An "R"-powered rocket build

[Rail Dawg]

Holy cow Buddy that is a big parachute!

Really like the colors.

Looks like you guys have done some professional work!

Chuck C.

 

[Buddy Michaelson]

This thing is like a body bag, right at 44” tall and 11” D. Will ship out this week! Thanks for everything Chuck!

 

[Rail Dawg]

This thing is like a body bag, right at 44” tall and 11” D. Will ship out this week! Thanks for everything Chuck!

It's great to see the packed volume of this 50' parachute.

Just now getting to the stage in the build where we're dealing with the parachute compartment.

Have got all the recovery harnesses and anchor points figured out.

Slowly but surely this project is coming together!

Thanks!

Chuck C.

 

[Ez2cDave]

It's great to see the packed volume of this 50' parachute.

Just now getting to the stage in the build where we're dealing with the parachute compartment.

Have got all the recovery harnesses and anchor points figured out.

Slowly but surely this project is coming together!

Thanks!

Chuck C.

Chuck & Buddy,

The chute looks great . . . Beautiful colors !

On the subject of parachutes, has the Drogue Chute been addressed yet ?

Also, is a Pilot Chute going to be used to extract the Main Chute ?

Dave F.

 

[davdue]

There are some interesting things in the background of your parachute pics Buddy.

 

[Buddy Michaelson]

Chuck & Buddy,

The chute looks great . . . Beautiful colors !

On the subject of parachutes, has the Drogue Chute been addressed yet ?

Also, is a Pilot Chute going to be used to extract the Main Chute ?

Dave F.

View attachment 385851

That’s something we’ll definitely have to talk about, you’d probably need a 6ft parachute to pull the bag off of the parachute, it also keeps the chute aimed straight down, and the bag straight up in the air, helping tremendously. Also for a drogue you’d need around a 12-14ft Pro X Chute, preferably a 14ft as it’d be a lot less stress on the parachute when being deployed.

 

[Hobie1dog]

There are some interesting things in the background of your parachute pics Buddy.

I was going to request pictures and stories of all the other toys too.

622 posts over 10 years and finally got my first like this week.

 

[Buddy Michaelson]

I was going to request pictures and stories of all the other toys too.

622 posts over 10 years and finally got my first like this week.

Our place is full of rocket powered everything, including a 3,000 Horsepower Motorcycle, 100mph Rocket toilet, 412mph rocket car, the rocket belt I flew in when I was 7 years old, the space shot from 2004, and about 30 other really cool projects. Most people are scared to get close to rockets, well we ride them

 

[tim cubbedge]

622 posts over 10 years and finally got my first like this week.

The like button is only about a year old!

 

[Rail Dawg]

Not at home but we have a Rocketman ballistic drogue that we believe is 12-14 ft diameter. Need to measure.

Sounds like Buddy and his dad Ky have the logistics of drogue, pilot and main chute operation down pat lol. Go figure!

I’m very comfortable with the strength of the rocket recovery harnesses and anchor system. Getting the chutes packed for flight should be easy to do right.

The Rocketman web site has good videos on specifically their 4-shroud parachutes.

Still listening of course to any and all inputs on the subject of recovery. Never hurts to discuss and find any potential weak areas.

Chuck C.

 

[Mightyrocketman]

Big parachutes take longer to open. Keep that in mind when setting the main to deploy. I have seen several large rockets with the main out but not inflated before contacting the ground.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Big parachutes take longer to open. Keep that in mind when setting the main to deploy. I have seen several large rockets with the main out but not inflated before contacting the ground.

Chuck,

This is a good point . . .

1st Main Charge @ 2,200 - 2,500 ft AGL ?

2nd Main Charge @1,800 - 2,000 ft AGL ?

"Doomsday Charge" @ 1,500 ft AGL ?

Dave F.

 

[Buddy Michaelson]

Chuck,

This is a good point . . .

1st Main Charge @ 2,200 - 2,500 ft AGL ?

2nd Main Charge @1,800 - 2,000 ft AGL ?

"Doomsday Charge" @ 1,500 ft AGL ?

Dave F.

View attachment 385892

Is the Doomsday charge 5 pounds of black powder? These Chutes open up insanely fast if they’re packed correctly, Toms 60ft Chutes is deployed in a second, and his rockets only go 800-1,200ft up! But I do agree with you, always better to be safe than sorry, and always back your self up on charges like crazy.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Big parachutes take longer to open. Keep that in mind when setting the main to deploy. I have seen several large rockets with the main out but not inflated before contacting the ground.

Great input.

I'm a pessimist when flying rockets always thinking some dumb mistake will rise and bite me lol.

Best to walk/drive a little extra than to watch the rocket smack the ground with a partially-opened parachute.

Thanks!

Chuck C.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Is the Doomsday charge 5 pounds of black powder? These Chutes open up insanely fast if they’re packed correctly, Toms 60ft Chutes is deployed in a second, and his rockets only go 800-1,200ft up! But I do agree with you, always better to be safe than sorry, and always back your self up on charges like crazy.

Good question Buddy.

Finally able to start looking hard at the recovery systems.

No decisions have been made but am definitely looking forward to the charge-cannon testing phase of this project.

Let's just say we'll hear the Doomsday Charge no problem lol.

Chuck C.

 

[neil_w]

Finally able to start looking hard at the recovery systems.

No decisions have been made but am definitely looking forward to the charge-cannon testing phase of this project.

Let's just say we'll hear the Doomsday Charge no problem lol.

If there's any way to get video, I'd love to see what testing a rocket of that size looks like.

 

[IputtheAinBAMA]

Not at home but we have a Rocketman ballistic drogue that we believe is 12-14 ft diameter. Need to measure.

Sounds like Buddy and his dad Ky have the logistics of drogue, pilot and main chute operation down pat lol. Go figure!

I’m very comfortable with the strength of the rocket recovery harnesses and anchor system. Getting the chutes packed for flight should be easy to do right.

The Rocketman web site has good videos on specifically their 4-shroud parachutes.

Still listening of course to any and all inputs on the subject of recovery. Never hurts to discuss and find any potential weak areas.

Chuck C.

Make sure the chute is packed tight and does not just fall out of the bag. The pilot chute should strip the bag. In this manner you will prevent a lot of issues. A perfect example is Tom Cohen's 60ft that I believe has inverted on every flight. While it still inflated and provided drag the chutes are meant to have the reinforcement running over the top and stitching is notorious for ripping away when loaded. Tom also had a smaller chute that inverted and one of the arms never inflated due to the webbing wrapping it up. My suggestions are to pack the shroud lines in a way that they deploy first and only deploy we the pilot chute is pulling on them. Also make sure the main parachute does not fall out of the bag but the bag is stripped off by the pilot chute. Having the parachute deploy before the lines are stretched is considered an out of sequence deployment and can lead to major malfunctions. Another option that is used on larger chutes is shroud line ties and even canopy ties. You could even tie a break away hesitator loop at the bottom of the arms to ensure the canopy doesn't invert or tangle.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Make sure the chute is packed tight and does not just fall out of the bag. The pilot chute should strip the bag. In this manner you will prevent a lot of issues. A perfect example is Tom Cohen's 60ft that I believe has inverted on every flight. While it still inflated and provided drag the chutes are meant to have the reinforcement running over the top and stitching is notorious for ripping away when loaded. Tom also had a smaller chute that inverted and one of the arms never inflated due to the webbing wrapping it up. My suggestions are to pack the shroud lines in a way that they deploy first and only deploy we the pilot chute is pulling on them. Also make sure the main parachute does not fall out of the bag but the bag is stripped off by the pilot chute. Having the parachute deploy before the lines are stretched is considered an out of sequence deployment and can lead to major malfunctions. Another option that is used on larger chutes is shroud line ties and even canopy ties. You could even tie a break away hesitator loop at the bottom of the arms to ensure the canopy doesn't invert or tangle.

Great stuff!

Thanks!

Chuck C.

 

[Rail Dawg]

If there's any way to get video, I'd love to see what testing a rocket of that size looks like.

You bet!

Chuck C.

 

[Rail Dawg]

Need to put small stickers (arrows perhaps) in a few locations on the rocket to indicate where the airframes need to line up exactly. I’m sure I’ll need markings in a few other places like for CG and CP.

Anyone here use Sticker Shock? If so how well do their stickers adhere especially well above Mach? Any other companies you know that make rocketry-related stickers?

Thanks.

Chuck C.

 

[neil_w]

Anyone here use Sticker Shock? If so how well do their stickers adhere especially well above Mach? Any other companies you know that make rocketry-related stickers?

A better question would be: does anyone here *not* use Stickershock?

I don't fly above Mach so I'll leave that part of the question to others, although my impression is that everyone is doing it with no problems.

 

[Rail Dawg]

A better question would be: does anyone here *not* use Stickershock?

I don't fly above Mach so I'll leave that part of the question to others, although my impression is that everyone is doing it with no problems.

Hey that’s great to hear.

I may have missed it but Stickershock needs more stickers like for CG, CP and misc like arrows.

Any other sites for rocket stickers?

Chuck C.

 

[neil_w]

I may have missed it but Stickershock needs more stickers like for CG, CP and misc like arrows.

Just email Mark and ask him. He may not have them listed on his website but he has certainly printed things like that in the past.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Hey that’s great to hear.

I may have missed it but Stickershock needs more stickers like for CG, CP and misc like arrows.

Any other sites for rocket stickers?

Chuck C.

Chuck,

Don't forget this one, while loading the rocket on the rail . . .

Dave F.

 

[Ez2cDave]

Any other sites for rocket stickers?

Chuck C.

Chuck,

This might be helpful . . . Apparently, they can do custom, too.

https://www.graphixnstuff.com/vinyl/decals/misc/index.html

Dave F.

 

[Theory]

A better question would be: does anyone here *not* use Stickershock?

X2!!!!!

And don’t worry about what you see, he can make anything you need

Apply, then hit it with some clear. They will only come off if they “burn away”

 

[Theory]

Any other sites for rocket stickers?

No reason not to use Mark. Keeping the $$$ in the hobby (obsession) is the way to go

 

[OverTheTop]

Have you thought about using locating pins in the airframe to match the sections up, instead of stickers? I use pins on all my HPR stuff and it goes together so much easier. It makes mating sections so much easier, more than I would have believed before.

For my larger rockets I use 1/8" steel tooling pins (I have some laying around). Here is an example on the 8.25" Nike Smoke:


Just fit the airframes together and then drill the hole. Pin is glued in place on the part with the thicker material. If your inner coupler is the motor casing, just glue it to the surface of that .

 

[Ez2cDave]

No reason not to use Mark. Keeping the $$$ in the hobby (obsession) is the way to go

Theory

As long as Mark can provide the needed items for Chuck, that's fine . . . But, if not, there are alternatives in the "free market" !

Dave F.

 

[tim cubbedge]

Mark is a great guy, does exceptional custom work & wouldn't buy stickers from anyone else. With his wife's condition, I would think that everyone would help support her cause! And with the moneys getting slapped into this project, a sticker is the flap on the chickens behind!