Freak accident - Im in the need of help

Ok I will keep the story short.

Friday afternoon I primed my QCC explorer and had it drying. Later that night a fan came crashing down out of the window and crushed the body tube above the intakes. I was so mad that this happend. I would wrather seen it crash out of the sky vs a stupid fan crushing it. On the bright side I reenforced the fins to take a brute force of a heavy fan come crushing down on them.

I think I can cut the body tube just above the intakes and find a new tube and coupler.

So would that idea work? I am open to suggestions.

Now for the heart breaking photo....

That's what I would do. Good thing the fins and intakes are undamaged.

Can you push a coupler down from the inside ?

CZ Brat said:

That's what I would do. Good thing the fins and intakes are undamaged.

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I used a thin coat of epoxy and sanded it down a bit. They where rock solid.

3stoogesrocketry said:

Can you push a coupler down from the inside ?

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No. I believe there is a coupler just a bit higher, but it has been a month or so since I put that part together. So I will need to verify it tonight.

That is completely fixable. How easily will depend on how cleanly you can cut and how close to level cut you get. Also, after you have made the cut it may not hurt to put a little thin CA on the inside along the spirals below the cut (don't slop it in, a Q-tip works great). This is just in case there is some damage/weakening to the spiral below the major damage, treating with CA will strengthen it nicely.

Compliments on the sturdiness of your intake and fin construction.

AcidPaintball said:

Ok I will keep the story short.

Friday afternoon I primed my QCC explorer and had it drying. Later that night a fan came crashing down out of the window and crushed the body tube above the intakes. I was so mad that this happend. I would wrather seen it crash out of the sky vs a stupid fan crushing it. On the bright side I reenforced the fins to take a brute force of a heavy fan come crushing down on them.

I think I can cut the body tube just above the intakes and find a new tube and coupler.

So would that idea work? I am open to suggestions.

Now for the heart breaking photo....
View attachment 181653

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Oh man that sucks! Sorry for your damage.

If the intakes and tube and fins all survived below the kink you have in the photo, then yes, you're on exactly the right path to fix it... wrap a sheet of paper around the tube (or tube marking/cutting guides if you have them) just below the kink, cut the tube off cleanly and squarely by making several LIGHT passes around the tube with a SHARP hobby knife, making multiple shallow cuts along the line, so the tube cuts off clean and smooth. Get a coupler and a new tube the same length as the old tube (if it's made of a couple tubes coupled together, you'll have to glue a couple tubes together and then cut them to the appropriate length) and then glue the coupler inside the existing lower body tube with intakes and fins, and then the new body tube to the coupler above...

You'll probably have to do some body work to 'hide the seam' (if you want to) but that's not a huge deal...

Good luck with the repairs and better luck next time! OL JR

PS... if you don't have tube cutting/marking guides, just straighten it out as much as possible and wrap a sheet of printer paper around the tube and snug it up around the tube, then mark along the edge-- will give you a nice, square line around the circumference of the tube to cut along...

AcidPaintball said:

No. I believe there is a coupler just a bit higher, but it has been a month or so since I put that part together. So I will need to verify it tonight.

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You could cut a coupler vertically so you can slide it past the one above the damage. Then all you would have to do is straighten out the damged area the best you can, glue the new coupler in place, add some filler and sand.

Luke's answer is what I'd recommend. Cut the damaged tube off (retain what's salvageable for a payload section or whatnot), then splice in a new tube with a coupler. Some filler primer, sandpaper, time (and luck), and it'll be good as new.

Yup - I would go for that - get a good square cut and patch it up with a coupler. Bit of filler round the join and some careful sanding and I am sure the bird wil be fine.

Thanks for the tips! I've done a few custom size body tube lengths but I've never had to repair like this. I already ordered the replacement parts. And will give it a go.

My QCC Explorer came in ballistic and had almost the exact same kind of damage. Repaired exactly as others have described, with a coupler, new body tube, filling, sanding, masking, priming and repainting. You wouldn't know anything had happened just looking at it.

Most rockets can be repaired or even rebuilt easily. The exceptions tend to be the ones with plastic parts...more plastic, more difficult (but not impossible) to replace/rebuild.

FC

Good advice above.

And did you know that 90 percent of all accidents between rockets and window fans are terminal for the rocket???
You've beaten the odds!:wink:

Sounds like a solid plan for fixing the rocket.

But I'm not sure you'll ever be able to fix the fan that you no-doubt kicked to smithereens.

ThirstyBarbarian said:

Sounds like a solid plan for fixing the rocket.

But I'm not sure you'll ever be able to fix the fan that you no-doubt kicked to smithereens.

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I had almost this exact same thing happen to me a couple summers ago. I however instinctively (meaning stupidly) stuck my hand out to stop the fan from hitting the rocket on the floor beneath it. A new window screen, box fan and a couple butterfly bandages later all was well. I get angry quickly when I hurt myself.

Luke is spot on. With a fresh blade (be careful!!!!) and a little patience you will be surprised how neat you can make the cuts. I wrap masking tape around my cut line to give me a light guide. But it can be done freehand as well.

It's quite fixable. Just do not try and stop a solid fan blade.

vigilante said:

I had almost this exact same thing happen to me a couple summers ago. I however instinctively (meaning stupidly) stuck my hand out to stop the fan from hitting the rocket on the floor beneath it. A new window screen, box fan and a couple butterfly bandages later all was well. I get angry quickly when I hurt myself.

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That sounds like a really bad situation. I'm guessing there may have been some cursing.

I Had my share of that i Was builting a rc p51 just Got the wing finished an Stupid wife bump into it an broke wing in half i Had too build a wing again