Giant Leap Vertical Assault build thread.

I like the way you guys think. :wink:

I was thinking to try it on an I285. The main thing we care about is increasing thrust, right? I was thinking higher thrust, lower impulse (in case something screwy happens, also lower alt. means easier to see).

So, to put this thread to rest, on Saturday I flew it on a J280 Smoky Sam. There was no corkscrewing, although it did wiggle a little after burnout.

I spoke directly to the gentleman who had given me the advice about measuring. We came to the conclusion that if I fly it on a bigger motor, most likely the only negative might be that it corkscrews and goes slower/lower. He didn't believe there was any chance of a crazy, unstable pattern.

Hopefully at Red Glare, I'll get this sucker up to 10,000 feet.

John,

Good build. I am sorry about the corkscrewing and wobble. We all learn by doing and going out and launching. Here are a couple of minor observations which may or may not help. Is your entire rocket straight? The photos may be artifactual, but in a couple of shots, the base seems straight and the middle and up kind of hooks. Easy to figure out. Secondly, I would get away from epoxy clay. I love Apogee and their instructional videos. The clay is heavy, and does not give a lot of epoxy for all of the weight. Take a look at all of your finished filets. Do they look nearly identical? If not, they could be imparting some asymmetrical weight and airflow characteristics at your fins. Look up the instructions for the Wildman Blackhawk 38 on the Wildman site. Should tell you how to make and pull filets. You can use Proline or Aeropoxy, whatever your preference. For filling spirals, I use Elmers Wood Filler. You dilute it with water to whatever consistency that you prefer and apply. Sands easily, and is pretty light. I put a final coating of the wood filler over my final filets, and sand down. Makes them real smooth by filling in tiny holes and grooves. That epoxy clay is just adding weight. Probably something simple causing wobble and corkscrewing. How are your CG and CP? The GLR nosecones are very light. Good luck with your flights.