1/3 Scale Nike Tomahawk build

[Jay Dub 4009]

I haven’t ever fully documented any builds of mine here, and with this being a pretty large project, especially since being my first foray into staged flight, thought it would be appropriate. I’ve read all the stages flight threads here and have gleaned some good tips and pointers from all the great experienced people here.

This is a performance hobbies (via composite warehouse) 1/3rd scale Nike Tomahawk kit. The booster is 5.5” with a 75mm motor tube(will take the 5120 case, and might be able to use the 6400 way down the road too), and the sustainer is 3” with a 54mm motor tube(tons of room for the 2800 case plus more).

I happen to love the Nike smoke in general, so I also got the matching Nike smoke nose cone, so this will be two full rockets plus the interstage that will allow staged flight.

Electronics for the project are the following:
Nike smoke / Nike booster:
1x egg timer proton (primary flight computer, primary recovery, booster separation ).
1x egg timer quantum ( backup recovery).
1x feather weight gps ( tracking).
2x RunCam 4K (video, 1 pointed up and 1 pointed down).

IQSY Tomahawk sustainer :
1x egg timer proton ( primary flight computer, primary recovery, sustainer ignition initiator).
1x rocket tiltometer 3 ( sustainer ignition inhibitor)
1x egg timer quantum ( backup recovery)
1x featherweight gps (tracking).
1x RunCam 4K (video).

I’ll be building the Nike smoke booster first, hope to fly it in the fall. I’ll build the tomahawk as soon as I’m done with the booster, but unsure if I’ll get it flown before the fall flying season is done. I will fly both rockets separately to ensure airworthiness before staged flight.

I’ll do a crawl walk run methodology for flying it in staged configuration. First staged flight will be booster motor, and only an igniter in the sustainer to check ignition system and programming. As long as the first flight achieves ignition goals, Second staged flight goal will be full up with smaller motors and try to not push performance. After a successful full stack, then we can start upping performance.

This will be a great learning experience, and in the end will have two great rockets capable of flying on their own, and together. Pretty cool.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Received 70% of the kit two weeks ago. The rest will be coming soon, curtis wanted to at least get me some parts so I could start building. Rest of the stuff is in the mail as of Friday or today. Inspected and gave all the parts a bath. Im pretty impressed with the tolerances and quality of these parts.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Ordered Kevlar, retainer, 1515 buttons, eye nuts, and threaded rod to get all the odds and ends needed for the Nike booster. Received protons from cris, and tiltometer from frank. Think these will be a great combo for this type of rocket.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Got the booster centering rings sanded to fit the motor tube, and got a nice dry fit all around. Ordered a 5 Foot Torroidal Chute, good for 20 lbs at 20 FPS decent rate.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

While I was waiting for recovery and odds and ends to show up, got into fusion. Designed and printed fin pocket system for the booster. Printed a fin jig for the booster as well.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Got the motor tube, centering rings, fins and fin jig dry fit together so I could take some measurements for where the rings and tube need to be positioned. I’m once I got what I needed measurement wise, quickly designed some spacers in fusion and printed them so I could tack the rings exactly where they needed to be. Yeah, not exactly needed, but I’m a little OCD so why not.

I keep admiring the nose cone. It’s really well made and the stepped features are well done, with coupler groov machined on the inside. It makes the Estes nike look like well, a toy.

Got a rough open rocket sim together. Played with some potential paint schemes. It’s not going to be a traditional Nike smoke/ tomahawk paint job, but we shall see where I end up with it.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Now we are back to real time here. Today, Got my care package from Chris’s rocketry. It had 1/2 and 3/8s Kevlar, 75mm aeropack, 1515 buttons, and eyebolt for the project.

Today got the two upper centering rings notched out for the harness. Sanded the aft portion of the tube to accept the aeropack retainer. Then I marked where the fins sit on the motor tube, so I can tack the fin pocket dams on later. Then I tacked the two upper centering rings on the motor tube. Then glued the y harness to the motor tube, with roll pins in there similar to how mac performance does it. Also applied fillets to the upper surfaces. Prob overkill, but I like it and will be a last line of defense should any recovery forces get crazy. Aeropoxy structural will be used throughout the project FYI.

Last thing today, I flipped the motor tube over and put a fillet on the bottom of the upper CR.

 

[Tim51]

Very interesting project, and loving the blue/silver Smoke. On my first attempt at an in line staging config last year I got a successful separation and the booster recovery went smoothly, but the electronics in the sustainer (which I was flying as a dart without a motor) failed to deploy the chute and that section lawn darted. I've yet to get back on that particular horse... I'll be following your build in watch 'n' learn mode.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Very interesting project, and loving the blue/silver Smoke. On my first attempt at an in line staging config last year I got a successful separation and the booster recovery went smoothly, but the electronics in the sustainer (which I was flying as a dart without a motor) failed to deploy the chute and that section lawn darted. I've yet to get back on that particular horse... I'll be following your build in watch 'n' learn mode.

Thanks. My brother and I built Estes nikes to drag race. They are both upgraded to 24mm mounts. Mine is Jedi smoke theme, and his is sith. I really like the blue color, and will be doing the big one in the same color just not the decals.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Tonight I tacked the fin dams in place. I then fit checked the motor tube in the booster, and All aligns perfectly(fins slid in and fin jigged in place to be damn sure). I then put a fillet on the middle CR where the damns arnt touching it.

Tomorrow will get the motor tube tacked in the booster tube.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Tonight I did some touch up mechanical bonding prep to the motor tube. Checked fit of motor tube and fins one last time, and sunk it. Applied fillets on the outer diameter of the centering rings, as well as injecting epoxy above the middle cr through the fin slots and rotated it. Light penetration shows I got decent fillets on the middle upper CR. We’ll see how many fins I get on tomorrow.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Tonight, Did mechanical surface bond prep to the fins and tube area where exterior fillets lay. Mixed up some aeropoxy, and injected one full syringe (36 grams) of epoxy into the first fin slot. Put fin in, ensured even dispersion of epoxy in the fin pocket, put fin pocket cap on, and jigged it. Temp installed aft cr to apply pressure.

Also drilled 1515 button holes and installed upper rail button.

For unknown reasons, my micrometer died tonight. Battery is fresh. Oh well.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Received the 5 foot toroidal chute that will be matching for the Nike today.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Another fin is in. Looks pretty much like last nights pic, so won’t bore anyone here it with.

Curtis shipped remaining parts today minus the interstage, still in work, good news.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Third fin in this morning, love four day weekends.

 

[rfjustin]

Received the 5 foot toroidal chute that will be matching for the Nike today.View attachment 535385View attachment 535386

5 foot toroidal chute.... Rocketman or Fruity Chutes?

Build is looking great!

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

5 foot toroidal chute.... Rocketman or Fruity Chutes?

Build is looking great!

Rocketman

Thanks, I’m sure yours will be pretty sweet as well.

 

[rfjustin]

Rocketman

Thanks, I’m sure yours will be pretty sweet as well.

I hope so. I need to order the sustainer parts. I have fins in hand, need the rest though.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

admiring this thing…coming along. Will be 6 feet taller too with the tomahawk

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Back from traveling over the long holiday. received some more parts from Curtis. Avionics bay bulkheads, 54mm motor tube for tomahawk, and tomahawk nose cone. Now just need the interstage that he’s finishing.

Got the last fin installed.

 

[Charles_McG]

Are you modeling the 9" Tomahawk payload, or the 12"?

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Are you modeling the 9" Tomahawk payload, or the 12"?

9”

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Sanded tomahawk centering rings to fit motor tube, as well as Nike avionics bulkheads to fit the coupler. Worked on getting the fin slots for the tomahawk sanded to fit, got 2 good and called it a night.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Ordered a 54mm fastback retainer, some brake line, deans connectors, and a tubing cutting/flare kit for tomahawk.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Today at lunch break I got the aft centering ring in.



This evening I put a very very thin coat of jbweld on the backside of the aft CR, installed the 75mm aeropack retainer, and installed the aft rail button stud.

Easy stuff today.

 

[green dragon]

Looking good - was wondering about the fins, since you mentioned swapping to Nike Smoke ... The semi scale flat fins are great for that - shown in remains of my brothers 1/3 Nike Tomahawk, after non stage / stripped chutes ( be SURE that your recovery is strong enough to support both stages in case of non fire of second stage ) I've wanted to build a Smoke from this for years, but the Nike Tomahawk specific airfoil shape bugs me, I'm too ocd to use on a smaoke, lol.
Watching this build might motivate me to rebuild this one....

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Yeah those are the scale version of the Nike smoke fins, very nice. Get it rebuilt! Rockets deserve to fly !

As far as my build goes, the Nike booster has 1/2" Kevlar, that should be thoroughly sufficient I believe.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Last night got new digital calipers, deans connectors recommended in a thread here by Jim Jarvis for sustainer igniter lead, and brake tubing for the conduit for the tomahawk. Likely a lifetime supply for two stage flying. If anyone else here needs some, I’d be happy to send you some if you cover shipping and a buck or two.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

At lunch time I prepped the fin can for external fillets, giving a good sand and cleaning with ISO. Used a fondant tool with sharpie to mark the tube, and then put down tape. Mixed up aeropoxy and layed it down, and let it rest for about and hour, and then smoothed the fillets with the fondant tool and finger, removed the tape, and smoothed again.

 

[Jay Dub 4009]

Todays rocket goodie box was from mac perf. 54mm fatsback retainer for the tomahawk, some electrical connector blocks, and a new kit of aeropoxy because I’m at about 1/4 squeeze bottle left and will be gone soon likely.

Unfortunately chores and obligations got in the way of getting another set of fillets down.