What did you do rocket wise today?

Yesterday was fun day! I put five rockets into the air seven different times and completed three of four NARTREK Bronze requirements.

Aerotech Mirage with an Aerotech G77-4R (Redline) motor.
This was her maiden flight. Beautiful flight. I adjusted the parachute attach point for the next flight. I need to get with Lee to see if Aerotech has a longer delay. Seven seconds would probably be better. This flight fulfilled the NARTREK Bronze "D" Motor or Larger Flight" requirement.

Estes Der Red Max XL "Anton" with an Estes E9-4 motor.
Soon after leaving the rod, this one took a left turn towards Albuquerque. It flew more horizontal than vertical. Also, the four seconds ejection delay was way too low. I ripped half the shroud lines off the parachute. hmmmm

Apogee Blue Streak with an Estes B6-4 motor.
Another maiden flight. This was an attempt for a 30 second Streamer Duration Flight requirement and I got 47.58 seconds.

Estes Baby Bertha with an Estes B6-4 motor.
This was an attempt for a 60 second Parachute Duration Flight. I only got 43 seconds. Everyone was like try a Quest motor soooo......

Estes Baby Bertha with an Quest B6-4 motor.
This was another attempt for a 60 second Parachute Duration Flight. I only got 38 seconds. My math is a little fuzzy but I don't think this was better.

LOC/Precision LOC IV on an Aerotech G78-4G. I LOVE this motor. That green flame is just plain awesome. Kid's love to watch this one lift off.

Finally, and with just a few minutes to spare ...
Apogee Blue Streak with an Estes B6-4. This time I used an 18" Estes plastic parachute. The motor refused to ignite so we changedit out and away she went. Again, I was trying to get that 60 second flight. I got 1:42.68. Sweet!
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Next launch is in two weeks. I hope to have a Comanchee-3 ready for a 2 Stage Flight. This is the last requirement for Bronze.

I also hope to fly the Blue Streak on 1/2 A motors for NRC points for both Parachute and Streamer duration. For the Parachute duration, I have a 30" Mylar parachute. She should just hang in the air.
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I got home and lo and behold, I found my Level 1 Card in my mailbox.

Scott Hala said:

Estes Baby Bertha with an Quest B6-4 motor.
This was another attempt for a 60 second Parachute Duration Flight. I only got 38 seconds. My math is a little fuzzy but I don't think this was better.

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The Quest B6 has a half a Ns more than the Estes B6, which isn't much!

mbeels said:

The Quest B6 has a half a Ns more than the Estes B6, which isn't much!

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Actually scratch that, that data is for the old black powder Quest. I assume you're talking about the composite motor? I didn't find any thrust curve data on that one.

mbeels said:

Actually scratch that, that data is for the old black powder Quest. I assume you're talking about the composite motor? I didn't find any thrust curve data on that one.

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... because that is the B4 Q-jet. And about 10% more impulse.

ewomack said:

I'm working my way up the skill levels, perhaps in a somewhat glacial way, but the curve ultimately trends upwards.

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I did the same when I was first born again. The Chinese "E2X" level was a waste of time bit otherwise the process has served me well.

Eric said:

I got a new triple pull-pin switch from Lab Rat Rocketry. Chris is great to work with on new ideas. This will make electronics arming very easy.

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Just be sure to label them on the outside in BIG friendly letters.

tOD said:

Learned a cruel lesson. Attaching an Aeropack 54 mm retainer on an almost completed motor mount tube. Left it to cure and went for a walk. Didn't weight it or tape it in place. As it cured one side lifted causing it to bond crooked to the tube.

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I would have done the same thing, so thanks for the warning.

snrkl said:

Great flight... then...

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Ouch!

I need a break from spray painting. Hate the process. Love the results.

Actually my rocketry stuff was yesterday but, yesterday we had the TCR BBQ and our last TCR Board meeting before our upcoming launch. Long range weather forecasts are just that but we ARE GO FOR LAUNCH at this time.
Current known sponsors are: SBR/Fusion Rockets, SMT Designs, Top Flite Recovery, FlightSketch, Boyce AeroSpace Hobbies, Qualmann Rocketry. Last year we had some sponsors that added last minute so the number may still grow. Looking forward to breaking 400 flights this year and making this TCR's best event ever!

Most current SodBlaster 2019 info here: https://www.tricitiesrocketeers.org/sod_blaster.html

Spent more time than it's worth reviving and reverse engineering an elliptical wing and tail BG prototype from 1998. I reverse engineered the boom by measuring it and then building it around the zerclod copy and pasted from a Silver Hawk file. The one CAD file that did survive was annotated "revised: 7/6/1998". About two or three weeks before I was downsized out of a potential career at JSV.

Filled seams on Estes Saturn V 2157 body tubes using George Gassaway’s method. Hopefully they’ll turn out!

Hello everyone, getting back into the hobby and this is my first post! I put the 2nd, super light coat of white primer on a Estes Patriot today. I plan on a custom paint job not using any kit provided decals.

Mike M said:

Hello everyone, getting back into the hobby and this is my first post! I put the 2nd, super light coat of white primer on a Estes Patriot today. I plan on a custom paint job not using any kit provided decals.

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Welcome to the forum!

Thank you, I appreciate that.

USAFmissileer said:

Welcome to the forum!

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Some long overdue work off the build pile. Estes Baby Bertha and Fliskits Morning Star. Easy, fun builds. In the glue fillets phase on both rockets.

Mike M said:

Hello everyone, getting back into the hobby and this is my first post! I put the 2nd, super light coat of white primer on a Estes Patriot today. I plan on a custom paint job not using any kit provided decals.

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Welcome to the forum! (I'm a Mike M. too - BTW )

Be sure to post some pics of your Patriot!

I built my Cherokee E last night.

I built mine "upside down" with the long tube as the booster and the short tube and coupler as a payload bay. That way I can fly it in the short configuration for the "original" Cherokee D look if I want to. I also left the motor block out of it and used a Kevlar shock cord attached to the motor mount.

Applied for an FAA waiver so I can fly closer to home.

I've been messing around with goony designs in OR. Most everything I've done requires nose weight. Basically I was shrinking them length wise and keeping the same proportions. I would also shrink the fins by the same percentage, whatever it was. I'm thinking that if there was more fin area the CP would move and I'd need less nose weight.

I'm wondering if there is a "standard formula" for turning a rocket into a goony?

-Bob

Bruiser said:

I'm wondering if there is a "standard formula" for turning a rocket into a goony?

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I don't know if there's a formula per se, but I believe the standard Goony uses Baby Bertha components. I included a bertha nose cone in my last parts order with the intention of making *some* sort of goony.... haven't settled on one yet though. I do believe that many such designs will indeed require nose weight.

Did you order a balsa one? I was looking for the plastic cones and did not find one. I plan on stopping by Hobby Lobby tomorrow and picking up a Baby Bertha kit. I don't think I could piece one together for the nine bucks.

-Bob

Yup, balsa. I had all the rest of the pieces already.

The Hot Bird has caught a case of the red plague. Initial abrasion treatment results look promising

Assembling a US Rockets Weightlofter. Those Aerotech boxes sure come in handy.

Launched my Estes MIM104 Patriot for the first time on Sunday. Two launches on B4-2 engines. I had trouble with the fins during construction (falling over while gluing) so I was apprehensive about stability, but both flights were nominal.


First flight was straight as an arrow and the rocket landed 20ft from the pad under parachute. The second flight windcocked and then drifted back to the pad, within 15ft. It was close enough that my dad thought the rocket was going to land in his arms.

Received my Estes Pro Series launch controller last Friday. Looking forward to using it later this week.

JCRL said:

Launched my Estes MIM104 Patriot for the first time on Sunday.

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That little estes patriot was my first self-built rocket kit. It spent a portion of time with fins in what I can only describe as an x-wing configuration because of a slip up during build or repair in the early days, but it flew fine regardless. It's hard to mess up the patriot, and you should enjoy it for a good long time as a utility flier. Stick chute release in it and let it go on 18mm D's!

Mine has survived many mishaps and adventures over 6 years, and eventually got signed by Vern Estes at NARAM 60. I can't get rid of it or destroy it.

Nytrunner said:

Stick chute release in it and let it go on 18mm D's!

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Can you explain what a chute release is? I'm unfamiliar. Thanks!

It's a device that holds reef lines on your shrouds and then releases them at an altitude of your choice. The effect is very similar to dual deployment in that you get a rapid decent with little drift until you're close to the ground and then slow down for landing.

Many people like the one from Jolly Logic.

Chute Release by Jolly Logic: It's ......already explained by Jqav!

Guess I was too slow on the link searching

jlabrasca said:

Successfully printed an ST8 (~23mm) nosecone with shoulder in one piece.

Gets a little funky towards the tip, but I am happy with the surface finish.

View attachment 388924 View attachment 388925

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Does it have a chute attachment? Or is it glued onto the top of the rocket like swift? Tell me how it flies, would like to make some myself, thinking about doing cardboard air frame and the rest 3D

Thank both, Jqav and Nytrunner. I'll add this to my wishlist of rocket electronics. Can't wait to get to the skill level where I'm flying the more advanced rockets.