If I use a Kevlor shock cord do you suggest 6 or 8 feet? I am trying to educate myself on Aerotech RMS motor casings. I know I will want to get a 24mm one for my V2 and a 29mm for my Ventris.
Click to expand...

The idea of a "shock" cord is really a misnomer. You don't really want to put shock on your harness. The harness should be long enough to deploy the parachute without fully extending. A simple rule of thumb is five times the rocket length. But the real goal is that the harness is long enough to get the chute all the way out, but not so short as to cause the nose cone to get snapped back into the airframe.
 
Rocket2Russia said:
View attachment 302031

I would like to get my level 1 certification so that I can fly my Estes Ventris on an H motor on occasion. I also plan to build the Loc Precision V2 during the winter.

In the very near future I'd like to build another Estes V2 utilizing the things I have learned just in the past few months. Somewhere online there is a pattern to make scale fins instead of the "sport" fins that come with the kit. I found a way to build internal fillets when mounting the fins to the motor mount. This time I will use epoxy instead of Elmer's Wood Glue. I will use the Testors Model Cement to build external fillets between the boattail and fins. If I use a Kevlor shock cord do you suggest 6 or 8 feet? I am trying to educate myself on Aerotech RMS motor casings. I know I will want to get a 24mm one for my V2 and a 29mm for my Ventris.
Click to expand...

I suggest getting a filler for the epoxy to make it run less. You can get glass microballoons on Amazon or at any of the composite places cheap. Use enough to thicken to peanut butter consistency and smooth the edge with a dowel.

What Batmite said about the recovery harness is a good rule of thumb. The V2 only looks to be about 2 feet tall so 8ft of cord is in the ballpark.

I have the Aerotech 18mm, 24mm, and 29mm casings. You are welcome to borrow them to try out before you buy. What questions do you have?
 
For the AT casings, take a look at their catalog, where you can see what reloads are available for each case. Also, keep in mind that if you order reloads online, some of them carry expensive hazardous materials shipping fees.

However, if you attend MDRA launches, AMW-ProX is our vendor at every launch, and, as their name suggests, they only sell Cesaroni casings and reloads. But no HAZMAT.

Below is a picture of how AT reloads go together. CTI reloads are preassembled and just slide into the casing.

AT assembly.png
 
Bat-mite said:
For the AT casings, take a look at their catalog, where you can see what reloads are available for each case. Also, keep in mind that if you order reloads online, some of them carry expensive hazardous materials shipping fees.
Click to expand...

Thanks so much for chipping in to answer my questions everyone. There's a lot to that catalog. For anyone else who is a novice like myself it's worth the effort to save a copy of that to your PC or Mac (or Linux machine...) for future reference. It seems from where I am sitting that the AT casings and motors are easier to find than the CTI equivalents. On the Apogee Rockets web site it seems like all the 24mm CTI reloads incur a HAZMAT fee when shipping. I can only imagine what that Estes V2 would look like on a F motor.

I don't even know what I microballoon is. One must assume that it is smaller than a miniballoon (whatever that is..). Using epoxy is starting to sound more complex (and expensive) than I originally planned. Maybe I will stick with the Elmer's Wood Glue. I know that there people who believe that there are better products out there but for me so far it's been pretty rock solid.
 
Lets see...fancy schmancy rocket epoxy and micro baloon fillers have their place, but do not let anyone tell you have to start there. Wood glue on paper to wood can be stronger than the materials. 20 min hobbyshop epoxy will make fillets just fine. Start there and move up IF needed.

A micro baloon is a tiny glass balloon. When you mix a bunch of 'em in epoxy, it gets lighter and more sandable. There are other fillers to add strength. The West Systems site should describe their fillers and their uses.

Keep asking questions ;)
 
It seems like if you're going to get involved in MPR or LPR one should acquaint themselves with epoxy at some point. Having said that it might be best not to try and learn 100 things at once and instead learn and master new things one thing at a time. As far as the microballoons, are they anything like the luftballoons? I think I have about 99 of them somewhere around here. My apartment is less than 500 sq ft. Do I need to be concerned about breathing in fumes? It was suggested to make the fin fillets out of Testors cement in the orange tube. I found some plastic model cement in a red tube. Is one man's orange another man's red? Bear in mind that the Estes boattail is made out of plastic.
Thanks all for helping out. I feel bad that I have hijacked the thread.
 
Rocket2Russia said:
Thanks so much for chipping in to answer my questions everyone. There's a lot to that catalog. For anyone else who is a novice like myself it's worth the effort to save a copy of that to your PC or Mac (or Linux machine...) for future reference. It seems from where I am sitting that the AT casings and motors are easier to find than the CTI equivalents. On the Apogee Rockets web site it seems like all the 24mm CTI reloads incur a HAZMAT fee when shipping. I can only imagine what that Estes V2 would look like on a F motor.

I don't even know what I microballoon is. One must assume that it is smaller than a miniballoon (whatever that is..). Using epoxy is starting to sound more complex (and expensive) than I originally planned. Maybe I will stick with the Elmer's Wood Glue. I know that there people who believe that there are better products out there but for me so far it's been pretty rock solid.
Click to expand...


Here's a good introduction on epoxy fillers: https://www.uscomposites.com/fillers.html
Here's a good source on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00W90R2CS/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

basically, they are thickening agents for the epoxy. If you want to create a nice thick fillet these will help the epoxy keep from running too much.
 
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