Executioner upgrades???

Hmmm...on second thought..the steel leader does'nt sound all that good. What size kevlar cord do you recommend? And also where is a good place to purchase all of my supplies to modify this baby with?

Thanks...Greg D.

You can get the supplies from Fliskits and like suppliers. The centering rings, if you don't use the ones provided or make them yourself, you can get them from Fliskits, Apogee, or get them custom made. There are also other places to get these, but this is what came to mind.

all my parts i customized myself. They give you some paper centering rings BUT if you're going to slap a 29mm in it id go buy a sheet of plywood which runs about $2.99 per 2'x2' sheet. Use a 2.5 circular doornob bit to drill them out and your set to go. Dogwood is good to they sell it at hobbystores also. The kevlar can be bought from a guy in the auction section fo this forums for .10 a foot.

Originally posted by shoprobav
I am interested in the steel leader idea...please tell me more details. This is a great alternative to a kevlar cord.

Thanks greg

Click to expand...

Greg,

Sorry. For whatever reason, I missed your question a couple of months ago. I attach the stainless steel leader (get them at Wal-Mart) to the forward engine mount. The length of the leader is cut so it terminates in a loop just about an inch aft of the forward edge of the body tube. You can make a loop in the leader with a small crimped nickel sleeve you can get at fishing stores.

Then I attach either an elastic shock cord or a kevlar cord to the loop in the leader. The leader takes the brunt of the ejection gasses. Since the leader never comes in contact with the forward edge of the body tube, zippering is not a problem.

Here's another advantage. It's then easy to change out the shock cord (if needed because of burning or fraying) by reversing the leader so it extends out the engine mount (aft). Attach a new shock cord and run it back through the engine mount the right way.

I've built 10 or so rockets, including clusters, with the leader approach--never a problem.

Ron

thought i'd throw this in for good measure - this is one of my favorites! 3 18mm around a central 24mm in the booster, gap staged to a single 24mm in the sustainer.


https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=11559&highlight=executioner

other mods include kevlar shock cord, baffle, 24" nylon chute, and of course RAIL BUTTONS!