My first scratch built and flight...

[Bohica]

I recently ordered some steel rod for my business and it came in 14" thick wall packing tubes. The OD of the tubes is 28mm and the ID is 26mm. The tubes sat around my office for a day or two just begging to be turned into "something".

I have been building kit rockets off and on for 25 years and of course I have modified existing kits and experimented...but I never really sat down to build a rocket out of bits and pieces.

I decided it was time.

I did a test fit with a D12-7 motor I had laying around and noted that all that would be required to friction fit the motor with minimal effort (experiment remember) would be a couple winds of electrical tape.

I measured it out and fitted the motor with 10mm protruding.

I then sliced a small hole through both sides of the fuselage and slid a large paperclip through and bent the ends flush. This would keep the motor in place during "boost".

For fins I downloaded a page of Estes fin patterns from a post here at "The Rocketry Forum". I chose the "clipped delta" pattern.

I cut the fins out of sheet balsa and took some time sanding them to perfection.

I then glued and filleted them into place (3 fins).

I took a 4" "launch lug" (ultralight aluminum tubing) and glued/filleted it into place next.

Next came a trip to China world...I mean Wal Mart for shock cord. Yep...crafts dept. .88 cents later...

I made my version of an Estes mount using bond paper and 36" of the elastic.

For a nose cone...I was baffled until I noticed the little red caps that came on the tubes! I placed a small eyelet through one cap and then filled it with epoxy. I then glued the 2 caps togethor. Perfect nose cone! Blunt but fine for this first experiment...

The recovery system consisted of an 18" Estes chute.

I covered the whole rocket in aluminum tape...

I launched it about 2 hours ago. The flight was GREAT! It flew dead straight and out of sight. Then the trouble started! The dual line shockcord tangled with the chute and it came down like a lawn dart. Luckily the only damage was one busted fin.





Click images for full size pics...

Now that I have learned a couple of lessons and know this will work I will be building another...I have a 48" piece of the same tubing. This one will get a proper motor mount and nose cone and be finished out to my normal high standards. Wish me luck!

 

[10fttall]

Tubes are great. Now you'll start to look at everything round and wonder how much it weighs, what kind of finish you could put on it, and how it would stand up to your favorite motor.

Just out of curiosity, why the dual shock cord?

Good luck with the next effort!

 

[BAR0051]

Nice, I like building from mailing tubes, less than $3 for 2.5 or 3 inch 3 ft long. For my AirMail https://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f77/BAR0051/AirMaillaunch.jpg
I robbed the nosecone and fins from a Estes kit. I made plywood centering rings with a 29mm motor mount. I usually fly it on G64-7 reloads. I just got a PML 3 in. nosecone for my 3 in. mailing tube, I have to make fins but I have not made up my mind, 29mm or 38mm motor tube. I already have centering rings for 29mm but if I went with 38mm I could always adapt down, but I would have to make or buy centering rings.
My Long Daddy
https://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f77/BAR0051/Daddys.jpg
is made from a shipping tube, scratch built fins and centering rings from plywood, nosecone is robbed from a Estes Big Daddy kit. I fly it on H128 motors. 20 years ago when I was first into rockets a made one out of a tube a big drill bit came in, flew on C6-5 motors.

 

[Bohica]

Originally posted by 10fttall


Just out of curiosity, why the dual shock cord?

Good luck with the next effort!

No clue...It was an impulse thing and obviously I should have stuck to the tried and true!

 

[astrowolf67]

Nice job on the scratch build! Those kind, made from scrap, free parts are the best. And, there's not as much worry if you lose it.

By the way, I notice you are from W. KY, what part? Not many of us rocket folk in this end.

 

[Bohica]

Originally posted by astrowolf67
Nice job on the scratch build! Those kind, made from scrap, free parts are the best. And, there's not as much worry if you lose it.

By the way, I notice you are from W. KY, what part? Not many of us rocket folk in this end.

I am in Marshall County. Benton. We need to shoot sometime! I shoot on a regular basis at the Benton fairground. Is their a good spot over Mayfield way?

Bo

 

[astrowolf67]

Yes we do, that's close to home! I'm in Boaz, not too far from Benton at all. The field I use here, is covered in soy beans at the moment.

There's also a KY club, www.bluesrocks.org, great bunch of guys. We are still a young club, but we are really starting to get rolling. The only fields we currently have, are in Etown, and Lexington, but we are looking for one here in the west end also. There's a launch coming up on August 12, at Etown, September's will be in Lexington, and then we are working on a two day launch in October.

 

[Bohica]

Thanks for the info! I will definately look into the club. Here in Benton at the fairground we have a spot that's about 300 yards by 400 yards.



Bo

 

[Bohica]

The rocket in question has been flown a total of 8 times since my original flight. I have flown it on D12-3, 5, and 7's and E9-4's and E15-6's. The E15's are too much! Stable flight but looooonnnngggg recovery walk. I think the D12-3's are the perfect fit.