CJ's "HOW TO BUILD A DARKSTAR 3 OR ANY GLASS KIT BUILD" STARTS

It's all about other people doing...rockets and such

Dad Man Walking said:

What the heck does that have to do with anything? This whole site is nothing but rocket porn. And porn is all about watching, not doing...

(isn't it?)

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Ok....Lol.....NO it's Not!

It's about me helping a bunch of guys reach that elevated state of rocket Nirvana by showing you how to build an otherwise very expensive project, with already attained parts.....at quite a discount.

Were talking 75mm speed demon for 100 smackers.....oooooh....MAYBE that is rocket porn after-all. Gots to think on that one for awhile....

.....in the meantime,
Keep up the debate, I just finished prepping 8 rockets for our launch at O'burg this weekend. Got out all the old classics I haven't flown in awhile.

Competitor 4 that's been in a closet for 5yrs...re-painted and ready to go...good ole ''Mach-ing Bird" Green CTI 54 4 grain.
The original DarkStar 54, now called a DarkStar Jr....... don't know yet.
Defender Mk 2...tiny little thing going up on a 6grain CTI 24mm dual thrust....Uber cool.
Wildchild on a G 150 blue
Defender Mk 3 on something stupid [weather will dictate that]
DarkStar lite...the original on the biggest thing I can find to stuff in it.

BlackHawk 29 on something big and stupid [weather again] figured I'd put a read only tiny altimeter in this stuff to see how they all go. [non-dd rockets that is, 4 of 'em]

Finally the 75mm SpaceCowboy...testing the soon to be revealed 54/75 tailcone adapter with an EX 3 grain 54.
Your gonna love this, utilizing a Aero-Pac tail cone stuck on a 75mm coupler with 54 tube in it. Held in by rail-button/ screw!

We only have a 10,000ft waiver limited to 9,000ft flights.

And somewhere in between all this, tapptize Guy O for his L-3 on a gorgeous scratch built carbon fiber project. It's the bees .... knees !


Got Panther Jon....Dlb.... Eric & me doing some pirate drag racing! [ooops...I mean group charity launches]


Party on...dudes!

Stock has been done...bring on the 75mm Space Cowboy how-to!

Space cowboy because there's already plenty of threads about building stock dark stars. Making it MD takes little to no imagination either. PLUS it will give you something to fly at red glare XIV

Wayco said:

I thought Griffin was doing a stock build. I will probably be building mine stock, with my own little tweaks. Since I have very little experience with fiberglass, I'm hoping there are several build threads spawning in the minds of other forum members.
As far as a CJ build? 75mm MD Darkstar. Because we will all get something out of it, regardless our level of experience.

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I am doing the website "instruction manual" not a "Build Thread"

Add me to the 75mm Dark Star line. Why? Because Dark Stars are way cool. Does there really need to be any other reason? Who here has done a MD Dark Star of this size?

Anyone else have a notion?

I'm gonna close this next week, tally up the votes [looks like DS 75 so far] and begin to make the fin templates for a

"DarkStar Rapture 75" min. diam.

It will be much easier than ya think. Not using tip/tip...just glue'em on with some tape re-inforcement.
Plus I just figured out that CTI 2 grain K & L's 75's ......are cheaper to fly than 54 K & L's

The 75 to 54 tailcone adapter worked great in the SpaceCowboy, so I'm sure it will work = as well in the DS 75.

More to follow after the final verdict is in!

blackjack2564 said:

..."DarkStar Rupture 75" min. diam.

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I fixed your spelling for you. At least that's what might happen if I try to build it that way...

blackjack2564 said:

...Plus I just figured out that CTI 2 grain K & L's 75's ......are cheaper to fly than 54 K & L's

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Ooooooh...now you've got my attention...

blackjack2564 said:

"DarkStar Rapture 75" min. diam.

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DarkStar Rapture, I like that--like reborn in the heavens!

Green Jello said:

2 Things....

1. I'd like to change my vote to a 75mm Min Diameter Darkstar. Why? As many have said there will be enough regular Darkstars built. Yours should be something different.

2. Will I get to see this thing fly in person at LDRS this year?

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LDRS....that's a definite maybe. It would be a coast to coast marathon drive from Savannah [perched on the Atlantic]
to Black-Rock over 5,000 mile drive & 1,800.00 in fuel alone round trip.
I'm working on finding some stops[preferably with rocket launches along the way & back] to break the monotony along the way & make the journey more interesting.

I vote minimum diameter darkstar with the tailcone adapter.
Darkstar - because I like the darkstar look
tailcone adapter - because I'd like to fly it minimum diameter or with 54's

Then I can use the MMT and CR's to kitbash something else!

David987Fox said:

I vote minimum diameter darkstar with the tailcone adapter.
Darkstar - because I like the darkstar look
tailcone adapter - because I'd like to fly it minimum diameter or with 54's

Then I can use the MMT and CR's to kitbash something else!

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Hold on to those CR's & MMT....gonna need them to make a 54 to 75 adapter & recovery harness! Ya can't forget about that.
With 75 motors ya use the eyebolt in motor closure for recovery attachment.

With so many flying CTI 54's....had to come up with a spiffy "do it all" retainer/adapter/recovery attachment, and to make it sexy/stylish we'll add the tailcone.

blackjack2564 said:

LDRS....that's a definite maybe. It would be a coast to coast marathon drive from Savannah [perched on the Atlantic]
to Black-Rock over 5,000 mile drive & 1,800.00 in fuel alone round trip.
I'm working on finding some stops[preferably with rocket launches along the way & back] to break the monotony along the way & make the journey more interesting.

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You should definately consider Hellfire18 at Bonneville Salt Flats - a very unique experience and an awesome launch with great folk. I'm not sure the exact timing/dates, but it and LDRS are apparantly going to be very close together. (in fact there has been some talk of Hellfire being cancelled BECAUSE it will be so close in time/distance to LDRS, but at the moment that is only a vague rumour). We'd love to see you out on the salt.

Hey other Utah/UROC people, chime in here and see if we can convince CJ to come fly with us!

s6

75mm Darkstar! Why? Because I want to do it and would love to see it done first.

blackjack2564 said:

I'm working on finding some stops[preferably with rocket launches along the way & back] to break the monotony along the way & make the journey more interesting.

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Jim, when you're around, life is always interesting!

-Kevin

I'd say keep the split fins and fly it MD.

and bring it to AIRfest next year.



Braden

Jim I say do a 3" Space Cowboy, build it short & do daul deploy like my Jart.

Mike

Will the methods you use apply equally to the 4" version? I worry the fins on the 4" version are not going to be up to the task for BIG 98mm motors but maybe for the short ones...

UncleVanya said:

Will the methods you use apply equally to the 4" version? I worry the fins on the 4" version are not going to be up to the task for BIG 98mm motors but maybe for the short ones...

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N5800, right? :bangpan:

JordanT said:

N5800, right? :bangpan:

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Yes but only after I wrap the fins and airframe in unobtainium...
:flyingpig:

barstoolmike said:

Jim I say do a 3" Space Cowboy, build it short & do daul deploy like my Jart.

Mike

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Hey Mike, could ya post a couple of pics of that fancy shmancy av-bay for me?

UncleVanya said:

Will the methods you use apply equally to the 4" version? I worry the fins on the 4" version are not going to be up to the task for BIG 98mm motors but maybe for the short ones...

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No....fins on this are 1/8 as well as the Standard 4in. DarkStar. You would need [or I would anyway] 3 layers staggered 1/3...2/3...full tip/tip to make it strong enough for the full range of 98's [minus the N-5800] Now the Xtreme 4 DS, has 3/16 fins so that's another build altogether.
I plan on something different for the 3in DS.
Most flights will be on smaller 75's [for the 75mm DS] for a true high performance 3in I would go to a single fin format. It will take big 75 long burns and most motors the way I will do it. But there are 1 or 2 I would not try [6xl I-max for instance] as it seems a waste on a split fin.

JordanT said:

N5800, right? :bangpan:

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Uh... no, by now we all know better.
I'm a think'n metal fincan directly on motor for that one.

UncleVanya said:

Yes but only after I wrap the fins and airframe in unobtainium...
:flyingpig:

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Hey I'm out of that, my source in Uthornasia ran out.
Could I borrow some of yours Brad?:dark:

blackjack2564 said:

Hold on to those CR's & MMT....gonna need them to make a 54 to 75 adapter & recovery harness! Ya can't forget about that.

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Ah! I'd been wondering how you'd keep the motor aligned with just a tailcone, now it makes sense.

blackjack2564 said:

With so many flying CTI 54's....had to come up with a spiffy "do it all" retainer/adapter/recovery attachment, and to make it sexy/stylish we'll add the tailcone.

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I like what I see in my mind's eye.

blackjack2564 said:

Sure I can do that, I have one, you send me yours and another one. I'll build them any way you want & return your 2!

Then ya can compare away.....all day.

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It's tempting to have CJ build a rocket for me...but building it is at least half the fun for me!

I vote (Sorry Green Jello ) for the 75mm Minimum Diameter Space Cowboy...I just like the single fins better.

Well, I was about to cut off the fin tabs with a Dremel earlier today, when something told me to stop.

I decided to check & see how well a 75 motor would fit...... it didn't. First I tried an AMW case, oh I got it in....but it took 1/2 an hour of pounding to get it out. So I thought maybe it was just that motor. Nope, I tried 3 different AMW's & a CTI, sooooo it looks like I will be building this thing stock. I'm just glad I checked before cutting all those tabs off. LOL.

I will show the 54/75 adapter for those interested in making one.
Your tube maybe just fine.
Someone else give a 75 motor a try and let me know how it fits.

Time to thinks about this & re-group. Lost some time making templates for the fiberglass re-enforcement [fins], but had not cut them yet....thank goodness.

Cases fit in mine CJ?? All brands, all open ends of the rocket. (booster/payload)

Do you think the case may have been distorted from the fin slots??