BlackHawk R&D Rapier Build up...

Hey Guys...I mentioned several weeks ago that after Balls, I would do a thread on the construction of my 5.5" Rapier kit I got from Andy Bronfein at BlackHawk R&D. This kit will serve as my "Official" L3 rocket. I've built several before, and have flown stuff on 'M's and 'N's, unofficially...
Anyway, this kit is to demonstrate that 10 layers of Carbon Fiber are not required to fly an 'M'... Now...onto the kit...

The kit uses Kraft paper tubes, very similar to LOC tubes, however, the coupler are REALLY thick...about 1/4" or so. There is no need to reinforce one of these. The fins are 3/8" Baltic Birch, and do NOT come beveled. Fellow AHPRA member Jim Cornwell was Awesome enough to do the bevelling for me...they look GREAT!! Thank Jim!
The MMT also looks just like it's LOC counter part. Andy offers two different nosecones for this kit... a Plastic one, and a fiberglass one, which is what I got.
I'm a HUGE believer in 2-part foam. This rocket will be foamed from the top CR, to the bottom of the airframe, basically making the entire booster section one solid piece. I'm NOT 'glassing the fins, however, I am goinging to seal the leading edges with Aluminum tape. This tape is about 5 times the thickness of aluminum foil, and it has an adhesive backing on it which is amazingly strong...I will be running a strip of the tape (it's about 2" wide) down all the leading edges, and folding it over, half onto one side of the fin, and half onto the other...then, I'm going to attempt to polish it... I think it'll polish up quite nicely...we'll see...
IF I do dual deployment on it, i'll more than likely use use Tether from www.defygravitynow.com it's quite a nice device.

Here's a pic of the parts...

Since this is going to be 2-part foamed, I removed the glassine layer from the Motor Tube to give the foam something to bite into...

Here's a shot of the top CR epozied in place with
30-Minute Z-Poxy from Pacer Technologies.

For installing the fins, I used a 1/2" piece of Birch ply, but a notch in it wide enough to clear the airframe, and long enough to allow me to clamp the fins to it... clamping the fins to a jig like this ensures that they are EXACTLY 180 degrees to each other.
Just slap some 30-min. Epoxy on the tabs, and install each one, then side the jig one, and clamp each one and wait for them to cure up...

Here's the second pair installed and Jig'd up...

Here's the backside of the jig...nothing fancy at all...

Here's a shot of the first upper fin installed... I clamped a piece of Angle Iron (Actually Angle Aluminum) to one of the lower fins, then applied Epoxy to the root of the upper, slid it into place, and then clamped it to the Angle Aluminum... now the upper and lower fin are in PERFECT alignment with each other...

Here's another shot of the angle aluminum/clamping jig...

That's it for the moment... this is about 2 hours of work...
If I didn't have a wife and kids, this could be done, start to finish, and ready for painting in a weekend easily... Probably a day...depends on how fast your epoxy dries!!

Ron

Ron Zeppin
AHPRA
XRAA

Ron,
Looks like its coming along great. I think your idea of using the angle aluminum is super and I think it would be useful on smaller projects also.
Thanks for the pictures and you gotta love that wife and kids.

Randy

Randy... I love the family dearly!!!
The Angle Aluminum deal DOES work for darn near everything...
I've used it on 2.56" rockets, up to 9.25" rockets...
The 1/2" Ply jig works awesome too...as long as you have an even number of fins!!

Great techniques. I love the plywood cutout jig. I never thought of that one.

The Rapier rocket is a pretty nice kit. I've always wanted to get "The Launch Pad" version.

Keep us posted. Looks good so far.

Originally posted by AZ_Ron
.....IF I do dual deployment on it, i'll more than likely use use Tether from www.defygravitynow.com it's quite a nice device.....

Click to expand...

How can you meet the redundancy requirement for an "official" Level 3 without dual deployment? I'm not trying to be a smart-aleck. I'd love to be able to do the same as I look at wiring diagrams for some redundant deployment systems and I feel like I'm in one of those "that little itch should be telling you something" Head-and Shoulders commercials (Carl, just shush...I know you think the wiring is the easy part...it's the part that drives me nuts though ).

Ron,
Fantastic post. This is going to be a very interesting thread. Keep us posted on the progress. I think the Rapier is going to be a very cool looking rocket.

Kermie... My TAP members are Mark Clark and Jim Cornwell. I've spoken with them at length about several L3 projects...
Redundancy doesn't necessarily mean dual deployment... You can simply run 2 separate devices for deployment, ie. 2 altimeters, or an altimeter and a timer, or an altimeter and an accellerometer, etc... with the secondary device setup up with it's own charge, independent of the primary. It is NOT necessary to have to complete recovery systems in the vehicle. The ONLY reason I'm considering dual deployment is that on an 'M', this thing should hit around 9K-10K, and unless it's dead calm, it's going to be a hunt!! Fortunately, out here in Arizona, we have MILES of clear area, and large rockets are almost NEVER lost... smaller ones is a different story though!

I finished tacking all the fins in, and when I get home tonight, I'll post pic of the booster. I need to pick up some West Systems Epoxy today to do the external fillets, and some 2-part foam... I discovered last week when I was cleaning out the garage that 2-part foam doesn't like to sit around in 100+ degree garages for extended periods... both cans were hard as a rock!

Anyhow...I'll get the pic of the booster up sometime this weekend...hopefully tonight...

L8R

Ron,

One point in your last reply bothers me. I understand your comments regarding dual and single deployment in an enviorment with mucho miles of open spaces (boy do I envy you). But you mentioned using separate deployment charges for dual redundancy.

My Section Advisor is the only L3 certified flyer that I know and he's mentioned several times that using separate BP charges is a bad idea. He recommends single deployment charges with multiple e-matches connected to totally separate altimeters, accelerometers, flux tilt relays, etc.

His reasoning being that if you use enough BP in each charge to deploy the nosecone and/or chute at apogee you run the risk of blowing up the rocket if all of the deployment charges are ignited at the same moment by the electronics. For dual deployment schemes you can set each electronic device for a different deployment altitude for the main parachute, but all deployment devices I've seen trigger channel #1 upon reaching apogee.

Do you have some method of controlling the ignition of secondary or tertiary charges at apogee?

Ken Holloway, NAR #78336, L-1

Ron, great info, thanks for sharing!

Ahh...so basically you're saying you could use 2 timers set at 2 different deployment times (perhaps one just before and one just after apogee), each set to its own ejection charge and all is good? Hmmm...now ya got me thinkin' about how much weight/drag it would take to keep a L3 flight under, say, 3,000 feet......

I've done quite a bit of playing around with electronics in the past 5 years or so with rockets, and yes, it's possible, but VERY unlikely that both charges will fire at EXACTLY the same time... if there a second apart, that's enough...
That being said... chances are, if I use two altimeters, I'll most likely go with the redundant match in one charge... if I use a timer, I'll have it set AT LEAST 3 seconds past the sim'd apogee, and will use a secondary charge...

R

This is a big bird! Looking good so far. When you're done, let's work together to get your level 3 project on EMRR like we did Carl's!

Get good pics of the launch!

Nick

thats one cool looking bird. I like the jig you set up.

Well done Ron!!! I really like the Blackhawk kits and have long drooled over the 5.5" Phoenix. I cannot wait to hear more on this one you are building. Great pics too!!!

Keep us up to date,


Carl

Sorry for the delay guys... Since the GHS launch, I've been swamped with work, both daytime, and housework!
I've got the Aluminum tape to do the leading edges, and that's next on the list, and I also have to find the 2-part foam... the Home Depot I went to didn't have it...I'll try to get the next few pics up soon...

Ron

Wow...LLLOOONNNGG delay guys...sorry about that...
A fellow club club member (AHPRA) had bought 2 gallons of 2-part foam for the construction of the clubs 11" V2 for the Plaster Blaster V2 Drag Race, so he brought the foam over for me...
You guys want cheap foam... a GALLON of EACH part, $50 for the set!! It's available from Sticky Stuff Sales in Glendale, AZ... I don't think he has a webpage, but you can call information and get the number... It's on Orangewood St. and about 68th Ave...

Anyhow...got the foaming done...I still need to use the dremel and route out the base nice and even, and I've decided to use either a Slim-line of Aeropak Motoro retainer.
I put on the first strip of aluminum tape...just to see how it would go on, and adhere, and look...
It looks pretty nice... This stuff is unbelievably sticky, and once it sticks to something, it's stuck! I've got a couple of VERY tiny wrinkles in it, but I think it came out VERY well...
I also slapped it all together just for an idea of size and scale...
I need to sand the foam off the outside of the airframe/fin joints where it seeped through...that'll take all of about 5 minutes, then apply the remaining aluminum strips, then fillets, then seal and prime the fins. I should have it done for Turkey Shoot without too much trouble...

Ron

Here's a shot of the lead edge of the fin I applied the aluminum tape to...

Finally, an idea of what she looks like all together...