Viperfixr
Born Again Rocketeer
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,474
- Reaction score
- 73
I bought this kit a couple Black Fridays ago after a long fascination with V-2s and wanting an Uber-sized one. Military deployments and moves intervened, but it is finally time to build it. My goal is to fly it at the October MDRA Higgs Farm regional launch, preferably on an L850W or a K550W. Yes, this one has a 75mm MMT! I will make no claims to being a rocket building expert, but I have learned a little from some great ones. A creative machinist type I am not. But, I apparently do like to buy kits, as my build pile is still a little on the Gargantua size. I need to buy fewer kits and build more of them (know what that's like, cwbullet??).
This V-2 will be a Head End Deployment setup, so I got a 1" switch band along with an 8" nosecone coupler (that I may have to take down some). An Aeropack motor retainer may not look the part, but sure makes motor retention easy. The recovery gear will be chosen when I am further down the build and know the weights & sizing a little better. The paint scheme isn't final, but after trading a few emails with Mark Hayes at Stickershock23, I am probably going to make it camo'd. Painting is not my best skill, nor my favorite thing to do. The electronics will be a Missile Works RRC3 and RRC2+ in a redundant setup, mounted to a 3D printed MW sled.
In a Madcow V-2 5.5" thread two years ago, I mentioned that I would use this kit to create a Rocksim file since none were available at that time. I since got one from somewhere else (not sure where), but that proved to be inaccurate when I got the scale, ruler and calipers out. The attached Rocksim file is pretty darned close to the real McCoy and corrects all of the problems found. The weights, materials and dimensions should be spot on.
Although I will not be building every day, I do plan to steadily get after this. I am planning to road bike ride RAGBRAI across Iowa later next month and a lot of training to do between now and then, and then a short family vacation. So, allow me some time to do this, but definitely bug me if I lost focus. I read TRF every day.
Here is what the parts look like after a bath tub wash with soap and water.
Now for the building! :horse:
View attachment Madcow V2 55.rkt
This V-2 will be a Head End Deployment setup, so I got a 1" switch band along with an 8" nosecone coupler (that I may have to take down some). An Aeropack motor retainer may not look the part, but sure makes motor retention easy. The recovery gear will be chosen when I am further down the build and know the weights & sizing a little better. The paint scheme isn't final, but after trading a few emails with Mark Hayes at Stickershock23, I am probably going to make it camo'd. Painting is not my best skill, nor my favorite thing to do. The electronics will be a Missile Works RRC3 and RRC2+ in a redundant setup, mounted to a 3D printed MW sled.
In a Madcow V-2 5.5" thread two years ago, I mentioned that I would use this kit to create a Rocksim file since none were available at that time. I since got one from somewhere else (not sure where), but that proved to be inaccurate when I got the scale, ruler and calipers out. The attached Rocksim file is pretty darned close to the real McCoy and corrects all of the problems found. The weights, materials and dimensions should be spot on.
Although I will not be building every day, I do plan to steadily get after this. I am planning to road bike ride RAGBRAI across Iowa later next month and a lot of training to do between now and then, and then a short family vacation. So, allow me some time to do this, but definitely bug me if I lost focus. I read TRF every day.
Here is what the parts look like after a bath tub wash with soap and water.
Now for the building! :horse:
View attachment Madcow V2 55.rkt
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