Possibility of clear rocket?

[Dr. Quigley]

I have some clear 2.6" tubing that I used to make a payload bay for my Initiator, and by some I mean 3 ft, lol. As far as I can tell, it's extruded acrylic. I have some electroluminescent wire hanging around, and that got me thinking- see-through EL wire night flier! But, I have some doubts about it. First and foremost, it's acrylic, a material notorious for lack of impact strength, and while it's probably good for payload sections, I'm not sure how it might stand up to a core sample or a hard knock to the fins. Would some clear polycarbonate fins/centering rings hold up to the shock for the tube?
Also, I'd like to know my options for directing the hot ejection gases away from the EL wire inside. I wanna use a baffle, but I can't seem to find any for 29mm MMTs. What do you guys think?

[cwbullet]

I have seen some acrylic rockets survive a lawn dart experience. Polycarbonate is better.

[Disaster_Guy]

I have considered building something similar. I was always tempted to try to launch my Estes Phantom back in the day. Wish I could get my hands on one now... http://www.rocketreviews.com/estes-p...ank-casey.html

[Rocketbuilder]

I have some clear tubing I've considered using for a low power rocket. (Mine is 1" dia.) It's pretty thick-walled, so I think it would survive a lawn dart, but I don't know how well it would hold up the the heat of the ejection charge. Speaking of, a clear rocket may not stay clear for long; unless you have a way to clean the inside, it seems like it would get sooty from ejection charge build-up.

[JStitz]

Can you post a pic? I had some 2.5" polycarbonate that was over 1/4" thick. I stuck a 4" long piece under my friends truck and he ran over it while he was leaving...not even any stress cracks. Poly tends to melt while cutting,
Any ejection charge that burns will ruin the tubing.
I seem to remember one guys rocket used a tight fitting liner with O-rings for flight and removed for his school display.
A Maryland guy named Kevin Shepperd worked with Plastics for his job and made "K" motor clear rockets out of everything..machined Nylon/Delrin transitions and parts and Poly and other tubing....Heavy rockets.

[Dr. Quigley]

Sorry about the quality of the pic, I need me a better camera, lol.
It's thin and creases will form in the tube length-wise if bent such. Related: I learned where not to store tubes.
Photo is looking straight down the tube

[JStitz]

That is pretty thin, but why not build a rocket anyway?
You could "wall" the luminescent wire between 2 clear tubes but this still doesn't address the MPR motor ejection damage to the middle tube.
I know...quit getting complicated with CO2 charges and everything..

[rockets4kids]

Not what you were looking for, but I can't resist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iAyp88qb4

[Dr. Quigley]

Not what you were looking for, but I can't resist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-iAyp88qb4

30 second burn???? Awesome!

As for "walling" the wire, I have considered it, but how would I eject the nose cone?
I can't use any CO2 systems since they use e-matches, which minors like me can't buy.

[Micromeister]

Semi-Clear & Clear Rockets are very Possible. I've flown my estes Phantom with an extended clear tube (Makes it more a Phantom Liberty the Phantom Alpha) and done a Phantom Nike-Apache with the entire model lighting up except where the chute blocks the light, including the fins.

As others have mentioned Acrylic is NOT useable in model rocketry it's simple Too Brittle. There are plenty of other Materials that are much better and LIGHTER as well. Polyethylene, Polypropylene and Polycarbonate to name just a couple.

Several places sell Tubes that can be worked into and around nearly our Body tube sizes Particularly BT-80 (See photos below.

The Trick to flying These thin Wall (.022" thick) clear or Tinted color Lexan or Polyethylene tubes is to use an inner albative sleeve of some clear or semi clear materal to take the heat, flaming bits and shareds of clay ejected. If this is done it's possible to have an almost completely Clear model even after 15 -25 flights.

Edit: Lowes & Home depot carry T8 (1") and T-12 (1.5") Clear and (yellow,amber,orange,green & red) colored 48" and 96" Lexan (polycarbonate) Flourescent Lamp covers. These make Excellent model Bodies

[mack]

You mean like this one:



It is made out of a 4" plastic tube and I don't remember what type of plastic it is. Several members of our local club got together and bought a case of the tubes and I took one to make this rocket.

It is basically a clone of the PML Patriot Missile. The only motor I ever used in it was Cesaroni I180 skidmark. I launched it several times and I still have it. It was badly designed and a real pain to setup for flight, I am slowly working on the next version.

This is a not mid powered rocket but the same thing could be done with smaller tubes. I have to say tho, there is nothing like lighting that I180 skidmark after dark and watching the sparks fly....

[UPscaler]

I'm not sure what it was made of, but two Idaho flyers had a rocket they called "Clearly unfinished" that was all see through.






Braden

[UPscaler]

You mean like this one:



It is made out of a 4" plastic tube and I don't remember what type of plastic it is. Several members of our local club got together and bought a case of the tubes and I took one to make this rocket.

It is basically a clone of the PML Patriot Missile. The only motor I ever used in it was Cesaroni I180 skidmark. I launched it several times and I still have it. It was badly designed and a real pain to setup for flight, I am slowly working on the next version.

This is a not mid powered rocket but the same thing could be done with smaller tubes. I have to say tho, there is nothing like lighting that I180 skidmark after dark and watching the sparks fly....

Man, that's cool looking!


Also, are those prison lights in the background?



Braden

[mack]

Man, that's cool looking!


Also, are those prison lights in the background?


Braden

Thanks! It is a lot of fun to fly and is definitely a crowd pleaser.

I am not sure about the lights. This was taken at Plaster Blaster 2010 and I don't remember what was around us. I think it is probably some kind of plant, either manufacturing or power.

[terryg]

BUTYRATE TUBING

http://www.petropackaging.com/stocksize.cfm

PPS4B is a good match for LOC 4 inch tubing. Stock LOC nosecones will fit and the couplers will fit after peeling off a layer of paper (reinforce with a stiffy tube or scrap cardboard). We get a club order together and spit up the costs of the costs of a minimum order of four 6 ft lengths. The shipping is almost as much as the tubing and it worked out to a final cost of $38 for a 6 foot length on our last order. You use stock LOC tubes for motor mount and routing ejection gases for deployment. I have 33 flights on my glow light express and had to replace it once when I did not remove the large cyalume's that I use after the flight. They burst in the heat of a summers Lucern day. Turns out cyalume chemicals disolves Butyrate tubing. It will break if the chute does not open, but is resistent to normal flight damage.

[terryg]

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthr...6451#post76451

[mack]

Hi Terry

Terry is one of the club members that put the order together that gave me my tube for the rocket I showed above. I was hoping he would chime in because I knew he would know what the tubing was.

Terry always has night rockets to launch and SARA, our local club, always has great night launches.