AV Bay contest build-54MM sealed sled

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Airobert

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
206
Reaction score
2
Here's some pictures of my "Sealed Sled" Avbay.
Start with about 6 inches of 2.5 inch diameter plastic. I think its HDPE. Turn it to fit inside a 54mm Blue tube. Don't forget the o-ring grooves...

IMG_0682.jpg

Then mill a flat bed for the altimeter.

IMG_0683.jpg

Then flip it over and put a bed for the battery.

IMG_0689.jpg

Put a hole for the rotary arming switch, and hole for battery wires.

IMG_0690.jpg

Remove two screws from a terminal strip for mounting holes. I could not find any terminals in the small size that had mounting ears/tabs.

IMG_0692.jpg

Put standoff screws in. Test fit O-ring.

IMG_0691.jpg

Mount terminals, eyebolt and test fit altimeter. And she's mostly ready...

IMG_0695.jpg

IMG_0696.jpg

The rotary switch is in the mail...
I should fly it at Dairy Aire, near Fresno California next month.
The sled will be secured with 4 #6 screws though the airframe, the airframe will also have a 3/8 inch hole for the arming switch which also serves as the vent hole.

Over all not too bad for my first real project on the mill.
 
I like that. Wish I had your skills and tools. Will the PVC hold with the loads on recovery points.


Sent from my iPhone using Rocketry Forum
 
You win. When will these be available for sale?:drool:
 
I like that. Wish I had your skills and tools. Will the PVC hold with the loads on recovery points.

I wish I had the skills that match the tools. I've been wanting a vertical mill for twenty years, and I just got one for a steal. Now to get useful with it...

The load holding capability is minimal, I think the eye is rated at 80 pounds, so if you pop chute at speed, it will strip or open. The rocket I'm flying at DA will actually split at apogee (two parts, two chutes), so there are no loads on the AVbay. At this point the eye is only to pull the AVbay out after the flight.
 
You win. When will these be available for sale?:drool:
Probably never....
Getting the O-rings to seal and still be insert-able is tricky. Not all of the air frame tubes are the same diameter. So this would mean three different sizes for each airframe size.
Unless you got a reasonable way to "At the field" adjust the O-ring fitting? Maybe a removable end cap with a tapered O-ring groove.....
 
Back
Top