L1 Scratch Build: Mustang Zero

This is my L1 project. It was originally going to be a Blue Bird Zero upscale, but evolved into something a little different for various reasons. It's been slow going but I'm finally nearing the finish line. I started at LDRS last year, bought my tubes, rings, and NC.

Fins are 1/8" ply, cut with a miter saw and hand sanded. TTW construction with a 29mm MMT. Motor tube is long enough to handle a 6 grain case. Because there is such a long overhang between the aft edge of the fins and the end of the body tube, I decided to double up the centering rings and split the tube so I wouldn't have to fill the slots.

I made a fin alignment jig from cardstock and glued and filleted the fins with JB Weld (yes, probably overkill).

Glued the forward fins on and glued the fin can in. It's looking like a real rocket at this point.

I took a tack at this point. I was unsure of the recovery design, so I moved on to paint. The plan was for a P-51esque scheme, and I stuck with that. Bare aluminum on the bottom and French blue on top, with black and white invasion stripes.

That is a beautiful rocket.

Have you picked a motor for your L1 cert flight?

Bones

Very Nice! I love the invasion stripes, really makes the rocket! Great job!

Mike

Wow that was a quick build!

Beautiful rocket. What type of tube is that? It has a very nice finish.

degreaser said:

Wow that was a quick build!

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LOL. I'm posting retroactively. The build started last June after LDRS.

degreaser said:

Beautiful rocket. What type of tube is that? It has a very nice finish.

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Thanks
Not sure on the exact tube manufacturer. It's definitely LOC-like though. I bought it from Discount Rocketry at LDRS. I am definitely pleased with the quality of the components I bought.

Bone Daddy said:

That is a beautiful rocket.

Have you picked a motor for your L1 cert flight?

Bones

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Haven't decided yet. I probably won't be able to put it up till NSL in June and I'll probably buy the motor and reload at the launch, so may depend on what's available and what the conditions are like. If it's calm I'm thinking I'll go big and put her up on an I200W.

JNordgren said:

LOL. I'm posting retroactively. The build started last June after LDRS.

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I did the same thing on my L1 builds - I waited until I had the glassing done before I posted the build just in case I royally screwed things up

beautiful!



Good luck with her.

BBZ on skids..... Nice... Just a thought!

Your jig is quite innovative and impressive. Bonus points!

Thanks for all the kind words. And hmmm, skidmark...... I will have to seriously consider that.

Here she is with the majority of the graphics done. Squadron code is Coverite 2" vinyl registration lettering. Insignia are silkscreened SIG vinyl decals, the pinup is inkjet printed decal paper over white Monokote trim sheet (even though i used the "opaque" paper, it ended up more like translucent over the blue), and the "Bewitched" is more trim sheet, painstakingly hand cut (and yes, it's probably as much of a PITA as you imagine ).

I finally settled on a zipperless configuration, steel mesh "chore boy" baffle, and good beefy stainless hardware. Baffle CR's were hand cut from 1/4 ply with hole saws and sanded to final size on a clamped down hand drill (hey, ya makes do with whats ya gots ). I'm hoping the mesh will stay put during deployment, I guess I'll find out one way or another. Here is a detail of the baffle and U-bolt for the booster end of the shock cord. And since the BT is so thin, I wanted to keep the nose cone removable, so I secured it with 6 stainless steel pan head machine screws. I think they work fantastically with the overall Mustang theme.

Nice job on the rocket, the I200 is a great choice for a motor.

That is one BEAUTIFUL rocket! :eyepop: :w:

I hope you can make it to Kansas for LDRS XXX!

I'd love to see it in person & especially the flight!

Wish my rockets looked that good!

Great Job!

Thanks for sharing.

ooh, can't wait to see you at NSL

I180 skid is a fun motor....might be the skid of choice for it...especially if you were looking at I180

rick

ps nice looking rocket, good luck!

Thanks again for all the kind words. I'd love to make it out to LDRS this year but alas, I live in California, I'm getting married this summer, and my fiancee's hours just got cut in half, so I'll be doing good to make it to NSL and do my L1 cert there as planned. I did build it out in OpenRocket though and it sims to about 3300' on an I200. Haven't had much of a chance to sim other motors yet.

I do have my next project forming in my mind though. An English Electric Lightning inspired 2x 29mm cluster. Lots more bare metal finish.

Recovery harness is done. 9/16" TN, 3/16" quick links and a 500lb rated ball bearing swivel for the chute. Free ends are tied with figure 8 follow throughs and mid line loop is an alpine butterfly.

Oops. Forgot the picture.