L3 Cert Project - "Blue M-Pression"

Well I have been accumulating all the parts for my L3 project and it's finally time to start assembling them. This isn't going to be a build thread, just an easy journal about my L3 build.

My goal is to fly this project at OKTOBERFEST (October 4 - 6) at NCR's Pawnee North Site. Here is a quick description of the project.

- 4" Blue Tube airframe
- 75mm Motor Mount
- 81" in Length
- Duel PerfectFlite SL100's
- BRB900 GPS Tracker
- 60" Main Chute
- 14" Drogue
- Thrust Plate
- Aeropack Retainer
- Monster Motors 75/6400
- Planning to fly it on an AT M650 Moonburner
- NO GLASS!!!!

The project sims to about 21,000' at Mach 1.25.

Keeping it simple. That's the theme of this project.

Here are some pics of some of the fixin's for the project.

Good luck with the project, once upon a time I had visions of building a 4" blue tube rocket and just never got around to it. If the blue tube is everything they say it is, no glass is needed. One of our THOR members has built a few really nice rockets with the stuff and he does abuse them and they keep coming back for more. Now, get building man!!

It should fly fine on your selected motor. However, after the flight, do not store it assembled - you might not get it back apart! Both of my Blue Tube rockets changed size during storage (in areas with no climate control) and required lots of sanding to get the coupler and particularly the PML nose cones to fit. They were fine initially, just shrank over the first year. The Deuce finally stabilized and doesn't require sanding. (The Goblin died by cato before it fully stabilized in size.)

I hope you don't plan on painting it dark colors. It'll get hotter sitting out in the sun. (although I expect october is pretty cool, but still...)

I'll definitely be following this one. That M650 looks like a Kick A$$ motor. Best of luck with the cert.

Alex

I chose Blue Tube because I built a Pred. Jr. and really liked the material.

OK, I got the motor from MotoJoe at Giant Leap yesterday evening up in Boulder. Hmm,, looks sweet!

This project will be flying sometime in the Spring. The goal of flying it the first weekend in October doesn't allow enough time to comfortably build and test it. The waiver for the Atlas launch site that NCR uses during the Winter months doesn't have a high enough waiver. The project will probably be ready by November easily, but with no place close to fly it that the TAPs I'm working with can witness it fly, I will patiently wait for the first weekend in April 2014 when we start flying at the North Site again.

I did get some work done on it today. I got the Blue Tube cut and filed smooth. The eye-bolt that fits into the forward closure has been cut to size, and the screws that I'm using to mount the thrust plate have been ground flat so the motor retainer will fit flat against the thrust plate. I also started laying out the e-bay and getting the parts together for the recovery harness.

I have finally started on this project and I am posting the progress on a blog so the TAP members working with me can follow the progress. I welcome any constructive comments or ideas from anyone who wishes to contribute. Here is the link to the blog.

I started work with the thrust plate and aft centering ring.

https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php

Update - Fins and Aft Centering Ring - https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php/fins-and-aft-centering-ring

I did some work on the motor mount, rail guide mount and fins. Here is a link to the pictures and more.

https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php/rail-guide-mount-fins

Spring has arrived and the urgency to get this project moving along is strong.

Here is a link to my progress on the centering rings ect. - https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php/centering-rings-rail-guide-mounts

I also got a lot done on the E-Bay - https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php/starting-the-e-bay

Your build is coming along real well. Good luck on your L3, it should be an awesome flight! What are the plans for the paint scheme?

jus_rockets said:

Your build is coming along real well. Good luck on your L3, it should be an awesome flight! What are the plans for the paint scheme?

Click to expand...

I'm thinking of doing the paint like the Astra. It would be pretty easy and cool looking and considering the name of the rocket, the white and blue paint scheme would be fitting. Still thinking, but this is what I think I want it to look like.

The shape of my fins is different, but I think it would still look great on my L3 rocket.

I have moved into the "messy" phase of this build. I also changed tracking systems. Here is a link to the latest.

https://l3.skyviperaerospace.com/blog1.php

That gives me the impression that: Maybe this tubing needs to be post cured in a curing oven;
Prior to assembly?

JD

Rocketjunkie said:

It should fly fine on your selected motor. However, after the flight, do not store it assembled - you might not get it back apart! Both of my Blue Tube rockets changed size during storage (in areas with no climate control) and required lots of sanding to get the coupler and particularly the PML nose cones to fit. They were fine initially, just shrank over the first year. The Deuce finally stabilized and doesn't require sanding. (The Goblin died by cato before it fully stabilized in size.)

Click to expand...

JDcluster said:

That gives me the impression that: Maybe this tubing needs to be post cured in a curing oven;
Prior to assembly?

JD

Click to expand...

I have flown several BlueTube projects and now and not had a problem with shrinkage. I treat the airframe with several coats of sanding sealer to prevent water issues, but never had a problem with shrinkage. (Although I believe George Costanza had that problem once. )

I have quite a few Blue Tube rockets, and yes, sanding sealer on the inside keeps the pieces from sticking. I believe it is more that the black powder residue tends to stick to the Blue Tube and needs a quick resanding after the flight. When I realized about sanding sealer inside the tube, and on the outside of the couplers, the sticking problem was reduced a lot.

Watching this as I am thinking about my L3 sometime this year.