29mm MD rocket "The Minute Man" (Build Thread)

Yes, good decision on your part Andrew.

So, how did the RSO evaluation of the rocket go?
Any discussion you'd like to share?

It's great to see that you didn't fly when the conditions weren't right. Now you can see if you want to make changes before your next flight.

Yeah, it was a bit of a disappointment, but I was able to fly my Estes Partizon on a G125T & a F25W. So a good day for launching, except for the wind, of course!
And, I never brought my rocket to the RSO, it just sat in the car.
Thanks,

That's the right thing to do. I keep a couple oddrocks in the flight box for windy days. No parachute, and saucers etc. don't weathercock as much so they can be flown in conditions that ground everything else. My Applewhite cluster saucer flies great in anything under the safety code from G-I impulse.

rockets said:

And, I never brought my rocket to the RSO, it just sat in the car.
Thanks,

Click to expand...

Probably should have had someone look it over and give you some advice/tips to make the first launch successful when the weather permits.

Due to some fin concerns that I have, I'm going to try to build another one. When I finish that one, I'll compare both versions.
I'm still sticking to the F10 idea.
Sims at 6200', but I expect it to hit more like 5K. If I can make it this year, I may try to fly it at MWP.

Thanks,

Well, I built another version, the fins aren't perfect, but they're better than the other version. I'm going to have a sweet wrap for my rocket, honoring our troops.
I have a question:
Should I shorten the BT by a few inches, I have a 14" BT, but I only need about a 10", should I shorten it, and will it add more altitude?
___
I unfortunately can't make MWP, so I'll fly this at TMO, hopefully this fall. RockSim has it at 6200', but I expect more like 5K. May of may not get the TRA record. Hoping to get it.
Will be hoping to test fly this, maybe on a C? Don't want to fly too big of a motor, or I might lose it on the test flight, LOL.
And lastly, can the admins put this thread into the MPR forums? I'll PM you guys.. THANK YOU!!
Thanks,

The quickest way to see the approximate difference is by running a sim with both designs. As long as you make sure it's still stable and all else being roughly equal, the shorter rocket should go higher than the longer one. If you have it already built, I'd just stick with what you have and enjoy the flight! You can always trim it down or build another one later.

rockets said:

Due to some fin concerns that I have, I'm going to try to build another one. When I finish that one, I'll compare both versions.
I'm still sticking to the F10 idea.
Sims at 6200', but I expect it to hit more like 5K. If I can make it this year, I may try to fly it at MWP.

Thanks,

Click to expand...

No I243WH?

I guess the foot-long case is kind of a pain...

LithosphereRocketry said:

No I243WH?

I guess the foot-long case is kind of a pain...

Click to expand...

I can't fly HPR yet.. I plan on flying it on a F10 for now. It's the "easiest" TRA record for me to go for at the moment. Can't fly it at MWP, so I'll try it this fall at a Tripoli Mid-Ohio launch.
Thanks,

Folks -
I'm going to be getting a vinyl wrap for my rocket. I built a newer version that has better fins. I'll primer & paint the fins & nose cone. I'll just have the 14 inch BT wrapped.
It's going to look awesome!! Check it out:
For the fins this time, I molded two Hi-Flier fins together, which comes to about 1/8 inch thick. I glued them on the BT with wood glue, which should be more than enough to handle the F10.
I still have the APRA, and a friend can still lend me his tracker. Looks like the project will be ready to fly by this fall!!!!! :w:

Thanks,

Vinyl Wrap + Record Attempt?

dhbarr said:

Vinyl Wrap + Record Attempt?

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Yup! It's probably the smoothest finish that I'll get on the rocket.
Thanks,

I am willing to bet a steak dinner the extra weight of the vinyl wrap will cost you more altitude than the smoother finish it may provide would gain you.

wsume99 said:

I am willing to bet a steak dinner the extra weight of the vinyl wrap will cost you more altitude than the smoother finish it may provide would gain you.

Click to expand...

Its possible the extra weight might cost altitude IF the rocket is over the optimum weight, otherwise the wrap might be a good way to get a smoother finish than the builder would normally do as not everyone is willing to do a polished paint finish.

rharshberger said:

Its possible the extra weight might cost altitude IF the rocket is over the optimum weight, otherwise the wrap might be a good way to get a smoother finish than the builder would normally do as not everyone is willing to do a polished paint finish.

Click to expand...

Yeah, the rocket is pretty light. The booster is about 1 1/2 OZ. The nose cone (without electronics) weighs around 2 OZ. So, total weight about 3 - 4 OZ, not including the finish on it.
I don't want to buy the vinyl wrap if it's going to take off altitude, I'm trying to add altitude.
I have a friend who flew an F10 in a stupidly light rocket, don't think it even made it to 4K, and he suggested me to add more weight to my MD rocket, as it might add more altitude.

Thanks,

There is an optimal mass. Think about throwing a feather and how far it goes. Your simulator can tell you the optimum mass and then you add extra to get it where it needs to be.

I had a rocket that was going to break a waiver. I added mass, up to about 1.5kg extra, and the altitude was still going up. I wasn't going to add any more than that stupid amount for a demo flight. Waiver got increased anyway

OverTheTop said:

There is an optimal mass. Think about throwing a feather and how far it goes. Your simulator can tell you the optimum mass and then you add extra to get it where it needs to be.

I had a rocket that was going to break a waiver. I added mass, up to about 1.5kg extra, and the altitude was still going up. I wasn't going to add any more than that stupid amount for a demo flight. Waiver got increased anyway

Click to expand...

Thanks for the tips!!


Thanks,

Does anyone know how much vinyl wrap weighs?? (like ex; weight per 1 foot of vinyl.)

Thanks,

rharshberger said:

Its possible the extra weight might cost altitude IF the rocket is over the optimum weight, otherwise the wrap might be a good way to get a smoother finish than the builder would normally do as not everyone is willing to do a polished paint finish.

Click to expand...

Fair point. I made the mistake in assuming that the rocket weight had already been optimized for max altitude (because that is what I would have done). I don't think most people who build a rocket for a record attempt come up with the idea to wrap the bird after it has been built. I would like to think that most record attempts are very well thought out before any building begins. Perhaps I am wrong.

Good luck to the OP on his attempt.

rockets said:

Yeah, the rocket is pretty light. The booster is about 1 1/2 OZ. The nose cone (without electronics) weighs around 2 OZ. So, total weight about 3 - 4 OZ, not including the finish on it.
I don't want to buy the vinyl wrap if it's going to take off altitude, I'm trying to add altitude.
I have a friend who flew an F10 in a stupidly light rocket, don't think it even made it to 4K, and he suggested me to add more weight to my MD rocket, as it might add more altitude.

Thanks,

Click to expand...

Go to Rocket Optimization in OpenRocket. It does all the math for you and will give you the optimal nose weight for a given motor.

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I know rockets made the right choices for safety, but after reading seven pages of thread and then no climax, it was like dating a Catholic girl.....

Tinker

Well, it looks like I'm going to be getting the vinyl wrap ordered from StickerShock this week!
The construction of the rocket is pretty much done.. :w:

Thanks,

rockets said:

Well, it looks like I'm going to be getting the vinyl wrap ordered from StickerShock this week!
The construction of the rocket is pretty much done.. :w:

Thanks,

Click to expand...

Got the vinyl wrap ordered from Mark. Look forward to getting it, and I'll post pics of it. Hopefully it'll fly this fall. The rocket should look sweet..

Thanks,

Well, the mailman came today...With my vinyl from Stickershock23!! :w:

I ordered some other things for other projects along with the vinyl wrap.
I ordered one sheet of vinyl wrap and received 3 sheets!
I also ordered some decals for my rocket rocket project, "whoppins"
As a bonus I also received an American flag sticker as well!
I put the vinyl wrap on the rocket and it looks pretty good, no bumps or bubbles. It's a little uneven & misaligned in some areas, but for the most part it looks sweet!
I haven't put the heat gun to it, but will do that probably tonight.

Thanks,

rockets said:

Well, the mailman came today...With my vinyl from Stickershock23!! :w:
View attachment 330403View attachment 330404View attachment 330405
I ordered some other things for other projects along with the vinyl wrap.
I ordered one sheet of vinyl wrap and received 3 sheets!
I also ordered some decals for my rocket rocket project, "whoppins"
As a bonus I also received an American flag sticker as well!
I put the vinyl wrap on the rocket and it looks pretty good, no bumps or bubbles. It's a little uneven & misaligned in some areas, but for the most part it looks sweet!
I haven't put the heat gun to it, but will do that probably tonight.

Thanks,

Click to expand...

I put the heat gun to it. It's all good!
Will hopefully fly it on November 18th!! No guarantees, but that's the best bet for me.

Thanks,

what about the fins?

timbucktoo said:

what about the fins?

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Trying to figure out what to do with those.. The weather in Cincinnati is getting too cold to spray paint, so....
Will either let it go, or have to paint with something else inside the house, any suggestions?

Thanks,

Got the nc wrapped. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the fins.
Looking forward to the flight!

Thanks,

I am too! I was considering a similar build but I didn't want a rocket I couldn't put a JLCR in, so I made mine 38mm with a 29mm MMT.

What's the motor of choice?

rockets said:

Got the nc wrapped. Now I just need to figure out what to do with the fins.
Looking forward to the flight!

Thanks,

Click to expand...

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