What did you do rocket wise today?

ActingLikeAKid said:

Hmm. I just had an awesome idea: all black... With a punisher skull stencil on the side; clear coat over everything.

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How about leaving the red FG as is, put a black Punisher skull stencil on, then clear coat? I'm telling you, that red FG is beautiful with clear coat. Here's what the Demon looks like...https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=130364

How did you prep it? What did you sand to? And actually, a Stickershock skull would probably be a million times easier.

Sewed a couple parachutes!

ActingLikeAKid said:

How did you prep it? What did you sand to? And actually, a Stickershock skull would probably be a million times easier.

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Well, that one isn't mine. I just finished building mine this evening actually. But I would imagine that a decent sanding with 600 grit to smooth it out would suffice. It may not even need that, but that's probably what I'll do. Then I'll simply put a couple coats of clear on it and be done!

Finished building my Wildman Demon 98. Haven't put clear coat on it, but it's finished otherwise.

Made a new body tube for my CF Star Trooper.
The last one looked ridiculous after repair, and needed to be discarded.

For some reason, these pics' show up in the reverse of the order I intended, so look at the last first, and work your way back to see the process.
#%$^&*%$ Computers!!!
They don't even show up in that order, but have been randomized!!!

So much for adding attachments, from now on I'll just soak up bandwidth and link Photobucket pics'.

Oh well, I started a build thread in LPR.

Began working again on three unfinished hybrid rockets.

I posted about my L3 cert flight last Saturday at Fire in the Sky in Mansfield, WA, in my build thread but forgot to post it here, it was a successful flight. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a success! The rocket seemed to be a hit from all the comments.

Flew at NSL in Manchester, TN. 4 flights, 4 successful landings, other than blowing the main at apogee on my Darkstar. Fortunately not much drift on that. Introduced some family members to rocket launches. They liked that, especially the L and M motors.

Worked on a Dr Zooch Saturn V this weekend. It's almost done. Just need to finish the recovery system.

Launched a couple Estes PS II rockets tonight. Used my Jolly Logic Chute Release on my Sahara. I positioned the camera above the transition so I could watch the CR in action. Two more fantastic flights because of Jolly Logic. https://youtu.be/NTH6pVTRw6M

Today I found out that my Polecat rocket box with a Black Brant II painted on the side actually contains a Black Brant III. Huh. I decided to roll with it anyway and had to put it together to check it out. It's taller than a 4" BBII would have been, and red and silver will look pretty awesome, so a BBIII it is!

noffie79 said:

Launched a couple Estes PS II rockets tonight. Used my Jolly Logic Chute Release on my Sahara. I positioned the camera above the transition so I could watch the CR in action. Two more fantastic flights because of Jolly Logic. https://youtu.be/NTH6pVTRw6M

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Gotta love those 'chute releases. Flew one this weekend in my Sahara as well. Worked flawlessly.

Launched a super soaker monster water rocket. Lost it to a rocket eating tree. 😞

013Rocketry said:

Launched a super soaker monster water rocket. Lost it to a rocket eating tree. ��View attachment 292491View attachment 292492

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PLEASE share details or whatever you can about that build!!!!
That is AWESOME!!!!:clap::clap::clap::clap:
Any chance of a build thread for a giant Water Rocket like that???

Sorry about the Tree.

It was a water rocket I bought back in the early 2000's. I think at Wal-Mart. I heard they recalled them for problems. The top 3/4 of the rocket is inflateable. If you search Amazon for super soaker monster water rocket you can still find a couple, but they run about $180 now. Info about the recall is online too, but I haven't looked in to the details on that. That's all I know. Hope it helps.

I fiberglassed a second layer on our team project fin.

Kenny

I learned about total impulse, average thrust, 5:1, thrust curves, and how to use all that to figure motor performance as it relates to my rockets. I feel smarter.

Finished paint on the 18mm Star Trooper, and took one of my Mom's out of service satellite dishes down so that I can use the parts to build ground support items like Tripods and such. She still had another unused one that I'll try to get tomorrow, and I have a third, the same as this one on my roof which I will also claim in the name of Rocketry. These things will make awesome tripod parts!!!

Ordered 5 educator packs for summer youth program

Obsessively checked my mailbox for my ASP order (which is kinda silly since I just placed it yesterday and it's got motors in it, so that puppy's taking the slow surface route).

I love getting packages...I should buy myself presents more often

Just barely, before waking, I had a vision of me making the booster strut and exhaust nozzle cone assemblies for my SA-5 out of foam, using wooden templates and the hotwire cutting method, then glassing the foam.
I had to get up and get started immediately, because if it is as efficient and easy as it was in my vision, I can stop making these pain in the butt paper transitions and trying to get them all lined up perfectly!
I'll print the profiles on paper, glue the paper to some lite ply, cut each profile in duplicate, then assemble the templates as tracing stencils to guide the wire.
when the foam parts are cut out, I'll sand the sharp edges, then glass them. They can then be sanded to final specs checking with my caliper along the way.
The Rocket Gods have seen fit to shine their graces on me today by golly!!!


ETA: Just knocked one out using the quick and dirty hotwire foam cutter that I made the other day, by just holding the paper template on the foam by hand. It came out good enough to prove the concept, and they ought to look great when I do them proper with the guide jig made of wood. I have not even had my coffee yet, but if I had to, I could make this a usable part! It will even reinforce my quick connect piece nicely.:clap:

TopRamen said:

Finished paint on the 18mm Star Trooper, and took one of my Mom's out of service satellite dishes down so that I can use the parts to build ground support items like Tripods and such. She still had another unused one that I'll try to get tomorrow, and I have a third, the same as this one on my roof which I will also claim in the name of Rocketry. These things will make awesome tripod parts!!!

View attachment 292577View attachment 292578

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Those satelite dishes make great blast deflectors for larger projects.

I finished up mounting my re-moveable booster recovery attachment point. Noe only need to use a little JB Weld to permanently seal to the inner attachment coupler.

Picked up a new Altimeter 2 on eBay for $41. Will go nicely with Chute Release.

It was described as new anyway. I'm not exactly sure, but at that price used is ok too.

Ordered a Binder Design Terradactyl. My wife is buying it for me for an anniversary present. I have a really good wife!

Sort of rocketry related, since I used it as practice for rocket building techniques, I finished up the Ipod case for my Son.
I learned much about the properties of carbon fiber, and did not even have to sacrifice a rocket!
Man! I love Carbon Fiber like I love Fiberglass!!



With this project the most important finding is that the CF must be atleast 2 layers thick if you intend to do any sanding or machining to it.
In the 6 oz. weight cloth anyhow.

Yesterday I got a package from Cavecentral, with some helpful items that will allow me to take my Fiberglass and CF skills to a whole new level by being able to make molds finally. I've experimented with this in the past but without proper techniques, and the results have not been worth sharing. I suspect I'll have some very unique parts and pieces very soon!!!:clap::clap::clap::clap:op::grin:

BDB said:

Ordered a Binder Design Terradactyl. My wife is buying it for me for an anniversary present. I have a really good wife!

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Yes. Yes, you do.

I installed six 4-40 shear pins in our upscale Dragonfly. Ground-testing in one week, sky-testing in three!

Masked the top portion of the Probe and sprayed Real Orange.

This evening I masked a Roll Pattern/Panels and sprayed Winter Gray.

Should I paint the second fin Orange and the last fin Black?