After 30yr hiatus I‘m back in model rocketing. Rocket is a Estes Hi-Flier. Engines are C and D. Is that wadding between the engine and parachute a necessity? Is there a home made replacement? Going as much DIY as possible for fun of it.
Just make sure its cellulose blow in insulation and not fiberglass, the cellulose is biodegradeable the FG is not.ask at your local hardware stores if they have any ripped bales of blown insulation. They may sell it cheap of even give it to you. A half bale will last you a few lifetimes
I "know someone who" forgot to put it once, and the charge blew a hole in the parachute. Everything came down safely, but there was a new, off-centred spill hole in the parachute.
You can always get a small Nomex chute protector instead. It's a square of thick, fire-proof, reusable cloth that stays attached to the shock cord, so you can't forget about it.
That's probably good advice, although I use dollar store crepe paper (2 rolls for $1), the package says it is flame resistant and I've never had an issue, knock on wood.Crepe paper party streamers from a reputable party shop is what I use. Don't use the Chinese discount shop stuff as it likely doesn't have flame retardant.
That's green in more than 1 way...Do you have any old wilted lettuce in the fridge?
A handy tip when preparing Kale is to add a heaping tablespoon of coconut oil.....Makes it much easier to scrape into the garbage canGot it. I had a house full of rock wool insulation, that would be the ticket. Lettuce and spinach is hilarious. Shoot the rocket, feed the deer. I’d make it kale
Not to mention you'd itch for a week after handling the fiberglass.Just make sure its cellulose blow in insulation and not fiberglass, the cellulose is biodegradeable the FG is not.
This place can get a bit crazy sometimes. But now that you are well versed in chute protection and various forms of environmentally friendly wadding, it is time to ditch any vegan tendencies and go full out carnivore. I'm talking a meat piston here; a nice sausage or fillet wrapped in bacon depending on your rockets diameter. Maybe start off with layers of finely sliced medallions of beef tartarCan’t believe this turned to a salad post.
Vegetables..It’s what my food eats
With puns like that, please lettuce alone!Salad Shooter
Yes, dog barf is the best. On larger diameter rockets use sheet wadding with dog barf on top to make a nice piston. For sheets I use Decopuffs float squares- a full range of colors in the pack. Exactly like the blue Quest sheet wadding.
I used iceberg lettuce last week in the Interceptor E and it worked great. The lump spun down, softly landing not far from the rocket. As it fell it caught the attention of a seasoned flyer who is a parachute specialist. On the recovery walk I caught up with him and asked if he saw the awesome new recovery wadding at work. He was surprised when I picked up the wad of lettuce perfectly in tact, only having a small round powder mark. Used it again on the next flight, same result. After the second flight the bottom piece seemed to be getting a little dry in the dry and hot air of the Mile High city. So I left that leaf for the critters and tore up the rest for the top of the BT 60 Mean Machine. Again it worked fine and the smaller bits looked just like sheet wadding.
So using lettuce is good but you have to watch the moisture content in a dry climate. You also need to season the leaf a bit on the prep table to get a maximum wilted feel, when it just gets rubbery is when it is the best. Don't mind the strange looks you will get with lettuce laying out on your prep table. Here in Colorado it is no big deal since folks are used to seeing piles of seasoned weed.
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