What did you do rocket wise today?

dhbarr said:

Depends on how well you store it. October should be zero problems unless you keep it in a humidor.

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Based on the replies I'll build it, put it back in the bag it came in and tape it shut. Should be able to use it 10/13-10/14, otherwise it'll be in storage for another month. Might even need stored until early next year if the weather is bad.

tOD said:

Based on the replies I'll build it, put it back in the bag it came in and tape it shut. Should be able to use it 10/13-10/14, otherwise it'll be in storage for another month. Might even need stored until early next year if the weather is bad.

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The longest I’ve kept a reload assembled is 6 months. I’ve heard of people going for a few years on storing assembled reloads. Just loosen the closures so that the o rings don’t get deformed. I will put tape on the closures with a note to remind me to tighten them before flying. Other than that, there are no issues with assembling motors early! In fact, I still have two motors assembled that I didn’t get a chance to fly at the launch I was at last month.

rharshberger said:

Me too! Vinyl for my MDRM, the Estes decals disentegrated as I was attemting to apply them so Stickershock it is!

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Anything big and nasty for the Nuclear Sledgehammer in that vinyl order?

And officially took my first leap towards my L3 today. Submitted a proposed L3 packet to my local L3CC for review before commencing the build.

Flyfalcons said:

Anything big and nasty for the Nuclear Sledgehammer in that vinyl order?

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Nope, the Nuclear Sledgehammer will be getting a USAF or USN stealth look ( greys, blacks and possibly subdued insignias).

Airfest (Friday in particular) nearly did in my old Coleman canopy, and a downpour at a race we were timing last weekend basically ended the job. Gave me an excuse to just order a new orange Eurmax Pro 10 x 10...business expense you know.

tOD said:

Based on the replies I'll build it, put it back in the bag it came in and tape it shut. Should be able to use it 10/13-10/14, otherwise it'll be in storage for another month. Might even need stored until early next year if the weather is bad.

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38mm I195J ready to go.I didn't load the ejection charge and left the closures loose as suggested to avoid compressing the o-rings. Put some strips of tape on each end as a reminder to snug them up. Used one spacer and the floating forward closure from the 38RAS.

Found some birds at Bong (Read here).

Couple days late to post, but last Saturday I toured the Kennedy Space Center. Does that count?

MoeB said:

Couple days late to post, but last Saturday I toured the Kennedy Space Center. Does that count?

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I’d say so!

Since I have some memory issues I decided to build up a better flight book. I still have to finish converting all of my checklists and dummy cards over to the smaller book.

DM1975 said:

Since I have some memory issues I decided to build up a better flight book. I still have to finish converting all of my checklists and dummy cards over to the smaller book.

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There's no app for that?


I've been saving my stuff in memo's on the s9+

Normzilla said:

There's no app for that?


I've been saving my stuff in memo's on the s9+

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Not everyone likes using their phones and tablets for everything. I have full manuals and reference material stuffed in my phone but I need something more tangible as a guide and for quick reference.

First thing I’ve done Rocketry for many months - should fend up for MWP and renewed TRA.
Now what to fly..hmmm

tOD said:

As someone new to the hobby is there a "Rule of Thumb" with regard to how far in advance one can build a motor? I have an I195 I would like to use in October and I've got time to build it now.

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I don't know of a Thumb Rule, but I have flown motors that were assembled for more than a year. An observation seen time and again on the forum, delays tend to get longer when stored assembled for a long period of time (like a year). Since I never know if I am going to be able to fly a given motor on flight day, I use a piece of tape to ID the motor and delay, and tape the BP & starter to the outside.
If it ends up being stored for a long time, I consider disassembly to change the delay & clean the end of the propellant grain before use. (but there too, I live in VERY humid SE Tex-ass)

Got a package.

I was hoping to get out to the desert to fly one of these next month, but it isn't looking too promising so I also spent spent some time drying out desiccant sachets. It might be time to pack the motors away for the winter.

Broke the rocket malaise after going to TARC workshop this weekend.

Repaired my Greystar Voyager and Partizon to fly this Saturday at HARA's Geezer TARC launch.
The Greystar had its lugs ripped off when the launch stand got knocked over this spring. I have ditched shear pins for PSII rockets and use masking tape friction fit instead. The mass is low enough to not be an issue.
The Partizon had a main failure when the nosecone material twisted the shear pin and blocked main parachute ejection.
-Drogueless descent impact wrinkled a few inches of spiral on the booster and payload tube (Partizon has three tubes). It wasn't a hard fix, I just hadn't wanted to deal with it over the summer while building Long Tom for L2. I hardened and sanded down the wrinkled spiral, and backed the affected section with a thin layer of spare tube. The booster wrinkle got a bamboo skewer rib just in case.
-Ebay rivets tore forward ~1/2", so I cut out around the rips, made tape dams, and filled the area with epoxy (redrilling rivet holes when cured).
-Sanded and repainted affected areas yesterday.
-RRC3 is installed, I've just got to pack the charges and it's good to go for Saturday.


Geezer TARC:
-Club members build a rocket to comp specs and fly it Once, no practice flights.
-Two flights can be logged if you build a second rocket and fly it.
-Winner gets the trophy and bragging rights.
-Most eventful flight receives Flying Pig trophy. (no one wants the flying pig award)

Nytrunner said:

Geezer TARC:
-Club members build a rocket to comp specs and fly it Once, no practice flights.
-Two flights can be logged if you build a second rocket and fly it.
-Winner gets the trophy and bragging rights.
-Most eventful flight receives Flying Pig trophy. (no one wants the flying pig award)

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That sounds great.

neil_w said:

That sounds great.

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It always is!

Last year our NAR sponsor won the whole thing by taping an egg payload section to an old V2 unsimmed (Hey, it met the contest specs).

The two longstanding TARC mentors of our club (with their carefully constructed and finished models) were naturally a bit peeved at this turn of events.

"Stickershock's Upscaler Special" ?

Tobor said:

"Stickershock's Upscaler Special" ?

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I believe it ended Sunday night at midnight, it was 20% off for 4" and larger vinyl. Mark posted it on NAR's Facebook page (or maybe TRA or Estes, or all three) and his website. He probably did not post it here as I believe he no longer has a vendor presence on TRF.

rharshberger said:

I believe it ended Sunday night at midnight, it was 20% off for 4" and larger vinyl. Mark posted it on NAR's Facebook page (or maybe TRA or Estes, or all three) and his website. He probably did not post it here as I believe he no longer has a vendor presence on TRF.

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Bummer. Anyhoot, thx for the reply.

Opened up the beautiful laser cut steel parts I had made for a new launch tower...then realized I left an entire set of holes out of the drawings I submitted. Spent next 45 minutes marking and drilling six 1/2" holes in 1/4 steel with a cordless drill. Not my finest moment, but the holes are there now. My son (who ran the can of WD40 during drilling) learned why you don't just draw the parts in CAD, but assembling them therein, INCLUDING THE SCREWS, to make sure you didn't forget something.

In any event, it is ready for a coat of brake caliper paint, and I got to spend some time with my oldest working on a rocket thing. He knows this is for Airfest/LDRS, and that he gets to go next year for the first time, so he was way into the job.

Also, ordered all the rest of the needed parts from McMaster and 8020 except the EMT conduit. I'll just get that from Lowes.

Just ordered Wildman's 38/600 Special hardware set along with an H148R. Going to use the RAS in a 38/480 case (I purchased from a TRF'r last winter) for the reload. Hoping to get my L1 at Woosh this coming Saturday.

Found a copy of Peter Allway’s rockets of the world for $80USD on Amazon in the US. One copy only. I ALMOST mentionened it on here, before I realised one of you might snaffle it before me!!

Amazon won’t ship to Australia anymore (they won’t collect local GST) so I had to use one of those os parcel redirection/shipping service.

Well, the shipping cost almost as much as the book, but it’s now on it’s way to me in AU... god I hope it’s in as good condition as they advertised it was...

Ready for Saturday.

May throw a couple little ones in the car that morning.

Stickershocked my Mega Der Red Max.

Building and repairs from this past Sunday. My little helper has to supervise.

printed the prototype base for my EggFinder Receiver. The cover plate is being printed and it has the power switch and GPS LED.

Cut out fins, bulkheads, and centering rings.