1974_Trident
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This is a sequel to this thread: https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?t=7788
After my foray into mid powered rocketry ended in a spectacular learning experience I bought another G-Force to give it another shot. I learned a lot from my first build and flight/crash and I am investing that knowledge into my second G-Force.
After examining and test fitting kit components I'd swear the folks at Aerotech read my first G-Force build thread; The coupling tube fits properly!!! With the rocket fully assembled and no motor in the motor tube I can pick up the forward half of the rocket and the aft half stays on the floor. If I put a motor casing with the ejection port capped into the motor tube and lift the nosecone, the whole rocket lifts off the floor together. I will from here on in refer to this procedure as "The TerryG Test."
While the coupling tube is of proper fit it is a wee bit on the thin side for my tastes. I fiberglassed the inside of the tube with a single layer of 2 oz. cloth from Home Depot and 45 Minute epoxy from Great Planes. A huge difference in the rigidity of the tube before and after 'glassing. This did, however, add 21.5 grams to the coupler tube.
Before assembly I wicked some thin CA into the body tube and coupler tube ends and sanded a slight chamfer onto the mating tube ends to keep them from peeling apart just from handling.
Of note, all marketing literature and packaging/instructions about the G-Force claim the rocket weighs 907 grams. I put all of the kit components on a gram scale and without any adhesives they weigh in at 1006 grams. Fully assembled but without any paint or body filler the rocket weighs 1180 grams. This is with the Aeropack retainer which weighs about 7.5 grams more than the motor hook, thrust ring etc. which I am not using. I added about 145 grams of adhesive to the kit, the overwhelming majority of which is fillets at all fin-tube joins inside and out. While this is serious overkill This is exactly how I built my last G-Force. The fin section is all that survived the ballistic descent to a hard surface. I realize that I should be building my rockets to fly and not to crash but My last overbuilt G-Force flew to about 600 feet on a G-64W, high enough for my tastes. I can also fly this rocket on 29mmm H loads. I also want to get a feel for handling epoxy and filleting inside and outside joints so that I am well practiced in these techniques when I am building level 3 rockets in the future.
No pictures yet, so far my second G-Force looks just like the first one.
While I am building my G-Force my sons are building their Executioner and Nova Payloader. My daughter is building her Estes Bull-Pup 12D. My wife should begin construction on her Estes Guardian sometime soon.
After my foray into mid powered rocketry ended in a spectacular learning experience I bought another G-Force to give it another shot. I learned a lot from my first build and flight/crash and I am investing that knowledge into my second G-Force.
After examining and test fitting kit components I'd swear the folks at Aerotech read my first G-Force build thread; The coupling tube fits properly!!! With the rocket fully assembled and no motor in the motor tube I can pick up the forward half of the rocket and the aft half stays on the floor. If I put a motor casing with the ejection port capped into the motor tube and lift the nosecone, the whole rocket lifts off the floor together. I will from here on in refer to this procedure as "The TerryG Test."
While the coupling tube is of proper fit it is a wee bit on the thin side for my tastes. I fiberglassed the inside of the tube with a single layer of 2 oz. cloth from Home Depot and 45 Minute epoxy from Great Planes. A huge difference in the rigidity of the tube before and after 'glassing. This did, however, add 21.5 grams to the coupler tube.
Before assembly I wicked some thin CA into the body tube and coupler tube ends and sanded a slight chamfer onto the mating tube ends to keep them from peeling apart just from handling.
Of note, all marketing literature and packaging/instructions about the G-Force claim the rocket weighs 907 grams. I put all of the kit components on a gram scale and without any adhesives they weigh in at 1006 grams. Fully assembled but without any paint or body filler the rocket weighs 1180 grams. This is with the Aeropack retainer which weighs about 7.5 grams more than the motor hook, thrust ring etc. which I am not using. I added about 145 grams of adhesive to the kit, the overwhelming majority of which is fillets at all fin-tube joins inside and out. While this is serious overkill This is exactly how I built my last G-Force. The fin section is all that survived the ballistic descent to a hard surface. I realize that I should be building my rockets to fly and not to crash but My last overbuilt G-Force flew to about 600 feet on a G-64W, high enough for my tastes. I can also fly this rocket on 29mmm H loads. I also want to get a feel for handling epoxy and filleting inside and outside joints so that I am well practiced in these techniques when I am building level 3 rockets in the future.
No pictures yet, so far my second G-Force looks just like the first one.
While I am building my G-Force my sons are building their Executioner and Nova Payloader. My daughter is building her Estes Bull-Pup 12D. My wife should begin construction on her Estes Guardian sometime soon.