See Yah Toober

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mcderek

Free Flight Rocketeer
Joined
Feb 23, 2009
Messages
621
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Location
Moscow, ID
This rocket was inspired by Larry Brand's E-Pod. That rocket is a sweet flying tube rocket made from the parts in the Estes Stormcaster kit. It flies I great on E30 power.

The See Yah Toober uses many of the parts found in the Estes Vagabond kit. The kit is BT60 based with a 24mm motor mount. I decided to make 29mm motor capable thus the name. The rocket is finished and ready to paint once it stops raining.

Here are the airframe parts:

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I used the new Estes motor retainer. Very cool. As you can see the motor mount is nearly as long as the body tube. I will fly it with a 4"x 40" streamer which will be in the nose cone. That's why the bottom is cut off in the picture.

More to come!
 
As the owner of a Larry Brand "E-Pod" of my own, I recommend you paint yours with a highly visible BRIGHT fluorescent color and use a streamer of a similar shade as well.

Prepare to be amazed.

View attachment 85976

PS: Hope you used doublers or half-doublers in the tube fins. I had to add 24 grams of lead to the nose for stability. Be sure to check your cg/cp relationship before launching.
 
As the owner of a Larry Brand "E-Pod" of my own, I recommend you paint yours with a highly visible BRIGHT fluorescent color and use a streamer of a similar shade as well.

Prepare to be amazed.

View attachment 85976

PS: Hope you used doublers or half-doublers in the tube fins. I had to add 24 grams of lead to the nose for stability. Be sure to check your cg/cp relationship before launching.

Yes the E-Pod is an amazing rocket. Bright orange paint and matching streamer is the plan.
 
With the bottom cut off of the nose cone I needed to make an anchor that fit inside. I used 1/4" plywood and Epoxied a quarter inch nut to the back supported by pieces of scrap ply. I knew from my E-Pod that I would need to add nose weight so I used the largest eye bolt that would fit.

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The eye bolt isn't glued in which allows me to change the weight as necessary. I can add 10 grams by changing to a 4" eye bolt. I can add more with washers if needed.
I glued the anchor into the nose cone using epoxy. I sanded the inside and used a small drill to add holes that allowed the epoxy to form glue rivets. Access to the eye bolt is with a 6" hemostat.
 
I love how tube rockets jig themselves.

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I used 1/64" plywood diublers. You can see the Ply doublers in the tube fins from this angle.
 
All the fins glued on with 5 minute epoxy. I sand the tubes and use a pin to pop small holes through them so the epoxy forms small rivets.

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Those are the little bumps you see in the tubes.
 
The black marks on the nose cone is where the shock cord anchor is glued in. Now you can see where the streamer goes!

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Weighs 114 grams at the moment. The tube fins need a bit of sanding.
 
Ready for primer and paint:

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First flight will be a D12-3. E and F's after that:). How many flights before it lives up to it's name?
 
On an E30 you should be fine.

On something like an F52, not so much.

My favorite test motor for new builds is a G53... :D

PS. I keep meaning to ask. Your avatar...is that a Coupe or a Wake you're launching? Hard to tell with the picture being so small.
 
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Any one can build a tube fin rocket with 6 tubes. Now 7 or 8 tube fins....That is a rocket scientist!

Andrew
 
Any one can build a tube fin rocket with 6 tubes. Now 7 or 8 tube fins....That is a rocket scientist!

Andrew

Yup and that is why I like 6 tube fin rockets. I've built the other kind as well. They are all fun!
 
Any one can build a tube fin rocket with 6 tubes. Now 7 or 8 tube fins....That is a rocket scientist!

Andrew
The word on the street is to stay away from 8 tube rockets but the 7 tube ones have less drag than the 6 fin birds.

Been toying around with the idea of using 7-3" tube fins on my 4" diameter Sardo XXL DD upscale a la the Larry Brand "Golden Acorn".
 
As the owner of a Larry Brand "E-Pod" of my own, I recommend you paint yours with a highly visible BRIGHT fluorescent color and use a streamer of a similar shade as well.

Prepare to be amazed.

View attachment 85976

PS: Hope you used doublers or half-doublers in the tube fins. I had to add 24 grams of lead to the nose for stability. Be sure to check your cg/cp relationship before launching.

Yep! Don't blink!
 
The black marks on the nose cone is where the shock cord anchor is glued in. Now you can see where the streamer goes!

Weighs 114 grams at the moment. The tube fins need a bit of sanding.

4oz with a 29mm motor??? You are a brave man, my friend!
 
4oz with a 29mm motor??? You are a brave man, my friend!

It's not the first time! Here is a 3.66oz modified 29mm Quest Brighthawk I flew on a F27R at the last Tri-Cities Rocketeers launch on the sod farm.

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Flew great and it ripped off the pad.

I found a video! Click on the picture for the kink.



I can launch small rockets way high with a great chance to find them on the Sod Farm as you can see from the video. Acres and acres of mowed turf all around:)

And here is a 24mm not so Mini Max:

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It screams on a C6-7. A C11-7 is up next:dark:
 
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I see you have mastered the art of painting two tone tube fins.

Whole lotta masking involved but I think it's worth the extra effort.

Looking tubular, dude!
 
Looks good, should be easy to find on the green sod!

Thanks! And yes I hope it shows up real well on the sod! The plan is to stick a ring of the aluminized monocote on the body tube so it flashes in the sun as it spins down. First flight is scheduled for this Saturday. Hopefully I'll get a good picture and video.
 
all ready to role, with one of the engine possibilities. Needs a longer delay than 8 seconds:y:

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What a fun rocket! First flight was on a D12-3. Nice straight boost with deployment about right. Flight #2 was on a E20-7. Another straight boost, and fast off the pad. The descent rate with the streamer was bit to fast. It bounced over 5' into the air when it hi the harvested sod field we were launching on. 1 tube had loosened. Easy to fix with epoxy.

It was time to move up a letter so I loaded the 'see Yah' with a SU F27-8R. I replaced the streamer with a 12" nylon chute. Screamed off the pad and went way high. Never lost sight of it and it landed about a quarter mile away. This is one fun rocket.

If the conditions are nice at the August Tri-Cities Rocketeers launch I plan to load up a G40 and let her rip! Hopefully this time I"ll remember to turn on the video camera....
 
Very nice. I can see this as a future scratch build.

Cool! I might write it up for sport rocketry if it can fly on C to G's. It's a simple build using an easy to get Estes kit along with parts that are easily made or easy to get. More flights to come!
 
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