Mercury Little Joe I

[MaxQ]

98mm right? You gonna try that N1666 with the 4 outboard K's?

Only if Ben provides the motors...........

 

[MaxQ]

I elected to reinforce all the fins as experience has shown that these fins take a lot of abuse since they hang below the airframe and hit the ground first.

I spent my build time last night cutting triangular infill pieces with the grain perpendicular to the fin frames and inlaying these in the gaps of the fin framework.
It has added to the weight, but I don't want to have to do post flight fin repairs if I can avoid it.
I'm debating whether to ante up the cash for 1/64 ply sheeting for all sides of the fins....

Got the capsule painted up and it is now on to internal stuff....like an electronics bay for a timer and an internal wire tunnel conduit to the motors...

39mm and 29mm Aerocon motor retention came in for the central motor and two outboards..
Boy they are fast..ordered it last friday and they were here this week.

 

[bsexton]

Nice work Jim. I finally decided to get set up here at TRF.

Well it's about time --- welcome to TRF.

 

[bsexton]

39mm and 29mm Aerocon motor retention came in for the central motor and two outboards..
Boy they are fast..ordered it last friday and they were here this week.

Do you mean AeroPack?

 

[MaxQ]

Do you mean AeroPack?

Uh...yeah. I guess I do (Late night last night).

Can't remember where I came up w/Aerocon....?
I haven't ordered anything from them.

 

[MaxQ]

Here are the fins after the additional inlaid support pieces were added.
The leading edge was not very strong until I added these , there's a lot less twist and they're stiffer now.
...skinning comes next.

 

[MaxQ]

Capsule got some final paint and the coupler is going on...
I'll wrap a collar around this part.

I'll be extending a piece of MMT from inside the capsule, out the back of this centering ring and attach an eyebolt to that.

I need to do a black trim ring around the foam core edge where the capsule joins the airframe transition.
Thinking about putting the bolts all the way around the transition as well ...think I have time to do that.

 

[MaxQ]

Here's the assembled shot - to date - so far....(ahhhhh.....getting closer...)

 

[PaulB.]

Looking good-
How about the layer of 1/64th plus one layer FG for the fins?
I think that would be plenty strong....
BTW, Ben said he'll mix up an N-sparky for this one...
:roll:

 

[MaxQ]

I wouldn't mind a small sparky...anyone tried a "G" sparky?

 

[Pantherjon]

I wouldn't mind a small sparky...anyone tried a "G" sparky?

Yes, yes I have! It is su-weet! Gonna have to fire some more the next launch I get to!

 

[MaxQ]

Yes, yes I have! It is su-weet! Gonna have to fire some more the next launch I get to!

Tell me more..brand name and designation...

 

[Pantherjon]

Tell me more..brand name and designation...

It was the CTI Pro38 1 grain G69..Quite a bit of roar out of a 'G' motor! And the sparkies were kewl too!..Flew my PML Matrix with it..

Gonna try the 29mm G106 - as soon as I get my mittens on a couple of the cases!

 

[PaulB.]

Didn't Bruce eventually use a G sparky in his Saucer?

 

[MaxQ]

Didn't Bruce eventually use a G sparky in his Saucer?

I hope so...then I can hit him up to borrow his hadware...! LOL

 

[MaxQ]

Built the tube coupler for the capsule. A foam core centering ring was cut smaller than the airframe with a modified motor mount tube in the center that plugs into the internal motor mount tube inside the capsule. (just a structural component...not for a motor).

Recovery system hard point will be attached to this on the end....probably will be an eye bolt in a wood plug epoxied in
the end of the MMT in the picture.

The fit is pretty good, although the airframe has taken a little abuse during the build, slightly out of round, but the fit is close enough.

 

[MaxQ]

Did the capsule trim ring to cover the exposed foam core edge of the centering ring at the base of the capsule.

First, I glued a poster board strip using wood glue to the foam core edge to protect it from the superglue I was going to use ...then cut a 1/32 inch thick strip of balsa trim ring to go over that.

I wetted out the balsa strip in hot water for a few minutes until it was pliable, then while still damp, bent it around the capsule while tacking it down with super glue... gave it a shot of accelerator, and it was done.
A little sanding sealer will go on it tomorrow after it has fully dried out.

 

[MaxQ]

Here's the assembly with the ring and tube coupler...

 

[ben_ullman]

Did someone mention something about N motors?

My dad has a Pro38 1G case if u need it Jim. Speaking from experience swept back fins require HUGE parachutes! Im using a 28 foot cargo chute in the Sandhawk. Supposed to bring it in around 10FPS. Im so tired of fixing those dumb things. Especially after getting some color on her.

Ben

 

[MaxQ]

Did someone mention something about N motors?

My dad has a Pro38 1G case if u need it Jim. Speaking from experience swept back fins require HUGE parachutes! Im using a 28 foot cargo chute in the Sandhawk. Supposed to bring it in around 10FPS. Im so tired of fixing those dumb things. Especially after getting some color on her.

Ben

<swept back fins require HUGE parachutes! >

Yep...you got that right.
I done my share of fin repair on the other Little Joe...
And that Loc IV has had several years worth of repairs to fin cracks...I bought that kit before Loc had thru the wall fins...surface mounted (ugh!)

Hey thanks,...think that sparky would burn my fins off...?

 

[Pantherjon]

They might get a little burn mark on them but I don't think the sparky will burn them off!

Capsule looks awesome!

 

[MaxQ]

Well, that shouldn't be a problem..maybe I'll get some flame proof paint....

 

[ben_ullman]

Well, that shouldn't be a problem..maybe I'll get some flame proof paint....

No you wont have a problem. As long as you use a standoff. If you let the motor rest about 1-2" off the deflector you will scorch the bottom. If you off set it like 4-6" you will be fine. The G sparky has sparks but there not the long big chunks of Ti like 54 on up use.

Ben

 

[MaxQ]

After referencing photos and debating whether or not to do it...I decided to go for some detailing around the transition...all the little bolts in holes that are at an angle around the trim ring.
Part way through this effort I regretted it.
But I think it turned out ok.

I cut sections of launch lugs at an angle to make a bolt hole collar, plugged them each with a section of wood dowel, and then, after making a pattern with equally spaced bolt locations - wrapped the transition - and then I drilled holes and inserted the bolt assembly.

After that work and a bit of cussing, I trimmed the excess section of lugs off the surface, did some light filling and sanding, and then glued in little decorative bolt heads.

I then masked off the chrome transition for the two step paint job...

 

[MaxQ]

Here's a shot after the flat white primer was applied, some more sanding and filling to fill the little gaps here and there, and then the flourescent orange paint applied to the transition...

The real vehicle had a lot more bolts around the transition, but this is after all "sport scale" and I wasn't into doing twice as many bolts...and I didn't think the chrome posterboard body tube would handle twice as many holes cut into it...
This does give it the impression anyway...

I'll be adding trim ring detail and painting that black...and the capsule needs two orange panels on the base...

 

[MaxQ]

Here' s a close up shot and the overall...

 

[gerbs4me]

wow, the Little Joe looks amazing, great work!

would look so sweet on a sparky

 

[bsexton]

Didn't Bruce eventually use a G sparky in his Saucer?

No, it was a Smokey Sam. But I do have all of the Pro-38 hardware which you are welcome to borrow.

 

[bsexton]

The rocket looks great by the way.

 

[MaxQ]

Thanks..looking forward to a first flight this fall, somewhere.

Culpeper or Red Glare, maybe both if weather and work schedules cooperate.