Help me recover from one of my more bone-headed things...

OK, so I admit this is one of my more bone-headed things I've done lately. Embarrassing as it is, I need some advice.

I've had a lot of fun flying the 2.26" and 1.26" versions of LOC Sandhawk so I wanted to up scale to the larger 3.1" version from LOC.

Here's where I painted myself into a corner. I glued in the motor mount into the main body tube before I attached the bridle. i know, I know, but for some reason I thought this was a 4" tube. So now I have a 53" long 3.1" tube that I can't reach down to quick link in the bridle onto the eye bot and I"m not sure the best option.

FYI: From the top of the body tube to the eye-bolt is 53" and neither I nor my girlfriend can reach down far enough to get to the eye bolt in the top of the forward centering ring.

What I'm working on is using a spring snap hook to catch the eye bolt somehow using a dowel to reach down and snap onto the eye bolt. Something like this:

Failing that, I guess I'll have to cut a small portal into the body tube just at the eye bolt and screw on a quick link through the hole. I just don't look forward to sliding a coupler all the way down there to patch it.

Am I the first person to do something this dumb!? I would greatly appreciate any advice on how to get myself out of this pickle.

~Dave~

Not the first person for sure. Two wood dowels or coat hangers or whatever will reach. Tie the shock chord to one, loosely so you can slide the dowel out, leaving a short tail to stick through the eyebolt. On the other dowel tape or glue a fish hook. Use it to hook the tail and pull it up.
Or just cut the airframe a few inches above the eyebolt and glue in a coupler.

Do you need a quick link there? I'd tie a small weight onto a string, drop that down the tubeand get it through the eyebolt. Then invert the rocket and work the weight back out. You can then tie the looped side of a harness to the string, pull the looped side through, then thread your harness through the loop and pull tight.

Flyfalcons said:

Do you need a quick link there? I'd tie a small weight onto a string, drop that down the tubeand get it through the eyebolt. Then invert the rocket and work the weight back out. You can then tie the looped side of a harness to the string, pull the looped side through, then thread your harness through the loop and pull tight.

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Thank you! Great idea. I'll go with that as "plan B" if I can't get the spring snap hooked on.


~Dave~

Add an electronics bay and use a tapped forward closure on the motor.

MikeyDSlagle said:

Or just cut the airframe a few inches above the eyebolt and glue in a coupler.

Click to expand...

That's what I was going to suggest.

Flyfalcons said:

Do you need a quick link there? I'd tie a small weight onto a string, drop that down the tubeand get it through the eyebolt. Then invert the rocket and work the weight back out. You can then tie the looped side of a harness to the string, pull the looped side through, then thread your harness through the loop and pull tight.

Click to expand...

I have used this method. It might take a few tries but you will get it. I would not cut the tube

That's what I did as well. Kevlar shockcord will last a good many flights before needing replacement.

Eh, you wouldn't be the first one who's done this

Just take some kevlar (3/16"-1/4" should be plenty!) and tie an overhand loop knot on one end, giving yourself a 2" loop.

Fish a guide line down through the eye bolt, then pull the overhand loop through... Tricky part will be getting the actual knot through the eybolt. Once through, slip your cord back through the overhand and pull it back taut. Should be more than sufficient for the job at hand.

As others have suggested, could also cut the tube but that'd be a little more work. Try the overhand first and see if you can pull that off. Good luck!

Do NOT use a link like the one in your pic. It will open up at deployment. I do not think any RSO would allow that. You need to use the ones that are of the screw (threaded) type.

Two other ideas sorta last resorts:

As others have stated, threading it through works well. You can thread an open end, no loop or knot, through. Then tie or sew your loop and pull the other end through that. This way if your eye bolt has a small opening it makes it much easier to do so.

Just glue a centering ring or bulkplate with a u-bolt already installed into the tube right above the motor mount. Glue a very short piece of coupler tube above it as a stop. Push it down into the epoxy (slow cure) using a longer tube.

No need for a quick link at all if you can't access it, it defeats the purpose.

My dad had one of these, which he called "electric fingers." Might do the trick! And which you can buy at home depot - which thankfully, are still open!

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-24-in-Lighted-Mechanical-Pickup-Tool-70396H/206264355

you could cut the BT a few " above the upper CR, do your bridle stuff, then glue BT back together with a coupler

I would go with other's suggestions of forgoing the quick link and just fish some braided kevlar down and through the eye hook. I often with use a length of kevlar and tie loops on both ends that protrude past the end of the tube and than I can replace it easily if needed by tying another piece of kevlar to it and pulling it through.

Looping back to update on my little goof (because I hate reading a thread and then not finding out what happened in the end).

I was able to fish a kevlar cord through the eye hook already bolted into the forward centering ring. Now I've got a 400lb WLL braided kevlar line looped in at the bottom and a quick link at the top where I'll hook on my One Bad Hawk kevlar bridal. I hope that holds up for many flights If or when I have to replace the kevlar cord I'll go with the threaded forward closure and just hook onto that. Thank you Mic Kelly, I totally forgot about that option.

Thanks to all for the great suggestions!