Finishing my old Estes High-Flier XL for a windy day test flyer.

[86mustang408w]

Got my High-Flier XL's "Wendy", 1/4" launch lugs on. Last night I used my rotary tool, and sanded down to the tube two spots for the lugs after measuring them. I just used a very little bit of Titebond Q &T, to get them in place. They are where I want them now after just eyeing them up and using a yard stick and ruller to get them right. Would have helped to pencil center lines on the lugs but its not really necessary, but would make a perfect alignment. So In an hour or two I'll do good fillets, then pull out some elastic for a small diameter "break-away" chute with a spill hole for tree rescue attempts. This should fly on a C6-3 to E whatever. I use my phone and video all my flights in case of disaster, plus videos are great for diagnostics to learn from your flight...

Doing the lug side fillets now. Pics will be added periodically...

 

[bjphoenix]

HiFlier XL will be pretty marginal on C6, if I understood you correctly. It will fly acceptably enough on a C5 but won't get much altitude, It needs a C11 to start performing well.

 

[86mustang408w]

Those are good and dry, going to mess around with the shock cords and a chute. Thats where im at now..

 

[86mustang408w]

HiFlier XL will be pretty marginal on C6, if I understood you correctly. It will fly acceptably enough on a C5 but won't get much altitude, It needs a C11 to start performing well.

I'll weigh it when its done. My Olympus was a little heavier and flew great on a C6-3, in low wind conditions. My normal launch area I'm using temporary is very small. I got back into this in May, and started building some rockets for that field. Then not long ago I went to my house, thats family is temporary staying in...But got an old collection back from 2013 and merged it with ny new stuff. I flew most of my new ones, but with my current area on nothing big. I max out with my 240g Big Daddy on a D12-3 in that field on a very low wind day, which has been about 2 times this year. But im staying here in Milton, PA. I'm going to be moving back to Bloomsburg hopefully within the year. I have a huge(a few)area I can do many at. So I'm kind of building some for now, have older ones im fixing, finishing, or just starting to build from buying 10 years ago and im flying them for the first time or again. I haven't launched since sometime in 2013 until this May came around. I joined a club finally, going to join another in NY(URRG), the NAR finally, and going for my L1 after starting this hobby 33 years ago. I just turned 40 and have a few issues with physical mobility after a career ending job injury at UPS when I was 30 delivering for about 6, about 10 years total there in the warehouse or on the road. But im overcoming that and getting back into this has helped me in many ways after abad 10 years an many invites and one job while fighting to get the disability even doctor I talk to agrees with. I want to work. I just have to little bits hers and there. But I lost one rockwt Saturday, in a tree by about 2 feet. So I want something I can test here on C6-3's, but use on windy launch days for a disposable but kind of made for windy conditions. But this one was picked to do just that. But im going back to Bloomsburg, P.a. this weekend and ill be able to get a few up that I need to see how they fly on motors that don't have give an apogee of 150 feet.

I do have some C11-3's I could use also...

 

[86mustang408w]

Got shock cord done, kept the kevlar cord and added about 3 feet of elastic, then a chute. So its about 7 feet long. Perfect for a tree. Ill get a better pic outside later.

 

[W4DXR]

Those are good and dry, going to mess around with the shock cords and a chute. Thats where im at now..

Are you going to upload a video of the flight? I'd like to see it. Very nice looking rocket. Great job!

 

[86mustang408w]

Are you going to upload a video of the flight? I'd like to see it. Very nice looking rocket. Great job!

Absolutely. This rocket was about half done. I bullt it 10 years ago and kind of started to finish it a few weeks ago, after getting back into this and starting a new collection. Then I went and got an older collection out from storage. But its been put on hold for a few weeks as I was busy getting other ones taken care of. But being that its going to be "disposable", I'm making it my best to be that. After losing a nicer one this past weekend I want one that doesn't matter as much. My problem is all my rockets matter to me. I don't have any I send up and hope they come back. That's just not me. But Im also going to try out a few options for tree rescues which is kind of why the shock cord is so long.. I'm hoping Sunday to get it in the air...I'll post for sure, I'm thinking probably a D12-3/5, then go up. I've been recording all my flights, good or bad...lol. I usually upload to YouTube that day or soon after.

 

[86mustang408w]

Flew it today on a few motors, here's a E12-4.

 

[bjphoenix]

Flew it today on a few motors, here's a E12-4.

4 sec. doesn't seem like enough, actually if you run a sim I wonder if 6 sec would be enough.

 

[86mustang408w]

I wasn't planning on getting it back. I wanted a shorter ejection time, it would have coasted even further with just that 2 seconds. I kind of wanted it to come out sooner, next time I'll use a E12-6, or E20-7.

 

[GlenP]

I wasn't planning on getting it back. I wanted a shorter ejection time, it would have coasted even further with just that 2 seconds. I kind of wanted it to come out sooner, next time I'll use a E12-6, or E20-7.

The main point is to get the ejection timed for when the rocket is moving slow enough near the apogee so as to not cause damage to the recovery or the rocket. The motor power and rocket weight determine the altitude, the ejection delay is just to make sure the rocket is not at full speed on the way up still, or has not passed beyond apogee and is speeding up too fast already on the way back down. Shock cords can get ripped out of the body or zipper a body or chutes can get ripped when ejection happens at a too fast speed.

Glad you had a good flight, that was about perfect for a no wind launch on that field.

 

[86mustang408w]

The main point is to get the ejection timed for when the rocket is moving slow enough near the apogee so as to not cause damage to the recovery or the rocket. The motor power and rocket weight determine the altitude, the ejection delay is just to make sure the rocket is not at full speed on the way up still, or has not passed beyond apogee and is speeding up too fast already on the way back down. Shock cords can get ripped out of the body or zipper a body or chutes can get ripped when ejection happens at a too fast speed.

Glad you had a good flight, that was about perfect for a no wind launch on that field.

I understand that all. I appreciate it, yes it was a great day.

 

[86mustang408w]

The main point is to get the ejection timed for when the rocket is moving slow enough near the apogee so as to not cause damage to the recovery or the rocket. The motor power and rocket weight determine the altitude, the ejection delay is just to make sure the rocket is not at full speed on the way up still, or has not passed beyond apogee and is speeding up too fast already on the way back down. Shock cords can get ripped out of the body or zipper a body or chutes can get ripped when ejection happens at a too fast speed.

Glad you had a good flight, that was about perfect for a no wind launch on that field.

I mean on rockets I care about, I definitely set the ejection as close to apogee as possible. This was one of those "send it" days, I dont do that often. I'm usually overthinking many things. I use OpenRocket for the ones I want back and flight sims. And I think and have thought about everything you said for some time....

I just wanted to launch one, and get it back. I use more suitable motors, depending on the rocket weight/motor I'm using. I just needed a day to not think a little. Most of my rockets I've been building for my local high school(to launch). So they are very heavy and don't go high. It was nice to fly one again, and have it land 100 feet away.

 

[86mustang408w]

I had a few other flights on it yesterday. Did a C6-3, C11-3, D12-3, then E12-4. They are all on my YouTube page. Some minor damage to the top of the tube from like said too short of an ejection time and the kevlar cord. First rocket this has done that with, its not a concern. Ill make something for this rocket to stop that, my other ones this doesn't happen. I did have trouble with the ejection baffle being too close to the top of the tube. So I might add a short extension or a eyelet bolt in the nosecone to give myself more room to pack the chute. I might paint it, thats undecided at this point.

 

[86mustang408w]

Took my new hacksaw and chopped off the shoulder. Ill go out and get a bulkhead made, then epoxy that in with an eyelet bolt.

 

[86mustang408w]

Also going to chop a little off the top of the body tube. Had I known this would land close, I would have used a longer ejection time. I'm probably going to make a zipper stopper for this. Just not sure what yet, I have a bunch of ideas and advice I need to settle on something. Right now I'm thinking about making some sort of protector with a straw and epoxy around the shock cord at the top of the body tube.

 

[86mustang408w]

Got some of that taken care of, going to make a bulk head now. Got a coupler out but couldn't use it.

 

[86mustang408w]

Got a bulkhead made, good enough. Ill go out and crush that eyelet shut. And it will have some epoxy around it soon in the nosecone. That's probably it for tonight.

 

[86mustang408w]

Got some thread locker on that eyelet bolt after I used the vise to crush it shut. Ill let that dry overnight. It doesn't have to be super tight, epoxy will hold it too.

 

[86mustang408w]

I put some the eyelet bolt(after I knotted the shock cord to it), and bulkhead in. Dropped some thin CA down to hold it in place. Ill put a loop in the kevlar out of the nosecone a little for the elastic and chute. In a little bit ill mix epoxy and dump it down in, well probably and hour or so. Then that can dry overnight.

 

[86mustang408w]

Well I finished it, and flew it again 9/16/23 with SPAAR in Halifax. I must have deleted the photos but out epoxy in the bksecone and added more shock cord. It flew great and nosecone mods gave me a bunch more room for the chute and it didn't hurt stability. Pictures and videos below.

 

[86mustang408w]

Well, its works as intended, but I knew a few of mine were easily pulled apart..all explain more later on today...

Pictures too, with an explanation..

Michael B...

"Michael's Rocketry"..