TLP Matra Magic R.550

[gdjsky01]

This was part of a lot I got off of eBay quite some time ago. $50USD for the Matra, a Nike-Ajax, and a Hellfire. I like those kinds of deals. I bid what I can, and if I win I win. If not oh well...

The packing was fine for the Nike and Hellfire... the Matra got squished a bit. So I straighten them out but they'll never be right. I'll just use 'details' in the finish to cover them up as best as possible.

​

 

[sodmeister]

Another TLP kit build...sweet !

You`re going to like this kit Jeff ,lots of fins and pretty big when finished.

Have fun !


paul T

 

[TopRamen]

Another TLP Missiie. I'm in!

 

[gdjsky01]

I don't need to tell you what a challenge this appears to be CG/CP wise. According to ROCSim and OpenRocket* the CG will need to be in the forward 1/3rd of that wide blue stripe's or less. The two ounces of BBs Gorilla glued into the nose already may not be enough... it looks like I'll need one more ounce... we'll see. I'd like to fly it on CTI F's... but it'll be close to the 500gm CA limit for 'Model Rockets'.

Not much to see here. I put together the two tubes using 5 minute epoxy so as to not have the coupler seize on me. Then I rubber banded the assembly to some angle channel to set hopefully straight.

The Bondo spot putty is where I have attempted to repair some of the dents and such. As I said, I think at some point they'll disappear into the detail. Or I'll cover them up :smile:

You can see the balsa nose cone also red from spot putty. I am not gonna stress about making the seeker head look clear or chrome. I'll see what I can find and go from there.





*(Worst most counterintuitive simulation UI ehvah IMO... oh and the 3D does not work on the my iMac, but its free... but I digress... )

 

[gdjsky01]

I went ahead and replaced the motor tube with aluminum lined tubing I get from Balsa Machining Service. I did so only because it's longer for those CTI loads I'd like to fly and it acts as a bit of a stuffer tube. As Paul said, it's a substantial sized rocket at 2.6 inch (60mm) around and 42 inches (106cm) long. So there is a lot to pressurize. As usual TLP has a centering ring to keep the chute bundle as far forward as possible.

Here if you look closely I am using the hook bent upside down and glued against the aft CR. I don't need a thrust ring and I want to use longer loads. And as I write this, I remember I have Estes 24mm retainers.... :bangpan: :eyeroll:

Oh well... as you'll see I wrapped the hook in CA impregnated kevlar string. You can see I filed a spot on the hook. The string is both around the hook/MMT and over and under the hook. Not just across the top. I've done this before and never had a motor rip the hook away. The ty-wrap was temporary and cut away later.

 

[gdjsky01]

Then the assembly went on in to the now dried body tube. It sits way in there. And then another coupler goes in to toughen up the back. At some point that coupler will get a CA bath.

Once dry I took a fresh x-acto knife blade and slit away the ty-wrap (it got sorta glued on so I couldn't slide it off ). That's Arleen's tacky glue. I wiped away the excess after I saw the picture on the camera.

 

[gdjsky01]

Speaking of a CA bath... I cut out all the fins. The balsa was good and straight though you can see a wide variation in the grain going from lighter to denser. When I cut out the fins I left a place on each where the edge was scored but not cut through. This gives me a place to put a clamp to hold the fin while I give it a CA bath without gluing the clamp, or more likely me, to the fins.

I'll cut out the notch in the aft fins later. I noticed the Magic also has a notch in the forward fins not modeled on the templates. Joys of the internet there are many good hi-res photos of the R.550.

After the CA dried the fins were significantly tougher without being much heavier (tho I did not weigh them before and after). Also you'll see I thickened up the forward parachute centering ring. I want more surface area as it's got the screw-eye in the hardwood blocks there. I just put some slabs of wood on it, then sanded to match the rings outer edge.

 

[TopRamen]

Excellent. That's good progress so far. I'm enjoying your Techniques.

 

[gdjsky01]

I like this round.

 

[TopRamen]

I like this round.

View attachment 154279

I like it for the Nose Cone, so you can avoid the Clear or Shiny, but the Prototype Look can be Tricky. You'll have to pay more attention to the kind of Details like on the Rear Fins.

Sure, you can make that with a Flat Bastard File of the right Size, but it is tedious.

A "Realist" would only add those Notches to show the World where he got his Photo.

 

[gdjsky01]

Nope. Not I. I was just referring to the finish. I am not gonna worry about beveling fins. Or notching collars. The notches in the rear fins I'll cut out. But the bevels I'll leave for the masters like Paul, BoosterDude, Scottydog, HornetDriver, and Todd (Oblivious to Time). Those are the masters. (And of course others... I cant recall them all!)

Jeff

 

[hcmbanjo]

Oh well... as you'll see I wrapped the hook in CA impregnated kevlar string. You can see I filed a spot on the hook. The string is both around the hook/MMT and over and under the hook. Not just across the top. I've done this before and never had a motor rip the hook away. The ty-wrap was temporary and cut away later.

View attachment 154262

Hey, using a small ty-wrap in place of a retaining ring is a great idea!
I do like the use of Kevlar, but I would think the ty-wrap would be enough and work on LPR models if the upper bend of the hook is under the upper centering ring.

 

[gdjsky01]

Hi Chris, be careful and experiment first. You don't want to pull it too tight or you could constrict the tubing.

 

[TopRamen]

Hey look, the Matra Magic is in my newest addition to my Library:
Lower Left

 

[Daddyisabar]

This was part of a lot I got off of eBay quite some time ago. $50USD for the Matra, a Nike-Ajax, and a Hellfire. I like those kinds of deals. I bid what I can, and if I win I win. If not oh well...

The packing was fine for the Nike and Hellfire... the Matra got squished a bit. So I straighten them out but they'll never be right. I'll just use 'details' in the finish to cover them up as best as possible.

[/CENTER]

That was sure a great deal on EBay when the hobby store was dumping those kits. Don’t see many deals like that on FeeBay anymore. I just about put in a bid but then I recognized the bidder and thought these rockets would go to a loving home and end up as good technique build threads on TRF. So happy to see you got them for bottom dollar. Not too many TLP lovers on EBay that week. I ended up with the Sidewinder - Matra Do You Believe in Magic - Falcon lot. My Matra ended up being used as parts for two scratch builds, the TA 152 and Val. A TLP kit is a terrible thing to waste.

Yeppers, that Matra needs a boat load of nose weight. Big washers to glue on the nose cone. Put a bit of a scare into some club members when I launched my first one as a wee BAR back in the day. I said forward fins on a rocket just make it look so darn cool and the RSO had to reassure them the rocket had nose weight and was probably even a bit over stable. After some worried looks she ripped straight off the pad on an E30. The first of many flights. The Magic sure likes that quick power, now you see me, now you don’t. I always told the TLP haters in my best Peter Seller’s French accent; “Don’t worry, it is designed and made in France, much better than your silly Sidewinder, NO?”

And good to see you are strengthening the thin tube with pints, or quarts, or gallons of thin CA. The stock tube is weak just above the fins and will begin to fail after several flights or a hard landing just like you see on a Mean Machine. Lovely to watch all that brown kraft paper and dry squishy balsa just soaking up the CA. Heating up with lots of fumes and vapors. Cough, cough, wheeze, gag, spit . . . I love me TLP.

 

[TopRamen]

Turns out the Rocket on the Cover of my new Book is a PL-7, a Reverse Engineered version of the French Missile. But here's the entry for the Matra:

 

[gdjsky01]

The stock tube is weak just above the fins and will begin to fail after several flights or a hard landing just like you see on a Mean Machine.

Hopefully the longer stuffer tube/MMT will help with that. The 2 ounces of BBs I put in the nose won't be enough. For AT reloads it'll be fine. But for manly CTI F's or the newly acquired 24/60 casing, it'll need the washer. The good news is weighing everything so far looks like it would still be 12 to 13 ounces (370gm) dry. That'll easily keep it under the 500gm (17oz) model rocket limit (California thing).

 

[Daddyisabar]

You guys must be looking into the future to fix up all the TLP troubles before they happen. Now that is using the Force. With those fancy new CTI cases and motors you will soon be leaving the local bulk carriers in the dust and taking the big Corellian Cruisers.

 

[TopRamen]

You guys must be looking into the future to fix up all the TLP troubles before they happen. Now that is using the Force. With those fancy new CTI cases and motors you will soon be leaving the local bulk carriers in the dust and taking the big Corellian Cruisers.

Nothing better to Bash than a 2.6" TLP Kit.:

 

[gdjsky01]

You guys must be looking into the future to fix up all the TLP troubles before they happen. Now that is using the Force. With those fancy new CTI cases and motors you will soon be leaving the local bulk carriers in the dust and taking the big Corellian Cruisers.

How is reading your post "Looking into the future"?


No progress. To much work and too little time after it.

 

[Daddyisabar]

How is reading your post "Looking into the future"?


No progress. To much work and too little time after it.

I just build my TLP kits, fly ‘em and then notice the components getting damaged. I then say "Darn it, I shudda reinforced that tube!" Whereas the Rocket Jedi place the unbuilt kit in front of them, quiet their mind and let the midichlorians speak to them. They visualize the future flight, see the damage on the stock build and then they are able to make cool mods during the actual build. Never make a bet with a Rocket Jedi that your rocket will win the drag race because he already has you beat.

Or maybe you guys are with the Techno Guild and have some fancy rocket simulation software. Wearing those black suits with the cool helmets and hats you rely on pure science and ignore the outmoded religion of the Jedi. “Our heavily modified TLP kits rule the range and are now the ultimate power in the Galaxy, whereas your sad devotion to some ancient religion has not given you the clairvoyance to find the solution to your Nike Ajax tube being slowly fried by multiple D cluster ejection charges!”. . . loosen collar. . . wheeze. . . gag. . . choke.:dark:

Well, however you do it, keep up the good work and cool mods on the TLP kits.

 

[Buzzard]

"I like it for the Nose Cone, so you can avoid the Clear or Shiny, but the Prototype Look can be Tricky. You'll have to pay more attention to the kind of Details like on the Rear Fins."

The red "nose cone" is a rubber cover over the clear glass or plastic cover for the infared seeker of the missile. Most modelers will just paint the cover silver to simulate the clear portion.

Chas

 

[TopRamen]

"I like it for the Nose Cone, so you can avoid the Clear or Shiny, but the Prototype Look can be Tricky. You'll have to pay more attention to the kind of Details like on the Rear Fins."

The red "nose cone" is a rubber cover over the clear glass or plastic cover for the infared seeker of the missile. Most modelers will just paint the cover silver to simulate the clear portion.

Chas

Thanks for the info. One day, I'm going to do one with a Clear Cover and model up some what will look like Lenses or IR Sensors to go in it. I'll be keeping my Eye out for Plexiglass Bowls that will be used for the clear Part.

 

[TopRamen]

[video=youtube;LWfSPh7s-_k]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWfSPh7s-_k[/video]

 

[gdjsky01]

I built up the bulkhead and installed it.

 

[gdjsky01]

I used a piece of a mailing tube to push the bulkhead down into the ring of glue evenly. Or there abouts :wink:

Once it was where I wanted it, I slopped a good size blurp of wood glue all around

 

[gdjsky01]

Sanded the fins together to about the same size. Sanded the sides smooth(er). And rounded the leading edges. There was a lot of fins to sand. :y:

 

[gdjsky01]

I was thinking hard about some removable nose weight. Had I not already carved out as central cavity and filled it with glue and BBs, I'd have definitely done it different. I should have thought harder back a few weeks ago. :bangpan::eyeroll:

I simply decided to bite the bullet and open a few more cavities and place in all the nose weight I was gonna need for CTI F's and my newly minted Aerotech F35 (24/60) casing. As long as the total is under 500gm, I'll be happy. It'll just go lower on E's than it would have with adjustable weight.

Here's the cone with the BBs and glue in... then foaming away....

 

[sodmeister]

Sure makes me smile to see more and more TLP builds ,I should probably crack out a kit for my traditional Xmas/Holiday build.:wink:

Wonder what that "big mouth" GHRocketman (remember him ?) over at YORF would say about all this crackpotism......

I must admit Jeff ,sanding fins and filling them is likely my least favorite part of any build ,and with the Magic.....there are plenty of `em !

Keep up the good work ,cause I`m lovin` it !!


Paul T

 

[Rich Holmes]

Thanks for the info. One day, I'm going to do one with a Clear Cover and model up some what will look like Lenses or IR Sensors to go in it. I'll be keeping my Eye out for Plexiglass Bowls that will be used for the clear Part.

Too bad I didn't see this post until today or I would've taken a closeup yesterday of such a nose for you. The dark red rocket with the almost flat nose here:
View attachment 155023
Clear window on top with electronics behind (from some broken audio equipment). Looked cool.