What did you do rocket wise today?

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Took my kids out and launched a bunch of Estes rockets. Had one of my son's friends join us for the fun.
Most went great. Bullpup went sideways into a yard. Old guy couldn't hear us asking to climb the fence, but he acknowledged that we existed, so I hoisted my daughter over the fence to recover the rocket... Busted canard fin. :(
Another, Rascal, went way higher than I expected, and it soared and soard and soared right towards the trees. Maybe over the trees... Upon driving around, we found it laying smack dab in the middle of a driveway. Easy recovery. Sweet...
All in all, a good little rocket day.
 
Glassed a couple tubes, one for my 18mm Star Trooper and one for a minimum diameter Micro-Maxx Scratch build, and used my fiberglass angle press for the first time, that I recently designed to allow me to apply glass cloth to paper templates for making parts like these Sparrow AIM-7F Wing Gussets.:clap::w: It's like my two favorite things combined into one! Lightweight glasscloth and TLP style cardstock paper parts!
If these techniques work well it will open new doors for me as a builder, and get the weight Nazis off my back.:wink:
Shout out to all the folks here like JeromeK99 that introduced me to the lightweight glass cloth. If it were not for folks like him, I'de still be filling spirals, papering everything, and using untold ounces of primer per rocket.

Fiberglass Angle Press 2016-04-24 009.jpgFiberglass Angle Press 2016-04-24 008.jpgFiberglass Angle Press 2016-04-24 006.jpgFiberglass Angle Press 2016-04-24 005.jpg
 
Went to AP Checkride yesterday and certified Level 1! It was awesome and I don't think the flight could have gone much better. Flew a Wildman Darkstar 2.6 on a CTI I180 Skidmark. I used the Eggtimer TRS (primary) and EasyMini (backup) for deployment and both functioned flawlessly. The Featherweight magnetic switches were perfect and the TRS took us right to the rocket. Almost wish it had landed further away to test the GPS....

Thinking about going for L2 at Fire in the Sky in a month. If I use the Darkstar I'll probably run it on J145 Long Burn Skidmark.

Details:

  • Wildman Darkstar 2.6
  • CTI I180 Skidmark
  • Eggtimer TRS (Primary)
  • Altus Metrum EasyMini (Backup
  • Perfectly over complicated L1
  • 2200'
  • 236 mph

I only got the initial take off on video; too busy watching it to look through a screen.

[video=youtube;NBLtlOfiTMo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBLtlOfiTMo[/video]

Also launched my Estes Death Star, Darth Vader's Tie Fighter, and a Mega Der Red Max. Considering making an upscale version of the Death Star with a 10" foam Death Star.

[video=youtube;kmgA2us0eyk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmgA2us0eyk[/video]

FlightCard.jpg

ImperialMarch.jpg

InTheGrass.jpg

PreppingAVBay.jpg

Recovery.jpg

RemoveBeforePicture.jpg

TheGang.jpg
 
kidrobo said:
Went to AP Checkride yesterday and certified Level 1! It was awesome and I don't think the flight could have gone much better. Flew a Wildman Darkstar 2.6 on a CTI I180 Skidmark. I used the Eggtimer TRS (primary) and EasyMini (backup) for deployment and both functioned flawlessly. The Featherweight magnetic switches were perfect and the TRS took us right to the rocket. Almost wish it had landed further away to test the GPS....

Thinking about going for L2 at Fire in the Sky in a month. If I use the Darkstar I'll probably run it on J145 Long Burn Skidmark.

Details:

  • Wildman Darkstar 2.6
  • CTI I180 Skidmark
  • Eggtimer TRS (Primary)
  • Altus Metrum EasyMini (Backup
  • Perfectly over complicated L1
  • 2200'
  • 236 mph

I only got the initial take off on video; too busy watching it to look through a screen.

[video=youtube;NBLtlOfiTMo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBLtlOfiTMo[/video]

Also launched my Estes Death Star, Darth Vader's Tie Fighter, and a Mega Der Red Max. Considering making an upscale version of the Death Star with a 10" foam Death Star.

[video=youtube;kmgA2us0eyk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmgA2us0eyk[/video]
Click to expand...

Well done, sir!
 
I proudly painted the aluminum tip of my purpose built minimum diameter carbon fiber rocket slated to fly a Loki L-2050 at Airfest. I was happy to do so as I was following direction from the launch directors and landowners. It also made sense as I used 1200F barbecue paint which just might withstand the Mach 2.5 flight. Of course, I realize I can remove said paint in the future if I so desire by utilizing the proper solvent. In conclusion, I am grateful to quietly follow direction in this matter as there is no other launch location remotely close to me where I can fly with a waiver up to 50,000 feet and I'm sure all other TRF members feel the same in this matter.

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1461582741.787575.jpg
 
I got my dual deploy Optima working perfectly, and have the sim nailed down so perfectly that I'm getting within 1%!
 
My Estes Phoenix is finally ready for paint. It took a lot longer to build than expected simply because I had so many other projects on the go around the house.

100_0208.jpg
 
I repainted the body of a Little Joe-II to cover up the aluminum colored paint, with black paint, so it would be legal to fly in Kansas..... ;)

270px-Apollo-_Little_Joe_II_Liftoff_%28December_8%2C_1964%29_-_cropped.jpg
 
georgegassaway said:
I repainted the body of a Little Joe-II to cover up the aluminum colored paint, with black paint, so it would be legal to fly in Kansas..... ;)

270px-Apollo-_Little_Joe_II_Liftoff_%28December_8%2C_1964%29_-_cropped.jpg
Click to expand...

So is the goal to get this thread locked too, George? You aren't witty, or cute, or entitled.

Would you just climb off the soap box, fly a rocket and calm down.
 
Cl(VII) said:
So is the goal to get this thread locked too, George? You aren't witty, or cute, or entitled.

Would you just climb off the soap box, fly a rocket and calm down.
Click to expand...

I see the point and I thought that that other thread failed miserably (a bunch of grown men squabbling like children is not all that fun) but, to be fair, George was not the first one to bring that argument to this thread...
 
RocketFeller said:
I see the point and I thought that that other thread failed miserably (a bunch of grown men squabbling like children is not all that fun) but, to be fair, George was not the first one to bring that argument to this thread...
Click to expand...

Ah, noted. Missed that one.

Also, there were actually two threads, the second (George's creation) didn't last past breakfast. I could have been clearer in my critique, but it is the relentless instigating that drives me nuts. Unfortunately, I am part of the problem at this point, so I think I'll give myself a timeout for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll work on a rocket project instead of incessantly gripping about how others pursue their rocketry.

Because tone is near impossible to read on the interwebs I'll explicitly state that I have no aggravation with or intend any disrespect toward RocketFeller.
 
Something must be in the water around here lately. All of the sudden, long time and respected members of the community suddenly get all pissy, and take it out on the forum.
I'm not feelin' it, and wish it would stop. It makes me embarrassed and ashamed for anytime I may have let my personal problems carry over into the forum, or said something douchebaggy.
I atleast can admit when I'm wrong and apologize and save face, but lately it seems like folks are losing their minds!
Get a NIOSH Approved Respirator folks, it seems like maybe some folks are suffering from posible chemical exposure above the recommended safe levels.
I just did a couple glassing jobs yesterday, and only caught a whiff of the epoxy once, and it was well after I was done working with it.
Solvents can do terrible things to a persons brain if not handled with the utmost caution.
Most of you folks know this, and so do some of the old pros or so called regulars here, yet I can't help but wonder when a good member goes bad, "Is he possibly suffering some sort of real crisis or a mental health issue?"

Just sayin'


Anyhow, today, I sanded two body tubes that I glassed yesterday, and was pleased to find, or rather NOT find my seams easily, meaning I was able to get away with just gently hitting them with 320 grit sandpaper before sealing them with super thin, which all went beautifully!
A MMX MD and an upscale of my fiberglass Star Trooper, seen at left, which is still in paint and sanding phase. I owe it to all the folks I'm learning from to do a nice job on the paint. I can't tell someone I really appreciate their advice, and then show them pictures that show that I did'nt.
I also spent quite a bit of time sanding the imperfections off of the first batch of wing gussets produced by the fiberglass/paper angle press I'm working on. The errors were to be expected, and since I pretty much expected to have some setbacks with it, I took it in stride and wrote up a list of improvements I can make for the next batch. This one will be usable for samples, to share with anyone who is interested. Most likely someone here will see what I'm trying to do, then teach me the right way to do it, or atleast share their secrets to doing whatever it is I'm trying so hard to do. As long as I'm learning stuff, I'm hooked.

Rocket Wise Today 2016-04-25 001.jpg

Then, I made the mistake of visiting the forum for a sit down and a cup of coffee and a doughnut.
Big Mistake!!!
I saw RobMartinez702 was building himself a sweet Launch Pad, and when I saw the materials he was using, I said, "Hey! I Have stuff that looks like that, and it is already ready to go!"
I spent the next couple hours making a collapsible/back-packable launch pad that has two seats, so you don't have to kneel down to mess with your ignitors and stuff, you get to sit, and if you need two people, you both get a seat.
360 Degree field of view.
If you set it up on a "merry go round" in a playground, you could have a really fun launch! A Coriolis Effect launch or whatnot.
It's going to be awesome, and since I have back problems, and can't be dragging an unwieldy and heavy launch pad around, this will be perfect when mounted to an existing backpack frame, the most comfortable I've ever worn by the way.
I got your "Porta-Pad" right here!
It's funny how I was thinking about throwing away the backpack, as it is perfect for this. My back is too bad for even wearing it, but someone out there will benefit from this, and I can put wheels on my version.
It's far from done, but this is the Mock-up of the concept:

Rocket Wise Today 2016-04-25 003.jpgRocket Wise Today 2016-04-25 004.jpg


It will need some fiberglass and paint, but it will work.
 
Last edited:
Cl(VII) said:
Ah, noted. Missed that one.

Also, there were actually two threads, the second (George's creation) didn't last past breakfast. I could have been clearer in my critique, but it is the relentless instigating that drives me nuts. Unfortunately, I am part of the problem at this point, so I think I'll give myself a timeout for the rest of the day. Maybe I'll work on a rocket project instead of incessantly gripping about how others pursue their rocketry.

Because tone is near impossible to read on the interwebs I'll explicitly state that I have no aggravation with or intend any disrespect toward RocketFeller.
Click to expand...

No offense taken. I generally try to stay on the topic of rockets and building them, as we all seem to like those posts. It is a bummer when people bring their squabbles to the local feel-good thread, though... :)
 
Cl(VII) said:
Ah, noted. Missed that one.
Click to expand...

If you were referring to mine (post #14329), I was not digging or jesting. I did paint the aluminum tip of that rocket and did so because I truly enjoy the rocket pasture, Argonia; the wide open spaces and towering waiver.
 
Cut some grains on my first research motor today, and did a test firing. 2 grain 38mm wimpy red- came out to be about an H117. Will fly it this weekend in my Wildman Interceptor 54 at QCRS, if the weather is good.
 
djs said:
Cut some grains on my first research motor today, and did a test firing. 2 grain 38mm wimpy red- came out to be about an H117. Will fly it this weekend in my Wildman Interceptor 54 at QCRS, if the weather is good.
Click to expand...

That was my first research motor too! 6 38mm grains from a 500g batch. Second motor was a 4g WR. I mixed the motor, they were fired on a club test stand.
 

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