Lining airframe with aluminum

Has anyone tried lining an airframe with aluminum. One of my scratch builds I'm thinking about building has the motors set back in the airframe and rather than using a tube coupler and epoxy to protect the airframe I want to try something different and use aluminum tubing/foil. I was thinking about checking the hardware store for some tubing.

Why don't you just spray the inside of the airframe with 1200 degree BBQ paint?

How long is your motor mount tube? I ask because some motor mounts are already foil lined, and a sufficiently long motor mount / stuffer tube might protect your airframe enough.

dixontj93060 said:

Why don't you just spray the inside of the airframe with 1200 degree BBQ paint?

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Have you tried this? Does it work? I like the idea a lot! Not that my rockets get much use anyway, I just like things to be durable.

GrossApproximator said:

How long is your motor mount tube? I ask because some motor mounts are already foil lined, and a sufficiently long motor mount / stuffer tube might protect your airframe enough.

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Let me explain. I need the BT-80 airframe lined with a piece of aluminum. The engines will be back about 3" from the end of the airframe.

RocketManDan said:

Let me explain. I need the BT-80 airframe lined with a piece of aluminum. The engines will be back about 3" from the end of the airframe.

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I understood what you meant. I'm just suggesting that a long motor mount tube that is lined with foil might provide your airframe with suitable protection. If a long tube is not possible, then, of course, my suggestion is not applicable to your rocket.

RocketManDan said:

Let me explain. I need the BT-80 airframe lined with a piece of aluminum. The engines will be back about 3" from the end of the airframe.

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Two words Krushnic Effect

scsager said:

Two words Krushnic Effect

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OH! :bangpan: Sorry. I guess I didn't understand what he meant . I thought he was trying to prevent damage to the airframe in FRONT of the motor tubes. I guess that RocketManDan's phrase "3 inches back" got me confused.

RocketManDan said:

Let me explain. I need the BT-80 airframe lined with a piece of aluminum. The engines will be back about 3" from the end of the airframe.

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I have a similar situation in a TLP Hellfire. The kit says to put the mm up in the BT a couple inches ... hmmmmm

ok I just need to line a portion of my BT-80 airframe with foil tube.

Maybe home depot might have something like that?

RocketManDan said:

ok I just need to line a portion of my BT-80 airframe with foil tube.

Maybe home depot might have something like that?

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Are you sure? Metal is a conductor of heat, not an insulator. If you use a ceramic paint you will get more protection for the airframe.

RocketManDan said:

ok I just need to line a portion of my BT-80 airframe with foil tube.

Maybe home depot might have something like that?

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Foil tape used for ducting might work. Available at Home Depot. The foil might bounce burning particles away from the paper tube, as well as reflecting radiant heat away.

RocketManDan said:

ok I just need to line a portion of my BT-80 airframe with foil tube.

Maybe home depot might have something like that?

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Foil tape in the heater section.

or roll some very thin flashing or heavy duty alum foil.
The baked tater in the campfire weight.

dixontj93060 said:

Are you sure? Metal is a conductor of heat, not an insulator. If you use a ceramic paint you will get more protection for the airframe.

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metal is a conductor of electricity not heat

RocketManDan said:

metal is a conductor of electricity not heat

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It conducts both very well. The very things that make metal conduct electricity also let it conduct heat; the proverbial "sea of electrons," for instance.

GrossApproximator said:

Foil tape used for ducting might work. Available at Home Depot. The foil might bounce burning particles away from the paper tube, as well as reflecting radiant heat away.

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so my thought process was correct.

I'm building a clustered rocket CHAD with 6 engines...I need to protect the airframe from the heat of the motors

RocketManDan said:

metal is a conductor of electricity not heat

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Conductor of electricity for sure. But also an effective conductor of heat.

Are you thinking of something along the lines of a blast tube?

See this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1UXXM2R69o

Dan played with blast tubes a fair bit and eventually gave up on them...

With LPR motors, I think anything that could be effective would have a weight penalty.

That said, you might want to experiment with sodium silicates. I have had good results with using sodium silicates to line paper motor casings. They might just work as an LPR blast tube lining.

Why not just line the inside with a soda can or two?

Alex

Mylar tape isn't as hardy as foil tape but it is lighter and holds up in my personal experience to indirect ejection blasts. Not sure how well it will work ADJACENT to the nozzle stream. Even foil won' t hold up to heavy engine heat. So it depends on how much protection you need and how much of a weight /mass penalty you can handle. The mylar should help if it is only a few stray hot particles.

I've used al tape for duct work to make motor tubes,on a BT-80 should be able to put it where you need it and it look good..I would put 2 strips on a pc. of copy paper roll it up on a casing tack the joint with elmers,slide it off and CA the whole thing works good

Soda cans should work.