Chuck's Nike Smoke Build

1) A generous amount of slow epoxy is applied to the body tube.

2) The forward centering ring, middle centering ring, and motor tube will be inserted into the booster section. It will not be inserted fully. The additional adhesive and carbon fiber filler will be applied with a syringe through the fin slots.

3) Once injected, the motor tube will be slid in fully and allowed to cure. The rocket will be inverted several times to allow the epoxy to cover all the surfaces fully between the forward and middle centering rings.

4) After it cures, a fillet is placed above the top and below the middle centering rings.

A generous amount of epoxy will be applied around the motor tube. The fins will be slid into the fin slots at a 90-degree angle with the body tube. Initially, I was going to use a plywood fin guide. After seeing some construction locally, I decided to try a sting plumb bob instead and it worked very well. Fins were inserted 1 at a time. The root edge was glued with slow epoxy to the motor tube.

This was repeated for all 4 fins.

Ok the build looks like it's going great but something is bugging me..

How do you manage to stay so clean!? Lol I always end looking like part of the rocket....lol

Keep up the good work!

How goes the build?

Highpowerrocketyahoo said:

Ok the build looks like it's going great but something is bugging me..

How do you manage to stay so clean!? Lol I always end looking like part of the rocket....lol

Keep up the good work!

Click to expand...

I'll bet all the excess epoxy that was stuck in his hair somehow miraculously disappeared . I can say that because I'm right there too.
The rocket looks good.

Lol

Nice! Good luck with the L3 cert!!!

PT

Back back to my build after a long hiatus. The build is done, but I am just getting around to posting the pics on the forum.

Image 8419: Once the fins were n place, they were reinforced with epoxy and chopped carbon fiber fillets at the motor tube and inner body tube. The was applied with a wooden mixing spoon (don't tell my wife).

Image 8426: Kerfs were cut to place in the fin can, between the aft centering rings, and forward to the forward centering rings. There allow for secure placement of weld nuts for the unistrut launch buttons.

Image 8430: Once the internal fillets were complete and cured, the fin can kerf was place in the fin can.

Image 8436: 5/16 inch hole drilled for 1/4 inch weld nut. The weld nut was epoxy in place with care not to get epoxy on the threads.

Image 8442: Centering ring #3 is epoxied against the aft end of the fins.

The next step is the install the aft Kerfs and centering ring. The Kerfs will secure the at unistrut launch button help even out the force put on the aft centering ring by the motor. It may be slightly over built but I want this to take the force on an N motor.

Image 8452: Installation of the posterior Kerfs. Once cured, the Unistrut Kerf was drilled and weld nut was epoxy as per above.

Image 8457 and 8459: The Kerfs were clamped in place during the curing process.

My electronics set up is as in he image. It will use twist wires as on and off switches (pink). The e-matches will be directly wired to the altimeter sled. The batteries are simple t-shaped plastic clips found at any radio shack. The batteries are zip tied to the sled.

May of the members at orangeburg swear by the simplicity if a twist wire. I used rotary switches on every build until my mongoose and the simplicity won me over.

The avionics bay was made using standard method.

The AV bay was fiberglassed with kevlar veil and epoxy using a balloon and wax paper method.

Image 8322 shows the veil being applied prior to epoxy.

Image 8327: shows the epoxy being applied.

Image 8341: shows the balloon inflated.

cwbullet said:

The avionics bay was made using standard method.

The AV bay was fiberglassed with kevlar veil and epoxy using a balloon and wax paper method.

Image 8322 shows the veil being applied prior to epoxy.

Image 8327: shows the epoxy being applied.

Image 8341: shows the balloon inflated.

Click to expand...

nicely done...I would just like to point out that if you leave out the wax paper and just use the balloon, it makes for an extremely smooth glassy surface.


That thing is bullet proof! Hope the flight goes well! Make sure you get some video!

This is a really sweet kit, I've been working on the 5.5 inch version with a 75mm mount, I tip to tip glassed the fins.

Braden

Image 8469: Insertion / epoxy of the bottom centering ring. It will be epoxy against the kerfs.

Image 8471: The bottom centering ring was coated with JB weld to protect against heat from the motor.

Image 9355: Holes drilled and threaded inserts as per instructions for Aeropack retainer.

Image 9357 and 9360: Aeropack installed.

Image 8480: The final Kerf is installed above the forward centering ring. It was drilled with 5/16" hole and a 1/4" weld was epoxied in place for the unistrut button.

The coupler will be epoxied into the forward airframe. The coupler is 11 inches long. 5 inches will be glued into the forward airframe.

Image 9365: The coupler with epoxy applied - 5 inch marked with masking tape. It will be inserted to the tape line.

Image 9368: Coupler inserted into the airframe. Once the epoxy cures, the masking tape will be removed.

Looking good - looking forward to the flight!

Tom,

You and me both.

Chuck

Chuck you gonna be ready in december?!

It is sure looking good.

ERic Foster

I will be ready in December or January. As for a launch date, I will leave that to my taps.

I hope for December, I'm gonna run to Fla. in Jan.
Who's the taps?

Greg Muri and Tom Binford. CJ was not a tap when I signed up or I would have hit him up.

Looks awesome Chuck! Hopefully things go great, and I will be able to be there..Bummed me out to miss this month's launch..Woke up on the 12thuke:not fun...

Pantherjon said:

Looks awesome Chuck! Hopefully things go great, and I will be able to be there..Bummed me out to miss this month's launch..Woke up on the 12thuke:not fun...

Click to expand...

Don't feel bad, I missed it too. My daughter and her gang decided to show up at the house Friday night for the weekend. I think I pouted all weekend. I look forward to seeing you cert Chuck.

More pics of the build:

Image 2828: Image of the exposed coupler with AV bay inside and kevlar harness attached to the U bolts.

Image 3031: Assembled AV sled. The rocket has 2, but only one will be used for the first flight. The pink wires are the switches (twist wires). The yellow will be e-matches. The red and black are the batter leads from the back of the AV bay. Photo on 11-16-11 represents the back of the sled with 2 batteries zip tied.

Image 3039: AV bay without the coupler. All nuts are JB welded. The threaded rods have 2 inches of shrink tubing on the forward end to prevent the nuts from loosening forward from the sleds. You can see the second sled installed.

Image 3041: The aft AV bulkhead. The forward is similar. Both have 2 Large BlastCaps to hold the ejection charges.

My ground testing was done last weekend at the TRIPOLISC launch.

Main Compartment: 10" x 29"
Drogue Compartment: 10" x 18"

I used 2 x #4 plastic screws to secure the drogue compartment and 4 x #4 screws to secure the main compartment.

I calculated the rocket to need 8 and 10 gram of black powder. I started with 6 and 8 grams and you can see the results below. It was very energetic.

Drogue Compartment Test: [YOUTUBE]PXwfFCUEPCM[/YOUTUBE]

Main Compartment Test: [YOUTUBE]2RI0t-cA2Ts[/YOUTUBE]

cwbullet said:

Image 8469: Insertion / epoxy of the bottom centering ring. It will be epoxy against the kerfs.

Image 8471: The bottom centering ring was coated with JB weld to protect against heat from the motor.

Image 9355: Holes drilled and threaded inserts as per instructions for Aeropack retainer.

Image 9357 and 9360: Aeropack installed.

Click to expand...

Chuck,
Who engraves the retainers? Do you have to buy them direct from the mfg or can you get them done at a later time?
Thanks,
Adrian
(yeah, the guy that made the bald joke. Sorry)

The retainer is directly from Aeropack. Aeropack.net

cwbullet said:

My ground testing was done last weekend at the TRIPOLISC launch.

Main Compartment: 10" x 29"
Drogue Compartment: 10" x 18"

I used 2 x #4 plastic screws to secure the drogue compartment and 4 x #4 screws to secure the main compartment.

I calculated the rocket to need 8 and 10 gram of black powder. I started with 6 and 8 grams and you can see the results below. It was very energetic.

Click to expand...

Looks good. I plan to be at the December launch.

December it is.

cwbullet said:

December it is.

Click to expand...

WHOOO HOOOOO!

I'm excited for you!!!!!!!:headbang::headbang::headbang:

Eric Foster