Just getting back into building rockets after after a 45 year hold. In the last year I’ve built an old Saturn V kit I had in a box. Used what was left of an old Saturn IB and scratch built a Saturn SA6. Tested it on a long string for stability. Have not launched any yet. Built one Little Joe 2 as per the Estes kit instructions with the modifications noted in forums posted on this site. Thanks for the heads up on the problems associated with this kit. First one done and have E30-4 composite ready for launch when it warms up here. Right now it’s minus 22C outside with a wind chill of minus 33C. I saw Estes was discontinuing this kit so I picked up the last one in the hobby store.
For this second build I was thinking of changing the motor mount to take the 95 mm long E engines. Going to replace the forward centering ring with plywood ring and use thru wall wood slats to secure the fins and center the rear of the engine mount tube. The rear plate with the engine cones will be removed for launch. With them gone I’m thinking of setting the engine mount tube forward so the bottom of the engine is flush with the bottom of the main body tube.
I don’t use rocket sim or any other computer program to check stability but moving the engine forward, dumping the fake nozzles, and using a plywood forward centering ring should all help with moving the CG forward. I’d check stability as always at the end of a long string. Any thoughts from the pros would be appreciated.
For this second build I was thinking of changing the motor mount to take the 95 mm long E engines. Going to replace the forward centering ring with plywood ring and use thru wall wood slats to secure the fins and center the rear of the engine mount tube. The rear plate with the engine cones will be removed for launch. With them gone I’m thinking of setting the engine mount tube forward so the bottom of the engine is flush with the bottom of the main body tube.
I don’t use rocket sim or any other computer program to check stability but moving the engine forward, dumping the fake nozzles, and using a plywood forward centering ring should all help with moving the CG forward. I’d check stability as always at the end of a long string. Any thoughts from the pros would be appreciated.