Blame it on the BlackStar (finally!)

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stealth6

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I FINALLY finished my 3" Black Dark Star (from the 2012 Wildman Black Saturday Sale). Phew.
Mine is named "(blame it on the) BlackStar"

This sat in the build pile for a long time. First due to the fact that I had other projects in the queue, and second due to 2013 ending up being a pretty non-rocketry year for me. This past winter gave me a lot of time to build and indulge in rocket stuff though, so I got busy. The build itself went fine, but the finish/painting was a nightmare. I kept running into problems, delays, re-do's, etc. From the time I started painting to the finish was literally months, as I kept putting it aside and coming back to it. I'm "okay" with the final results.

As you can see, I discarded (actually sold) the original fins and shaped my own. I know this will be considered blasphemy by some, but it's what I do, so there. I used Aeropoxy throughout, with silica thickener for the external fillets, and chopped carbon fibre inside. Replaced the nose-tip bolt with all-thread and did the "glueless nosecone" thing (will stuff my BRB-900 tracker in there). AV bay is pretty standard, with an RRC-3 for the main alt. and an RRC-2+ for backup. Standard 1010 rail buttons, although I did three rather than two. All bolts (buttons, av-bay, etc.) thread into embedded pem-nuts.

Unfortunately, this won't fly for quite a while - probably not until late fall. My job is seasonal, and I have to work weekends. I have the winter mostly off, but as of this week I go back to full time. Which means no club launches (which all happen on weekends) until the season is over in November. I had planned on using this for getting my L2 cert, and it really has to fly on J motors at least. I was shooting for finishing this in time to go for my L2 cert at one of the early season launches in the region (Vegas, Phoenix, etc.) but I just missed the mark. I generally fly solo all year which is no big deal with all my other rockets, but I need a club launch to be able to cert L2, to then be able to purchase J/K/L motors, to then be able fly this rocket. So, it will have to wait. Dang. There is a small possibility that I might be able to attend (and fly this at) Hellfire in late July, but we'll see.

Funny story - this is my largest/tallest rocket to date. And that size is a bit unwieldy indoors as compared to my previous fleet, which I'm obviously not that used to just yet. I now have two holes in my ceiling to illustrate this fact (that aluminum tip is pointy!).

Anywho, here's some pics:

blackstar pics.jpg

blackstar av bay pics.jpg

Hope y'all like it,
s6
 
I'll give you these as well, to go along:

[video=youtube;na5qrW032H4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na5qrW032H4[/video]

[video=youtube;attWLjs5WWs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=attWLjs5WWs[/video]

s6
 
Love the paint job!! Looks killer! Very nice job.

When's the maiden and on what motor?
 
The reason you had so much trouble with paint is because they don't like to be painted. I added some Duplicolor "Clear Effex" to mine, but it's peeling right off everywhere I touch it with tape.
I like your fin design, makes it unique. Might have to remind me when I see it that it's a Darkstar though.
On a side note, Sharon put a hole in the wall in our laundry room with hers right after building the fin can. Biggest rocket to date for her too.
 
32357-damn-gif-5HbE.gif


Alex
 
Come out to Springfest to launch that beauty! I'd love to see it in person--awesome job.
 
Man I love what you did to this rocket. I just picked up the same one 3" with the aluminum tip from Rick who sells Wildman out of Carolina this URRF 2014 and wondering what I was going to do with it...now after seeing yours I am very inspired.
 
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