BlackHawk 29 Dual Deploy Build Thread

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While waiting on parts to complete the Av Bay,... next task is define / create the Battery Bay and Forward Payload compartment.

Coupler section of Av Bay,. eyebolt, and Battery consume 5.5". As it's layed out,... the remaining length of the payload bay excluding the nosecone shoulder is 4"! I am planning on using a payload compartment in the nosecone to hold some of the shock cord,... but it's pretty tight. For the 12" chute that comes with the kit, It's plenty of room, but I'd like to increase to a 24" chute for the main... (My regular launch sites have paved roads in the landing zones which I manage to land on with incredible frequency!).

I'm going to wait until I have her fully rigged to define the Battery bay. The exposed Av Bay BT Coupler length is 2.5 ". I could make a "CF switch ring extender" approx 0.5-0.75" to give me a little extra room in the PL Bay if I need extra space.

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With the project on hold,... I am contemplating finishing.

The entire rocket is getting gloss clear coat. The fin tips will be striped with something bright... I really like the look of BH24 shown on Tim's site,... so I am leaning towards just copying that.
 
I did this with Rustoleum Florescent red/orange over the mandatory white primer.
They make a red and a orange.... but neither pop like the third one labeled Red/Orange. I got it at HD or Lowes most everyone has it. Painter Touch primer & clear were 3.35 a can and the Flour. was a bit more at 4.75 , you'll find yourself using all of it on something else. Really makes finding a rocket easy. Can't tell you how many times just that bright fin tip showed up a football field away.

The clear was Rusto - Painter's Touch clear gloss. 3 light coats then wet sanded with 320 to fill imperfections in tube. Then 3 more coats. Wet sanded with a Scotch brite or 3mm green pad. These things are the bomb for clears, they won't clog or take to much off like paper & they conform to the fin/fillet area beautifully.
Finally a nice finish coat was applied and they look like mirrors.

The trick is to have rocket in horizontal position, helps alleviate runs. If ya do get one, don't screw with it. let it dry and just sand out. You'll be surprised, even a nasty one I had on a fin, was barely noticeable once thoroughly dry.

I let the first 3 coats dry all day before sanding, and the second over nite. So all was done in just 24 hours. The good thing is you can clear over the orange just 10-15 minutes after putting it on if ya stick to all Rust-O products.

Good luck and great flying!
CJ:dark:

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Hey crazy jim, is that chrome ring on the 29 just monokote? or did you have a polished aluminum ferrule made?
 
I did this with Rustoleum Florescent red/orange over the mandatory white primer... The clear was Rusto - Painter's Touch clear gloss... Good luck and great flying!
CJ:dark:

Thanks for the hints Jim! :cheers:

Got a motor shipment from Wildman today. Nice selection of F's and G's included to get accustomed to MD Dual Deploy rocketry!

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Unlikely she'll be ready for my 11/3 launch date,... so chances are she'll take flight the first Sat in December.

Best wishes,

Simon
 
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I'll vouch for the effectiveness of the scotchbrite pads. Worked like a CHAMP on the clear coat. CJ may be "crazy" but he has some awesome tips. Most of my HP builds are based on his guides and tips.

Thanks CJ!! :cheers:
 
Hey crazy jim, is that chrome ring on the 29 just monokote? or did you have a polished aluminum ferrule made?

Vinyl/Monocoat.

Thanks for the hints Jim! :cheers:

Got a motor shipment from Wildman today. Nice selection of F's and G's included to get accustomed to MD Dual Deploy rocketry!

View attachment 102156

Simon

Cheeez..... that's a bunch of motors, bet ya made him happy!:grin:
Glad to help.

I'll vouch for the effectiveness of the scotchbrite pads. Worked like a CHAMP on the clear coat. CJ may be "crazy" but he has some awesome tips. Most of my HP builds are based on his guides and tips.

Thanks CJ!! :cheers:

Your welcome!
 
As stated in the OP,... this is my first Dual Deploy. Lots of new challenges, not the least of which is obtaining Black Powder. My first attempt at getting it was at Bass Pro. I apparently flunked the counter man's quiz, as I left empty handed. Sent the wife back today,... and she was successful.

Our local BassPro doesn't have 4F,... but was able to get Goex FFFg.

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How did I know the man behind the counter was going to be nice to my wife...
 
Still waiting on parts...

Magnetic Switch should arrive Saturday.
Brass Machine Screws arrived wednesday,... but they forgot to put the nuts in the package. Resolved with one quick phone call. The nuts are now due to arrive tomorrow.
Parachute / Streamer / 200# Kevlar to arrive tomorrow.
 
Nuts arrived today...
Hopefully switch will come tomorrow...
Parachute / Steamer / Kevlar still in transit...

Hopefully the switch arrives tomorrow so I can continue work.

Have to work Sunday,... so that day is lost.
 
Thanks for the hints Jim! :cheers:

Got a motor shipment from Wildman today. Nice selection of F's and G's included to get accustomed to MD Dual Deploy rocketry!

View attachment 102156

Unlikely she'll be ready for my 11/3 launch date,... so chances are she'll take flight the first Sat in December.

Best wishes,

Simon
Son of a...i wish I had that kind of cash!!
 
I certainly hope so!! Cti loads are expensive so I am going to make an investment in Loki cases. No more Hazmat (which I don't pay in the first place since Wildman Ct is 30 minutes away)!! :D
 
I bought my son an Estes Alpha a week ago and now it's 3 in the morning and I'm reading this thread; whats happened to my life?
 
I bought my son an Estes Alpha a week ago and now it's 3 in the morning and I'm reading this thread; whats happened to my life?

You're flying rockets with your son... Sounds like you have a lot to be thankful for to me.
 
You're flying rockets with your son... Sounds like you have a lot to be thankful for to me.

Yes, thankyou! It appears this hobby has a lot to offer. My son is enjoying the Estes rockets and since I've been around R/C helis and airplanes most of my life, the mid power and high power rockets have lured me in with the more involved methods of dual deployment, tracking and reloadable motors.
 
Yes, thankyou! It appears this hobby has a lot to offer. My son is enjoying the Estes rockets and since I've been around R/C helis and airplanes most of my life, the mid power and high power rockets have lured me in with the more involved methods of dual deployment, tracking and reloadable motors.

I got back into rocketry after about a 6 year hiatus when I discovered my now-wife had never seen a model rocket launch. Went to a LHS, picked up an Estes starter kit, and a month later I was out in the middle of nowhere flying a Loc Forte on an H220T for my L1. I'm now L2, have flown 30+ dual deploy flights, and broken 10k feet and Mach 1. Have fun and welcome to the hobby!
 
I bought my son an Estes Alpha a week ago and now it's 3 in the morning and I'm reading this thread; whats happened to my life?

I got back into rocketry after about a 6 year hiatus when I discovered my now-wife had never seen a model rocket launch. Went to a LHS, picked up an Estes starter kit, and a month later I was out in the middle of nowhere flying a Loc Forte on an H220T for my L1. I'm now L2, have flown 30+ dual deploy flights, and broken 10k feet and Mach 1. Have fun and welcome to the hobby!

Exactly how I found my way back as well. Flew estes with my brothers growing up... Last February I bought my oldest an estes starter set and a couple add'l kits for his 6th birthday. They were a huge hit with both Andrew (6) and Micah (then 3 / now 4). Even my wife thinks they're fun and doesn't mind attending the launches with us.

I got my Level 1 in September,... and weather permitting,... will attempt Level 2 next Saturday with my Saturn V (see thread linked in my sig if you're curious).

Welcome.
 
First I added electrical tape to the exposed aluminum tubing...

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Then I marked for the mag switch...

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I removed the Adept 22 unit prior to drilling.

Holes were drilled for the switch and for additional bolts to use as electrical connectors. Not sure the add'l connectors was really necessary,... but I felt it was a good idea as it reduces the amount of interaction I have with the digital components.
 

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Adept 22 and Featherweight Magnetic Switch mounted. Connecter bolts mounted.

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And it still fits in the Av bay coupler tube.

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Now that we're beyond Halloween,... I was able to work on the Rocket a little.

I haven't started wiring the Av Bay yet,... But I began rigging the Rocket.

Rigging items arrived last weekend...

4 x 40" Streamer (Drogue)
24" Thin Mil Parachute (Main). I'm hoping there is room... I may have to step down to an 18". We'll see when I test fit everything.

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All cord is 200# woven Kevlar. Nice and small. Plenty strong for a 1 lb rocket.

In the nosecone I used a 1' length to create a bridle. Ends epoxied to inner sides of the NC.

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15' forward Shock Cord from Av Bay to NC.

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Aft shock cord attached to ~3/4" section of carbon coupler ring / engine block with epoxy. I was unsure of how to glue this in place so I drilled a pilot hole to inject glue through 1/4" fwd of where I wanted the leading edge of the coupler. Injected epoxy... rotate tube to get coverage all around,... slid in coupler and rotated to seat. After glue dried... redrilled pilot hole and injected extra bead of epoxy to run around forward edge. Kind of a PITA,... but I think it'll hold.

I used my 6GR case as the measurement. I really can't ever imagine putting a 6XL in this,... and exceedingly unlikely it'll ever see a 5 or 6GR. I have no room for a tracker.

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Rigging items arrived last weekend...

4 x 40" Streamer (Drogue)
24" Thin Mil Parachute (Main). I'm hoping there is room... I may have to step down to an 18". We'll see when I test fit everything.

View attachment 103111

All cord is 200# woven Kevlar. Nice and small. Plenty strong for a 1 lb rocket.

OK... completed my Level 2 Cert with the Saturn V. Flew the X-Plane...

Now back to work on my first dual deploy...

I got a 15" thin mill chute at the Launch last saturday. Plenty of room for that in the forward payload section.

... The next task is define / create the Battery Bay and Forward Payload compartment...

The ~1/2" section of blue tube coupler was epoxied into the payload section to create a "Battery Block / Battery Compartment". The plywood bulkhead remains free. The ejection charge will be rigged forward of this bulkhead,... and the bulkhead will be set in place during rocket assembly, secured by the coupler ring and the fwd end of the battery.
 

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I completed pre-rigging. 100# snap swivels at the forward end of each shock cord. 200# ball bearing swivel for the chute.
 
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