Boris Katan flights 2017 -> Clusters + 3D Printing Fun <-

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
3D printed ABS rail guides to replace rail buttons on the cluster projects.
These rail guides have a much stronger hold on the rail than rail buttons, while still sliding up the rails very smoothly.

Pic 1: Rail guides as printed (2 parts above) and after trimming, sanding and drilling (one part below).
Filament deposition 3D printed parts are strongest in the two horizontal dimensions as printed and slightly weaker in the vertical dimension.
Due to being built up in horizontally printed layers.

20170319_134837.jpg

20170319_142155.jpg

20170319_175413.jpg
 
pic 1: Nitro FireBall, final touch-up with blackened epoxy to cover a few light spots.

pic 2: Ring fin in place.

pic 3: SkyHook 2, my basement is 55-60F this time of year. The Cotronics high-heat epoxy is still tacky the next day. To harden up the cure and do some sanding, oven on low for 2 hours does the trick.
Note: assembly is cured overnight at room temp first, then cleaned up, and the aluminum motor case is the only contact with oven.

After the glass, did three light build-ups of epoxy, followed the next day by sanding. Fin edges are now nicely airfoiled.

20170321_195303.jpg

20170323_203553.jpg

20170325_105509.jpg
 
SkyHook 2
pic 1 and 2: Recovery attachment point for airframe: 1/8 in Kevlar. First epoxy saturated a loop in the middle of a 5 in piece.

pic 3: After that cured, bonded its still flexible Kevlar tails to the top of the motor tube inside the airframe.

pic 4: Bonded ejection charge holders into NC shoulder. Second is for a backup charge 1 sec after primary.

20170321_195015.jpg

20170321_195112.jpg

20170323_211240.jpg

20170326_152604.jpg
 
HellBoy
Epoxied stage one fins to 51x Estes C11 motor pack.
Same size and shape as last time as that worked well.

20170326_152625.jpg

20170326_152633.jpg
 
pic 1: Upgraded from 9V alkaline to LiPoly for both cluster altimeters. Rechargeable and able to put out much more current.
While I have never had a 9V alkaline fail to fire an ejection charge, their current output is low enough that the igniters frequently take a second or two to fire in ground tests. Disconcerting. Now resolved.

pic 2: Securing rail guide Tnuts to the airframe with 3x layers of 1oz fiberglass.

20170328_002433.jpg

20170328_202901.jpg
 
pic 1: Doing my best to rid the world of D11-P motors. :wink:
Seriously, if anyone wants to buy some D11-P engines, contact AMW, they have them.

pic 2: Turbine Rocket Saucer loaded up for flight number 60 at LDRS.

pic 3: HellBoy stage 2 with 19x D11-P motors loaded.

pic 4: Two layers of tape covering gaps between motors.

pic 5: BP in each motor nozzle and crossing pattern of quickmatch, all covered by double layers of masking tape.
Flashpan ready for launch. One igniter into the piece of (brown) quickmatch extending from the side of the motor is all that is needed at the field.

20170329_213044.jpg

20170329_213750.jpg

20170329_213831.jpg

20170329_214819.jpg

20170329_225833.jpg
 
pic 1: Nitro FireBall with 6x F15 + 10x D11-P motors prepped with flashpan.
A central G80 skid plus 6x outboard C11-0 motors to be added later and will be fired by igniters.
Can NOT use flashpan with AP motors.

pic 2 and 3: HellBoy stage 1 with 51x C11 motors flashpan.
Set both of these up for two igniters each for fire insurance :eyeroll:

20170329_232616.jpg

20170330_234429.jpg

20170330_234603.jpg
 
Weight control has gone very well with the SkyHook 2.

pic 1: Recovery system 2.70oz - Top Flight Recovery 30in Thin Mil chute, 12ft 1/8in Kevlar, 9x9in Nomex + Jolly Logic chute release

pic 2: Fiberglass NC 5.25oz - including glassed in video camera

pic 3: Airframe adds only 7.95oz to weight of motor case.

pic 4: Altimeter sled / NC shoulder assembly 3.35oz - including Raven altimeter and tracker

Bottom line, complete SkyHook 2 rocket adds only 19.25oz = 1.20lbs to motor weight.

K1440 loaded motor is 66.8oz, spent motor 25.8oz.

4.2lb motor and 1.2lb rocket.
Motor is more than 77% of rocket launch weight.

20170330_214610.jpg

20170330_214752.jpg

20170330_215003.jpg

20170330_220050.jpg

20170331_000400.jpg

20170331_000430.jpg
 
pic 1: Doing my best to rid the world of D11-P motors. :wink:
Seriously, if anyone wants to buy some D11-P engines, contact AMW, they have them.

pic 2: Turbine Rocket Saucer loaded up for flight number 60 at LDRS.

pic 3: HellBoy stage 2 with 19x D11-P motors loaded.

pic 4: Two layers of tape covering gaps between motors.

pic 5: BP in each motor nozzle and crossing pattern of quickmatch, all covered by double layers of masking tape.
Flashpan ready for launch. One igniter into the piece or (brown) quickmatch extending from the side of the motor is all that is needed at the field.

Like they used to say in all the old war movies, "If you've got 'em, smoke 'em."
 
pic 1: Nitro FireBall with 6x F15 + 10x D11-P motors prepped with flashpan.
A central G80 skid plus 6x outboard C11-0 motors to be added later and will be fired by igniters.
Can NOT use flashpan with AP motors.

pic 2 and 3: HellBoy stage 1 with 51x C11 motors flashpan.
Set both of these up for two igniters each for fire insurance :eyeroll:

Is there any way to use the G80 to light the blackpowder motors?
 
This is ridiculous! I wish I could be there to see some of these at LDRS. I think we will need an encore performance at CMASS sometime this summer.
 
Is there any way to use the G80 to light the blackpowder motors?

Yes, an AP motor can be used to fire the quickmatch and flashpan.
This would be likely to fire flashpan only after AP has started ignition. A plus under many circumstances.

It may be a bit awkward to do as the QM does not like to be bent hard, as it would need to be to install the AP motor. The QM would need to be positioned under the AP motor nozzle after motor and igniter insertion.

With clusters it is always wise to consider what happens if motor(s) are not ignited. The 22 BP motors in this cluster are enough to get a safe launch even if the AP motor is not fired.
 
Today is the last day for most teams to complete their qualification flight attempts for TARC 2017. Flight results are due by tomorrow.
CMASS does a lot to provide multiple opportunities for teams to fly, including a couple early Spring TARC only launches.

pic 1+2: (Some of) the team I mentor - Fairhaven Rec Center - and their rocket lifting off on a CTI F59
To their credit, the team completed 3 respectable qualification flights.
This team started last year in the 7th grade.

pic 3: The dedicated CMASS launch crew

pic 4+5: A couple other TARC team's rockets

The previous TARC team I mentored included my youngest.
That older TARC team has now graduated from high school.
One joined the Air Force, another is studying Aerospace Tech, a couple others are also STEM majors.
It's great to see the kids doing well.

DSC05894.jpg

DSC05930.jpg

DSC05983.jpg

DSC06013.jpg

DSC06466.jpg
 
Thanks.
I'm looking forward to LDRS too.
Weather for Thursday is looking nasty, but Friday through Sunday looks OK.

One last comment about TARC, in addition to being an awesome group of kids, the older team made it to the TARC finals twice.
An awesome experience for the kids, and pretty cool for the adult support staff too :)
 
Drove 8 hours south Tuesday, 4/4/17. From Massachusetts to Maryland.
There was a cold, driving rain coming down as I packed the car that morning.
Definitely caused me to question the wisdom of doing all this work to go to a rocket launch in this weather.

Wednesday, 4/5/17, was a very nice sunny day. Spent with my wife and daughter vising beautiful Annapolis, MD.
Annapolis has more colonial era buildings than any other American city.
The state capital building is the oldest US state capital still in use.
Wife and daughter are in 3 of the pics.
Last two images are at the Naval Academy.

DSC06598.jpg

DSC06602.jpg

DSC06609.jpg

DSC06618.jpg

DSC06634.jpg

DSC06638.jpg

DSC06646.jpg

DSC06660.jpg

DSC06663.jpg
 
LDRS 36 &#8211; MDRA &#8211; Higgs Farm &#8211; Price, MD
Thursday, 4/6/17


There were layers of clouds for most of the day, with dense thunderheads and heavy rain rolling through in waves.
Mid-afternoon there were tornado warnings and the winds whipped up to 60-80mph.
Every eazy-up was destroyed and all but one porta-john were flipped.
Most fliers had the wisdom to wait another day before arriving LDRS :surprised:

20170406_141427.jpg

20170406_144544.jpg

20170406_145104(1).jpg

20170406_145754.jpg

20170406_145825.jpg
 
There were only a handful of flights that day, the last of which was my SkyHook 2 on the CTI K1440.
The 1.2lb rocket + 4.2lb motor blasted off the pad gunshot fast.

The first second of flight was great. Then there was a fluttering sound and a slight crookedness to the smoke trail.
Neil, the eagle-eyed LCO, spotted pieces falling, and that was the last seen of Skyhook 2.

I walked the field a half a dozen times with a tracker. Never getting a signal or seeing any piece of the rocket.
Did have fun making the rocket and got a couple good pictures (only because the camera was taking 14 frames per second).
Such is the nature of rockets that attempt extreme speeds. :facepalm:

At some point in the future I'll do a similar flight, and it will have to be named Vanishing Point, as that is what happend to both my K1440 extreme speed projects - at the last 2 LDRS events.

DSC06716.jpg

DSC06717.jpg
 
pic 1: Robert DeHate and Tom Cohen's massive Patriot rocket right next to where we got delicious crab bisk (each day).

pic 2: My car at the Martinak state park camping cabin. This is what it looked like when my wife and daughter were not in the car.:eyepop:

pic 3: My spot in the middle, the Stevens father and son team to the right, and Tom Cohen's massive 240lb box rocket that lifted off on a N5600 on the left.

pic 4: Nitro Fireball mostly prepped.

20170407_145707.jpg

20170408_082907.jpg

20170408_114827.jpg

20170408_114843_HDR.jpg
 
LDRS 36 &#8211; MDRA &#8211; Higgs Farm &#8211; Price, MD
Friday, 4/7/17


Heavy winds all day with light rain showers on an off.
My one flight for the day was the Spinning Saucer of the Apocalypse on 2x CTI G100 Skidmarks and 8x D11-P engines.

The saucer went up about 150ft and travelled horizontally almost 300ft. Farthest ever, even skipping slightly across the wet grass as it came down.
First time with the skids for lift, to a very delightful effect.

DSC06830.jpg

DSC06833.jpg

DSC06835.jpg

DSC06836.jpg

DSC06839.jpg
 
A couple others among the limited number of flights that day.

pic 1: A high school team and their massive rocket lifting off on a 6grain 98mm CTI skidmark

DSC06781.jpg

DSC06895.jpg
 
LDRS 36 &#8211; MDRA &#8211; Higgs Farm &#8211; Price, MD
Saturday, 4/8/17


Sunny day with moderate to heavy winds.
Many fliers on the field, with the MDRA crew and volunteers moving things along at a good clip.

My first flight was the Nitro Fireball with 29 motors loaded
stage 1: 1x CTI G80 skid + (all the rest Estes motors) 6x F15 + 10x D11-P + 6x C11-0
stage 2: 6x D12-7 each firing their own mini-rocket


One of the first stage C11-0 engines were not fired, in turn not firing the D12-7 in one of the mini-rockets.
Everything else fired very nicely, with 5 of the mini-rockets staging at about one second into the flight, and the large central rocket pushing its way upwards on the D11-P's and long burn F15&#8217;s.
The large rocket went just past 1500ft and the mini-rockets went higher.

pic 1 + 2: flashpan firing
pic 3: central G80 skid firing
pic 4 and later: all motors pushing hard

DSC07297.jpg

DSC07298.jpg

DSC07301.jpg

DSC07304.jpg

DSC07307.jpg

DSC07310.jpg

DSC07313.jpg

DSC07314.jpg

DSC07317.jpg

DSC07318.jpg
 
My second and final flight for the day (and LDRS) was the HellBoy 70.
Lifted off fast on 51x flashpan-fired C11 stage 1 motors.
Staged quickly to the flashpan-fired 19x D11-P second stage motors.


Thanks to Nate Lowrie for help setting this flight up.
And congratulations Nate on a successful L3 flight in a beautifully painted rocket.

Lots of fire and smoke as the rocket hissed its way across the sky, firing all 70 motors in both stages.
A strong crosswind caused the rocket to weathercock, and the rocket came in fairly hard in a gully.
Broke two (disposable) first stage fins and one (repairable) second stage fin.

pic 1 + 2: flashpan firing
pic 3 - 6: 51x C11's firing = BP I-560
pic 7+: staging to 19x D11-P's

DSC07824.jpg

DSC07825.jpg

DSC07830.jpg

DSC07831.jpg

DSC07832.jpg

DSC07836.jpg

DSC07845.jpg

DSC07846.jpg

DSC07851.jpg

DSC07855.jpg
 
Some other flights from the day.
If you recognize your rocket and would like pictures, please PM me.

pic 1: A cool liftoff by the Stevens team

pic 5: Can see the drop away rail guide falling behind the rocket

DSC06960.jpg

DSC06993.jpg

DSC07043.jpg

DSC07048.jpg

DSC07143.jpg
 
And more cool flights.

Last two pics are of a massive 18in diameter Big Daddy lifting off majestically on O power.

DSC07382.jpg

DSC07426.jpg

DSC07499.jpg

DSC07540.jpg

DSC07580.jpg

DSC07586.jpg
 
And the last set.

Second to last picture was a successful L1 flight. Congratulations!

DSC07613.jpg

DSC07667.jpg

DSC07702.jpg

DSC07730.jpg

DSC07762.jpg

DSC07860.jpg

DSC07882.jpg

DSC07908.jpg
 
Despite the challenges presented by the weather, had a great time at LDRS.
Thanks to the great folks at MDRA and AMW and many others and helped make this a great event.

Successfully fired 108 of 110 motors loaded in 4 flights.

Drove home on Sunday as I had to work Monday.
Was tempted to try to launch the Carbon Weasel Sunday morning, but would not have been able to spend more than 2 hours recovering it.
Decided to play it safe as this was my only remaining mach 2 capable rocket, and several past recoveries took much longer than 2 hours.

The cluster rockets are in pretty good shape: HellBoy needs a fin-reattached, The Nitro FireBall needs one lost mini-Rocket replaced. Big Saucer is fine. All will fly again.

Will post video when I get it edited. Got great video of the clusters, SkyHook 2 not so much.

20170409_200721.jpg

20170411_181554.jpg
 
LDRS 36 – MDRA – Higgs Farm – Price, MD
Saturday, 4/8/17


Sunny day with moderate to heavy winds.
Many fliers on the field, with the MDRA crew and volunteers moving things along at a good clip.

My first flight was the Nitro Fireball with 29 motors loaded
stage 1: 1x CTI G80 skid + (all the rest Estes motors) 6x F15 + 10x D11-P + 6x C11-0
stage 2: 6x D12-7 each firing their own mini-rocket


One of the first stage C11-0 engines were not fired, in turn not firing the D12-7 in one of the mini-rockets.
Everything else fired very nicely, with 5 of the mini-rockets staging at about one second into the flight, and the large central rocket pushing its way upwards on the D11-P's and long burn F15’s.
The large rocket went just past 1500ft and the mini-rockets went higher.

pic 1 + 2: flashpan firing
pic 3: central G80 skid firing
pic 4 and later: all motors pushing hard

One of the best flights of LDRS36!
 
It was cool seeing those two big clusters. Thanks for posing with them!
 
There were only a handful of flights that day, the last of which was my SkyHook 2 on the CTI K1440.
The 1.2lb rocket + 4.2lb motor blasted off the pad gunshot fast.

The first second of flight was great. Then there was a fluttering sound and a slight crookedness to the smoke trail.
Neil, the eagle-eyed LCO, spotted pieces falling, and that was the last seen of Skyhook 2.

I walked the field a half a dozen times with a tracker. Never getting a signal or seeing any piece of the rocket.
Did have fun making the rocket and got a couple good pictures (only because the camera was taking 14 frames per second).
Such is the nature of rockets that attempt extreme speeds. :facepalm:

At some point in the future I'll do a similar flight, and it will have to be named Vanishing Point, as that is what happend to both my K1440 extreme speed projects - at the last 2 LDRS events.

That flame / rocket ratio is insane!
 
Back
Top