What did you do rocket wise today?

Contacted a local makerbot 3D printer guy via makexyz to build me one of these to play with.



I have no idea what I am doing, but for $14.50 it is worth playing with. Does anyone have a better source here on TRF?

I made use of my new fin jig and glued the fins on my Astron Cobra clone.

Completed the installation of a relatively inexpensive back-up camera system on my car.



Have driven a couple of vehicles sometimes that had them, and a great safety feature. I also added a second camera looking at 45 degrees left and to the rear, from the rear seat left window, so when I am driving forward it has a GREAT view of a serious blind spot when a car is not all the way beside me yet but too far up for the drivers side mirror to show. Drilled a hole underneath the car tag area to run wiring from a camera mounted to the tag mount holes.

Biggest issue was accessing power from the back-up light wiring in one of the tail light assemblies (so the back-up camera is only powered when in reverse gear). Most practical thing for me to do was to remove the screws, unplug the connector, and remove the whole right rear taillight assembly. That way, I could work on splicing into the power to the back-up tail light indoors. Have it all installed now, definitely worth it. The 7" LCD monitor is on the far left side above the dash, just to the right of the left (outside) rear view mirror, so it is easy to glance at that when checking that mirror.

Info and two pics of the tail light also here:

https://imgur.com/a/6yuQt#9

What does it have to do with rockets? Well, the car takes me and the rockets to other places to fly, and to buy rocket supplies....

Loaded 6 AT cases for GRITS next weekend.
K-550
J-800
J-275
I-284
I-211
G-64
I want to buy a K-1100 at the launch sight and I'm bringing another I-284 and G-64 as backup.

Spent most of the day so far designing and building my first AV Bay for use on my D-Region Tomahawk Clone.

Spent the day at NARCON. Gave my altimeter presentation to a standing room only crowd in the (smallish) room. Learned about flying to well over 100,000 feet repeatably. Good day.

Tested out my cable cutter. .1g worked perfectly and let the chute open nice and freely. Now we just need some flying weather.....

Assembled 4 reloads and packed the truck for tomorrow's launch!

Did the sand-prime-repeat routine on the October Skies XP payload section today during the nice afternoon weather.

Drilled out a vent hole in the payload section of the tube fin DD rocket. Note to self: Drill the holes out before painting.

Used the band saw to cut out a nice miter gauge extension for the band saw which I use for cutting centering rings, rocket tubes, and altimeter sleds. Drilled out two holes in the back of the extension and screwed it to the rather small miter gauge that came with saw. This is normal for bench top tools. Next up is an extension table.

Snapped a few photos of my dual deploy efforts.

View attachment 255441View attachment 255442

Well, in about a 1/2 hour, I'll be headed south to meet a man. The man has a bunch of Aerotech rocket kits, started rockets ,mantis launcher and parts /pieces.
Sounds like the man just wants to get rid of this stuff. Hes asking very short coin for the works.......:grin:
Ill let ya know how I make out later.

Since it was 72 degrees here yesterday I decided to prime my daughter's 4" Warlock.

It's too windy to launch here, with sustained wind around 20mph and gusts above 25. Did find time to put a second coat on my Newway Lune R4.

Calling this one done. This build was frustrating at times.

Scotty Dog said:

Well, in about a 1/2 hour, I'll be headed south to meet a man. The man has a bunch of Aerotech rocket kits, started rockets ,mantis launcher and parts /pieces.
Sounds like the man just wants to get rid of this stuff. Hes asking very short coin for the works.......:grin:
Ill let ya know how I make out later.

Click to expand...

I'll race ya'. :bat:

BeerorKid said:

Contacted a local makerbot 3D printer guy via makexyz to build me one of these to play with.

View attachment 255334

I have no idea what I am doing, but for $14.50 it is worth playing with. Does anyone have a better source here on TRF?

Click to expand...

Try "Shapeways". They've got some really cool stuff there!

I'm scrapping my LES tower on the Sheri's Redstone and I'm going to see how I can build a more scale like tower.

Built the AV Bay Sled for my D-Region Tomahawk build.

Picked up some supplies at Hobby Lobby that I'll need for my Madcow 2.6" Black Brant II coming Monday, worked on a Semroc SLS Javelin and a Semroc Hustler.

Update to the back-up camera post in message 10715.

Attached is two pictures merged. Showing the Driver view of the left mirror, with reverse camera view on top and 45 degree Blind Spot view on bottom. Also added a photo (plus this one) to the album below, showing the Blind Spot camera mount inside the left rear door.

https://imgur.com/a/6yuQt#9

- George Gassaway

Scotty Dog said:

Well, in about a 1/2 hour, I'll be headed south to meet a man. The man has a bunch of Aerotech rocket kits, started rockets ,mantis launcher and parts /pieces.
Sounds like the man just wants to get rid of this stuff. Hes asking very short coin for the works.......:grin:
Ill let ya know how I make out later.

Click to expand...

Nice haul !!!

$200.00 plus a tip.

Not in any pics is a Mantis Launcher to top it off. He didn't have the control box for it. No biggy. I have a "GO" box anywhoo.

you should consider a larger chute for the 'WartHog' I'm using a 30" in mine.
Rex

I flew rockets at the Spaceport rocket club, one of which was my Wildman V2 sport. They all went up & they all came down.

I sent six small and two large Guillotine Fin Jigs to Apogee. I'm tired and I want to go to bed.

Spent 5 or 6 hours in the shop making router jigs for putting fin slots in Centering Rings, and a jig for slotting airframes (both use the same router sled and will do up to 5.5" stuff). Actually had intended to cut the CRs and Fins for my L1/L2 build, and the kids ToysRUs Crayola Crayon Bank conversions (got two to build), my FG fabric from Raka, Inc arrived yesterday, only thing I'm waiting on now is my Kevlar from Wildman which hopefully will arrive any day now. I thought about building my Guillotine Jig from the plans I got from Ted Macklin earlier this week but kinda got side tracked by the other jigs since I didnt have any hardware for the Guillotine jig except the aluminum angles.

Sanded-primed-removed bug-reprimed-put a fingerprint on the wet paint-reprimed the October Skies XP payload section.

Mounted a Doghouse Rocketry charge well to the aft bulk head of my tube fin rocket's alt-bay. I'd originally planned to use a charge at the end of a long Firewire Initiator but have been advised to quit picking the ant excrement out of the pepper and just use a charge well for the drogue. Done. Sealed up the bulk plate wiring pass thoughs (fore and aft) with silicone caulk. At this point, only ground testing remains and then we're ready for lift-off.

Had Papa Murphy's Combo pizza for dinner. Pizza is rocket nerd food, right?

Finished off the filets on my level 2 bird. Tomorrow is painting and working my my electronics. Anyone know a good source for terminal blocks ?

Cut fins for my Centuri Spirit Of America II (BT-60 upscale, two stage modification)

watched a team of students trash their pad...sizable rocket with motor to match, flying off a 1515 rail. motor lit and the pad did a squat, end result, two bent legs. also got to fly my Christmas saucer and a few others, so now I'm up to 52 newton seconds flown for the year.
Rex

It was nicer outside today so I was able to go out and get some sanding done on a few things. Also got FG on a set of Fins.

I got some fillets pulled on my Squatish build. Now I just have to wait till the weather warms up to get some primer and sanding sealer on it. Late March maybe?