5 years in the desert - Restoring a Moongoose

[Salvage 1]

5 years ago I flew my Mongoose at BALLS. Sadly the main came out at apogee (25,000ft) and it floated over the Quinn River and landed in the soft sands. I was told not to go after it as people can sink in that sand.
Earlier this year, there was a post on here with a couple of rockets that had been recently found. Barnards Star was there!! I made arrangements through Jim Green (hope you enjoyed the beers) and it was delivered to me at Black Rock last weekend.

This thread will be a photo journal of me cracking the thing open and restoring it ready for flight again.

I want that motor tube and I want to see what the telemetrum looks like after all this time.

First pic is earlier in its history at Brothers, OR. Second is Black Rock just after I got it back (Thanks Jim Green)
Video is its launch at Brothers and at Black Rock in 2018.
It showed going to 25,000ft, the motor was a homemade Kosdon Fast clone M2000.

 

[Salvage 1]

First thing will be to treat the fur

 

[Wrightme43]

I want to see this. Glad you got it back.

 

[Hobie1dog]

going to be a fun thread and with that last picture you've got a lot of work to do.

 

[Salvage 1]

This isnt actually in too bad a condition. I gave it a liberal wash down withy iso alcohol, cleaned nicely.
The 3D printed rail guides were still there, I chipped them off.
Looks like something has been living in that motor.

 

[farsidius]

Always exciting to get an old friend back. Doesn't take long for the desert critters to take over. Good to see that it cleaned up as well as it did. After that much time in the sun some of those fibres may need a little reinforcement before flying again.

 

[Salvage 1]

Always exciting to get an old friend back. Doesn't take long for the desert critters to take over. Good to see that it cleaned up as well as it did. After that much time in the sun some of those fibres may need a little reinforcement before flying again.

100%
Going to give it a sparse spray with this, then sand down any fluffy that is still sticking up, buffing compound then a few more coats of the clear epoxy.

https://www.amazon.com/ERA-Paints-Gloss-Clear-Aerosol/dp/B0B4HPTGK7?th=1

 

[Spacedog49Krell]

I found one after 2 years in very good condition. There is still one more lost, launched the same day as the previous, coming up on 4 years.

 

[Salvage 1]

It took a while persuading the nose cone out of the parachute bay, then a little longer to persuade the avbay to let go. Weirdly, the nuts on the top of the AV bay (parachute side) were not rusted. I used these to gain access to the inside.
OMG 2lb of desert mud caked EVERYTHING. The AV bay was FULL of it, and I dont mean slightly. I put it to one side and am going to start my own Triops farm.
Got everything out of there and started the clean-up.
Erm..

Soaked the altimeter with WD 40 then attacked with a toothbrush and can of air.

 

[Salvage 1]

So.. I am optimistic...
When the board was dry, I connected the switch wires and hooked it to the computer....
if the switch is on, red light, if it is off, green light. No beeps, but appears to be charging a battery.

5 years.. I wasn't expecting anything.. a light is good.

 

[mrwalsh85]

First thing will be to treat the fur

On him, or the rocket?

 

[Salvage 1]

There is a lot of fuzz on the exposed side of all this fiberglass.
Started to spray with a clear coat. I gave it two coats, now waiting for it to dry and sanding will be a lot easier.
Also, repainting the top section and nosecone in bright red. Finding an all black rocket can be tedious.

The whole point in this step is to encapsulate the fur which makes it much easier and healthier to sand.

 

[Glasspack]

Very Cool that you got it back !!!!

 

[Glasspack]

There is a lot of fuzz on the exposed side of all this fiberglass.
Started to spray with a clear coat. I gave it two coats, now waiting for it to dry and sanding will be a lot easier.
Also, repainting the top section and nosecone in bright red. Finding an all black rocket can be tedious.

The whole point in this step is to encapsulate the fur which makes it much easier and healthier to sand.

View attachment 669041

Salvbage1,

is that a Mad Cow Kit... ? What Diameter ?? Looks about 2.6" Version?

 

[Salvage 1]

Salvbage1,

is that a Mad Cow Kit... ? What Diameter ?? Looks about 2.6" Version?

3" kit from a company back in the day called performance warehouse, or composite warehouse or something.

It is now sold by Madcow.

 

[Glasspack]

Ah ok ..... I think that might be the company that Curtis had before he sold all his stuff to Wildman Rocketry

 

[pugachu]

So.. I am optimistic...
When the board was dry, I connected the switch wires and hooked it to the computer....
if the switch is on, red light, if it is off, green light. No beeps, but appears to be charging a battery.

5 years.. I wasn't expecting anything.. a light is good.

Hopefully you can download some data, but i wouldn't fly it again

 

[Spacedog49Krell]

Hopefully you can download some data, but i wouldn't fly it again

I'm relaunching my flight computer after 2 years lost, but I developed all of the hardware/software, and it checks out perfect.

 

[Salvage 1]

Oh the Telemetrum is now an 'artifact' for the shelves, but yes, i am trying to get some data from it. If not, I will count the light as a bonus and put it up in the hero rack.
I got some auto flake spray, going to try that.

 

[Salvage 1]

Ah ok ..... I think that might be the company that Curtis had before he sold all his stuff to Wildman Rocketry

Yes. Without creating a flame war, just over 10 years ago he sold this kit design (and a few others) to Wildman Rocketry, and then changed his company name before starting to sell them again on his new website, forcing Wildman to change the name of their version.
Recently, the same thing happened with Composite Warehouse selling kit designs to Madcow Rocketry.
Now Madcow has the Mongoose rockets.

 

[Salvage 1]

quick note

I hate respirators

 

[Salvage 1]

the paints arrived today. been abusing some polythene sheeting as a spray area. Now the motor section needs to sit for a while and be cool.
Top half (nose, payload section, av bay; all got sprayed and then the crap sanded out of them.

 

[bschultz32]

On a vaguely related note, I just flew my ProLine Rocketry Mongoose 98 at BALLS 2024. Used an AT M1939W motor - flying one has been on my Bucket List for years. I was hoping for 25000 AGL, got 19275 AGL because she gently arced to the east a bit. Recovered 3.3 miles from the launch site, undamaged. What a great rocket this is, tough as nails, a Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress that takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!


It's comforting to know that I can get replacement parts now from Madcow Rocketry if I need them.

 

[thequick]

This is a cool thread. Thanks for sharing your experience. Really hope your rocket flys again.

 

[Salvage 1]

Clear coat... power sand... clear coat... power sand

most of the fur has gone, time to start treating it to some new paint.
Lower section is remaining black with a surprise. Upper section gloss red

 

[Salvage 1]

I wanted to preserve all the 'blemishes' under clear coat, then I got handed a can of clear metallic. I popped the bottom and attacked the motor section of the rocket. Now i have to do many coats of clear.

 

[Salvage 1]

It took a while but I got the case out.
There is an allthread that goes from top of the puck, through a bulkhead in the motor section, and then add a nut and tighten. It was rusted a little so I first soaked it in WD40 and let it sit overnight. Add a 7/16 deep socket head and a long bar extension for the socket wrench.
The slime on the side of the motor is ..... Quinn River
The wet mud at the top end.... Quinn River
the bottom between the case and the tube, must have dried quicker, so forming a seal. After all the temps and sun, I am still surprised at the moisture.

 

[Sooner Boomer]

This is a great read. The only thing we've ever found was a Dr. Rocket 38mm case in the middle of a plowed field. It was in bad shape, having been hit by some sort of blade that damaged one of the end closures. It looked like a mouse had been happily living in it for a while.

btw - did you know you've misspelled a word in the title of the thread? ...but looking at it, "Moongoose" might be a pretty cool name for a rocket, an upsized nightingale

 

[Salvage 1]

This is a great read. The only thing we've ever found was a Dr. Rocket 38mm case in the middle of a plowed field. It was in bad shape, having been hit by some sort of blade that damaged one of the end closures. It looked like a mouse had been happily living in it for a while.

btw - did you know you've misspelled a word in the title of the thread? ...but looking at it, "Moongoose" might be a pretty cool name for a rocket, an upsized nightingale

Nah... I refer to this rocket as a "MoonGoose", it is my unofficial name for it. The name "Barnards Star" is a reference to HHGTTG, it is the first jump from ZZ9 Plural Z Alpha

 

[Salvage 1]

This is the post that told me that the BLM had found it.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/found-at-black-rock.182294/