To be honest I thought I'd already posted this thread but a search didn't turn up anything so it may have been longer ago then I thought.
One of my desires since the introduction of Micro Maxx motors in 1999 has been to have at least one model for every event listed in the NAR Model Rocket Sporting Code better known as the Pink book. Over the last 10 years...WOW Micros have been around TEN YEARS ALREADY!!!! WOW! but I digress.. over the decade I have managed to complete this quest. To date there are only two areas lacking. Both are Payload events. one being Eggloft which we'll talk about at another time. The other is Payload altitiude.
Up til now the NAR standard Payload has been 28grams (1oz.) 18mm in dia and 70mm long. Our Mighty micro maxx 1/8A.5-1 (MMX-II's) .31Ns just won't lift that much. So I wanted to make-up something that could be used in our motor impulse class. The original thought was to go with a 7gram (1/4oz) load. I did manage to fashion something that would and did work using #9 lead shot as the filler. After approaching the National contest board Chair and the provisional contests committee chairs I was told in no uncertain terms... NO.. the payload would have to be something else..NON-Metallic.. but they liked the idea and wanted to expand it to also cover the two remaining missing motor classes 1/4A and 1/2A as well. Reluctantly I said I'd make an attempt but wasn't sure about how the other two would fit in.
Since I've always disliked being forced to use 19mm tubing for Payload altitude models to handle the 18mm payloads. One of my main objectives was to make the Small payload...coined "PeeWee Payload" would fit inside a minimum diameter Micro Maxx body tube. that being a standard T2+ (.281" OD) cardboard tubing. This ment the payload would have to be made with something smaller T2 (.246" OD). I still wanted to use 7grams as the finished payload mass but no matter what material or combination of materials I tried I just couldn't get enough in these tiny tubes to make the weight without it being very long. Again the target size to keep measuring instruments and fixtures to a minimum it was decided that "container" should be kept to .246" (T2) in diameter and the same length as a NAR Standard Payload 70mm (2.75") with the same tolerance +/- 10mm.
After months of trying different mixtures I gave up on the full 7gram/1/4oz payload. Instead went back to the mixing board trying for half that 3.5grams or 1/8oz. After some considerable fiddleing I came up with a CA & Playsand mixture that worked and could be repeated consistantly in a 70mm x T2 tube.
Next 3 different size models were designed to be the easiest models that any level flyer could construct using easily available components and parts. the only slight disappointment was with the 1/2A model in that I wanted it to carry 3 of these 3.5gram loads, that just would not fit in a standard BT-5 model. I had to use a 14mm tube and NC
but it works.
Attached below is a reduced copy of the One-page plan showing all three models and drawing of the full size payload. and 1 photo of each of the 3 proto-type models with payloads.
What I need and hope some of you TFR's will help with is to get bunch of folks to build one or two of these and fly them with your local clubs and report back the flights and altitudes recorded. These flights do not have to be done a sanctioned contests, rather can be part of any NAR scanctioned club sport launch. They will have to be optical tracking results and will have to be closed within the usual 10%.
What I'm hoping is that if I can get a number of other clubs flying these PeeWee payloads I can get them added to the pinkbook rules in the next RCP cycle? But these should be fun flying anyway
Here's the plan and photos.
I'd sure be interested in hearing what you micro flyers think of these.
In the next couple of posting I'll show the process of making the payloads that took a couple nights while watching TV in the living room.
View attachment Micro Cluster Alt & Payload Baseline drawing_09-11-09.pdf
View attachment MM 364-0c_PeeWee Payloader & 3.5g 70mm payload dwg_03-28-08.pdf
One of my desires since the introduction of Micro Maxx motors in 1999 has been to have at least one model for every event listed in the NAR Model Rocket Sporting Code better known as the Pink book. Over the last 10 years...WOW Micros have been around TEN YEARS ALREADY!!!! WOW! but I digress.. over the decade I have managed to complete this quest. To date there are only two areas lacking. Both are Payload events. one being Eggloft which we'll talk about at another time. The other is Payload altitiude.
Up til now the NAR standard Payload has been 28grams (1oz.) 18mm in dia and 70mm long. Our Mighty micro maxx 1/8A.5-1 (MMX-II's) .31Ns just won't lift that much. So I wanted to make-up something that could be used in our motor impulse class. The original thought was to go with a 7gram (1/4oz) load. I did manage to fashion something that would and did work using #9 lead shot as the filler. After approaching the National contest board Chair and the provisional contests committee chairs I was told in no uncertain terms... NO.. the payload would have to be something else..NON-Metallic.. but they liked the idea and wanted to expand it to also cover the two remaining missing motor classes 1/4A and 1/2A as well. Reluctantly I said I'd make an attempt but wasn't sure about how the other two would fit in.
Since I've always disliked being forced to use 19mm tubing for Payload altitude models to handle the 18mm payloads. One of my main objectives was to make the Small payload...coined "PeeWee Payload" would fit inside a minimum diameter Micro Maxx body tube. that being a standard T2+ (.281" OD) cardboard tubing. This ment the payload would have to be made with something smaller T2 (.246" OD). I still wanted to use 7grams as the finished payload mass but no matter what material or combination of materials I tried I just couldn't get enough in these tiny tubes to make the weight without it being very long. Again the target size to keep measuring instruments and fixtures to a minimum it was decided that "container" should be kept to .246" (T2) in diameter and the same length as a NAR Standard Payload 70mm (2.75") with the same tolerance +/- 10mm.
After months of trying different mixtures I gave up on the full 7gram/1/4oz payload. Instead went back to the mixing board trying for half that 3.5grams or 1/8oz. After some considerable fiddleing I came up with a CA & Playsand mixture that worked and could be repeated consistantly in a 70mm x T2 tube.
Next 3 different size models were designed to be the easiest models that any level flyer could construct using easily available components and parts. the only slight disappointment was with the 1/2A model in that I wanted it to carry 3 of these 3.5gram loads, that just would not fit in a standard BT-5 model. I had to use a 14mm tube and NC
but it works. Attached below is a reduced copy of the One-page plan showing all three models and drawing of the full size payload. and 1 photo of each of the 3 proto-type models with payloads.
What I need and hope some of you TFR's will help with is to get bunch of folks to build one or two of these and fly them with your local clubs and report back the flights and altitudes recorded. These flights do not have to be done a sanctioned contests, rather can be part of any NAR scanctioned club sport launch. They will have to be optical tracking results and will have to be closed within the usual 10%.
What I'm hoping is that if I can get a number of other clubs flying these PeeWee payloads I can get them added to the pinkbook rules in the next RCP cycle? But these should be fun flying anyway
Here's the plan and photos.
I'd sure be interested in hearing what you micro flyers think of these.
In the next couple of posting I'll show the process of making the payloads that took a couple nights while watching TV in the living room.
View attachment Micro Cluster Alt & Payload Baseline drawing_09-11-09.pdf
View attachment MM 364-0c_PeeWee Payloader & 3.5g 70mm payload dwg_03-28-08.pdf
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