Apogee Katana - To Glass or Not to Glass. That is the Question

[Rob Campbell]

I am just starting my Katana build and I'm debating on whether or not I should glass the tubes. I would like to fly it on K motors, so the added strength may be needed, or at least provide some peace of mind.

 

[Hobie1dog]

It would provide more structural integrity, but you have to ask yourself whether you want to take the time and trouble to do it, and to go out and gather up/buy all the materials if you don't already have them. But if it was my rocket, I wouldn't go to that trouble.

 

[Tim51]

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I am just starting my Katana build and I'm debating on whether or not I should glass the tubes. I would like to fly it on K motors, so the added strength may be needed, or at least provide some peace of mind.

Depends what kind of K motor. If it's a gentle long burn then you should be ok, but anything mid to high thrusting I'd say glass it. I've not built a Katana but I have built and flown a 4" dia cardboard rocket on a variety of K motors and I definitely felt more comfortable having glassed the tube and T2T the plywood fins. You'll stll get better performance out of a glassed cardboard rocket than from a FWFG bird

 

[bad_idea]

I prefer to glass cardboard tubes for mid- and high-power rockets simply for the added durability against landings and hanger rash.

If you're not already set up with epoxy and fiberglass and aren't planning to glass multiple rockets, I probably wouldn't bother, but if you are, I certainly would.

 

[RobertH3]

I did a LOC Mini-Magg with Aeropoxy and their proprietary cloth. It turned out great but:
If you do not have a rotisserie you will either turn by hand for a long time (me)
Slop the extra around with a brush (again, me).
If you don't get enough epoxy on the Giant Leap cloth, you will use lots of primer (me).
It was awesomely strong but IMO not worth the effort, other than to learn it.

I leave my cardboard as cardboard and will use fiberglass if I want a battleship.

You can also sleeve the tube with couplers and glass the fins only.
Easier and with thin epoxy as the glue, no binds and the tube is stronger.

My Mini-Magg Rev2 (in progress) was sleeved with LOC Stiffy coupler. We'll see this summer.

 

[Buckeye]

I am just starting my Katana build and I'm debating on whether or not I should glass the tubes. I would like to fly it on K motors, so the added strength may be needed, or at least provide some peace of mind.

Nah. I built mine stock and fly it on the K550 no problem. Reinforce the body tubes ends with CA or a slice of coupler, and give it a good paint job. That helps durability.

 

[Handeman]

One of the goals I had with my L2 cert was to learn how to fiberglass tubes. I glassed my LOC tubes and ended up with 50 flights on that cert rocket which was very similar to the Katana. That was 16 years ago and I've never glassed the cardboard tubes on a rocket since. If you want to learn the technique, go for it. I don't think it really needs it to fly on K motors. It will be much lighter and fly higher without. Then again, if you're an east coast flier with limited waivers, you might want to glass it just for the extra weight so you can fly bigger motors on the low waiver fields. Pretty much your choice.

 

[gloy]

If you just want to glass it go ahead, it does not need it to fly on k motors. K550 to 6100ft. Built stock.