Certify With Us Level 1 build RodRocket Mega Der Red Max

First I wish to thank all who sponsor this program. With this head start I will be able to build on my rocketry hobby.

I have chosen the Estes Mega Der Red Max for my Level 1 build. This rocket has been a classic no mater what size it is, from a tiny Micro Max to a huge Level 3 monster. A Red Max is just one of those must have rockets in a rocketeers fleet.

I am building the rocket pretty much stock with additions of swapping out the elastic for kevlar and the launch lugs for rail guides. Rocket will get a custom wrap for body and fins. Stock kit parts are used and I will add a chute protector.

Planned launch is at Kloudbusters pasture. Engine planned is the H87 Pro29 3G Imax.

So once again I thank those who sponsor this program and wish all the participants the best of luck with their projects.

Thanks.
Rod

Lets get started.

The kit, although large, is not hard to assemble. Body tube is 4 inches dia and 20-3/4 inches long. Nose cone is another 16-1/2 inches forward of the shoulder. Rocket will stand just under 40 inches tall.

The first pics of the kit.

I slid on one green ring from the kit and then the middle centering ring. I also used a second green ring from my Leviathan project to hold centering ring in place.

I inserted this assembly into the body tube. I used a fin core to hold in place. I slipped on the aft centering ring and made sure I left enough motor tube for the retainer and adjusted everything until I was happy with the fit and location of the middle ring.

I slid off one of the green rings and applied a fillet of glue keeping the other green ring to keep centering ring straight. Once the glue had dried, I removed the other green ring and applied glue to the other side of the centering ring.

I did these steps so I can go in and apply epoxy fillets internally.

No motor block is used in the motor tube for this build, but one is included in the kit.

Nice I just got my LOC V-2 I'm going to use it for t level 1 Cert.

Does this rocket require nose come weight? The v-2 I have requires nose come weights.

Are the fins plywood that gets covered with balsa, or do you have to fit the balsa into the openings, or...?

-Kevin

I was curious about the fin lamination as well... hope to see it fly.. good luck.

Balsa sheets are laminated to both sides of the plywood core. Light, yet strong.

Excellent! And congratulations!

Am building two of these (Santa delivered). I'd recommend not using glue for the fin lamination, as warping was pronounced with this, despite OODLES of weight added and the fins squeezed between two panes of glass. Next one of these that I build, I'm going with epoxy for the fin lamination in the hopes that there'll be less moisture take-up by the wood...


Later!

--Coop

RodRocket said:

First I wish to thank all who sponsor this program. With this head start I will be able to build on my rocketry hobby.

I have chosen the Estes Mega Der Red Max for my Level 1 build.... (Motor) planned is the H87 Pro29 3G Imax.

Click to expand...

Great motor choice . I flew one in a stock EZI. I don't think the Mega Der Red Max is going have any issues flying with one of those.

Yep laminated construction for the fins. Those steps will be posted soon.

I got my L1 with just about the same thing. I planned a 4in Der Red max but i painted it black, red and white instead of the original scheme. I also had a 29 mount but used an H163.
Mine is a little heavier (should be) but the flights will look similar.


[YOUTUBE]i0KPeW1Cnws[/YOUTUBE]

Alex

Looks like you almost stuck the landing Alex!

Next step I did was to slip the fin cores in position and check the fit between the motor mount and fin tabs. Checking for gaps, mine were good and needed no adjusting.

The fins are big. The core of each fin is light laser cut light ply. I applied a strip of masking tape to the fin tab at the root of the fin to aid in trimming balsa. The balsa planks are left long and using wood glue were set in place and clamped until first side was dry.

When dry the excess balsa was trimmed away.

While the fins were drying I made up the shock cord mount. The cord is a flat kevlar ribbon I found on ebay. I used the Wildman method and spread epoxy on the motor tube then set the cord in place and spread a bit more epoxy and then used strips of masking tape to hold cord in place until epoxy set. I tucked the remaining cord into the motor mount.

Also filed a small notch in the forward centering ring and used a sliver of balsa to plug the laser cut hole for the elastic kit cord.

I finished the construction of the fins by glueing on the remaining balsa planks using same method as above.

These are some big fins and thick, nearly 3/8 of an inch thick with the three layers. Some light sanding was done to knock off the edges and they are ready for assembly into body tube.

Think I will apply a coat of sanding sealer just to help smooth up the grain a bit. Since the fins will also get wrap material no other finishing is needed.

I spread a ring of epoxy on the inside of the body tube for the motor mount assembly and using the fins I installed the motor mount. Also using the aft ring to keep tube straight.

Once that epoxy had set I continued with installing the fins by spreading epoxy into the ring/fin joint and on root edged of fin. And when that epoxy had set I started applying epoxy fillets inside joints.

Dang, that's some great build pics. I think we have a winner for best build thread photography!

Just one of those cardboard display boards from Hobby Lobby and a point and shoot Sony digital camera. Doesn't take much for internet pics.

Next was to close up the bottom end. Epoxy was applied to fin tabs and around body tube. Centering ring is pressed into place followed by the forward ring. I had to use a bit of body tubing to get upper ring into place but it went in smooth and solid. With all the epoxy fillets and the interlocking fins and rings, this is one solid rocket.

Since I had the epoxy going I also got the retainer into place. I scratched the inside surface to give epoxy more bite.

Bottom ring will eventually get a coating of epoxy to seal it up and help protect from blast.

An unusually warm January day let me get the nose cone painted. Wet sanded the nose cone in the sink with 400 wet/dry to remove seam.

Model Master Gloss Black

Nice project. Did you use primer for your nose cone before the paint? I've found that if you sand your nosecone with a 220-grit paper...a little more coarse, but still fine, then use a "filler primer" spray and use 400 grit on it, that the paint has much less likelihood of peeling off the plastic.

The plastic Estes uses in this nose cone is more like model car plastic rather than the non stick plastic that other nose cones are made of.

I just applied the paint in light fog coats, letting each coat set before applying the next. I still need to give the cone a buff with 0000 steel and shoot the final coat.

Other Estes cones I painted have held up good.

Well so far the rocket has come together great and at this point in assembly has a weight of 27.20 Oz. That's 19.55 for the body and fins and 7.65 for nose cone.

Still have to add chute(stock estes 1.3oz), blast protector, and wrap and rail guides.

Still have to do outer fin root fillets with epoxy and once those are done the rocket will be ready for the wrap.

I have found a couple different size jolly roger flags. The smaller one 2'x3' has a patch on eye and the larger 3'x5' doesn't. Neither flag is suitable for parachute duty, but will make a neat pit flag or I even thought about tying one to the shock cord below the chute. Would be neat to see a jolly roger in the breeze as rocket comes back down. Wonder how it will behave though with the flag under the chute.

Eh, gotta get the Cert launch in the books first.

Finished up the fin fillets. Next step will be giving the fins a sanding coat of sanding sealer. Just to seal up the wood and give a better surface for the wrap to stick to. The wrap is ready to pick up. Won't get to until the weekend. But it's going to be great. A neat yellow with rivets and panel lines and all the Max details that make a Max.

Looking great Rod, do you have a launch date set?

Probably at Kloudbusters AirFest. Still waiting on rail guides also. Will start on getting recovery laundry installed after wrap is on.

RodRocket said:

Probably at Kloudbusters AirFest. Still waiting on rail guides also. Will start on getting recovery laundry installed after wrap is on.

Click to expand...

Do you have guides on order, or do you still need to order them? If the latter, I'll gladly send you a pair.

-Kevin

Mark at Science Ed. Center is getting them. I was going to wait until the wrap was on then epoxy the guides on after trimming the wrap away. Thanks for the kind offer.

The rail guides have arrived. And the wrap is ready. Now I have to do some trim painting first to cover various areas where the wrap won't cover. Just a quick primer and color shoot is all. Mainly to fin edges and roots. Gonna get the putty out and get the edges really nice and smooth for the paint. This wrap deserves it. It is that cool. Also gotta get the last smooth coat shot onto the nose cone and it will be done.

I applied a wrap on a smaller rocket and was glad I had extras because I ruined the first one. So I think I will take up the wrap maker on applying the wrap for me. This is too important a job to screw up now. The guy has been very kind in coming up with the wrap and ideas. T-shirt in the works, really cool yellow with various Max decal bits. He also offered me the rest of another kit that he purchased for the nose cone and parts. Don't know what is left but it will go far to building the next Mega Max. Maybe an extended Maxi Max for Level 2? But gotta get this one done and successful first.

See ya,
Rod