ACE nosecones?

[BlueNinja]

What exactly is an ACE nosecone? I've heard the term before, but I have no idea what it is.

 

[LaneKG]

I have some that are 4" X 19" and so does RocketManic. We are using them in a 3X Estes Bullpups The pic is at
https://www.rocketryforum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=47870

Greg

 

[Ryan S.]

I think ace is just a brand

 

[doxiedog315]

https://www.magnumrockets.com/nosecone.html I'm not sure of the size,but looks BIG to me!

 

[DPatell]

It's the brand that makes nosecones. At the moment only 4" cones...and I don't suggest that you buy them. Very very spongy, won't take much for impulse before they collapse. Also, they have a threaded Milk jug cap where a shock cord loop should be, and there is no way to attach them to a shock cord without drilling into them, and that makes them weaker. You can't even foam them because the heat caused by the exothermic reaction melts and distorts them.

Not a great product, but if you don't stress them they should be fine.

 

[Ryan S.]

doug needs to chime in here, he foamed his ace NC for his L2 and it seems fine. I will let him explain

 

[DPatell]

https://www.jcrocket.com/sa14archer.shtml
Complete with foam-distortion pic

 

[Ryan S.]

nice, I believed you just heard of it being done. Maybe it was the foams, I think Doug used PML

 

[DPatell]

I am sure it could be done...he also painted it right after he foamed it...maybe that had something to do with it...

 

[rbeckey]

Perhaps you could put the NC in a snow bank or bucket of ice water to faom it. It shouldn't be possible for it to overheat that way.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Very interesting thread, since I have a two of these nosecones....... As LaneKG said we are using them for our 3X Estes Bullpups....... Has anyone tried painting the nosecones with epoxy? Sort of like how you make the Nosecone on a Launch Pad kit........ It worries me that this nosecone might not stand up to the motors I want to use.........

 

[DPatell]

Rbeceky - If you cool it down in a snow bank, I doubt the foam will expand as well. It basically has to be undisturbed while the foam is curing.

I want to see what Doug says! lol

 

[powderburner]

I used the insulating (and very sticky/gooey) foam-in-a-can that the home improvement stores sell. I foamed my ACE NC in two steps because I wasn't sure how much the foam would expand and didn't want a whole bunch of that messy stuff pouring out the base. I added a full-length dowel during the foam application to serve later as an attach hardpoint for the tether. This kind of foam does not get very warm, sticks very well, and cures quite hard. It did a great job of reinforcing the NC shape.

 

[BlueNinja]

Is it possible to pour the plastic resin for a nosecone like this? I have been thinking about that all day, so I wondered if it would be possible.

 

[Ryan S.]

the foam in a can is greata stuff. I used it on loc NC. just take a peice of TN and thread it to the base if the NC then put the foam in, this way you have a nice shock cord mount as well as a tough NC

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by powderburner
I used the insulating (and very sticky/gooey) foam-in-a-can that the home improvement stores sell.

What brand of foam did you use?

Originally posted by powderburner
I added a full-length dowel during the foam application to serve later as an attach hardpoint for the tether. This kind of foam does not get very warm, sticks very well, and cures quite hard. It did a great job of reinforcing the NC shape.

How much weight did the foaming add to the nosecone? I am thinking that I will have to add a fair amount of nose weight to Bullpup to make it stable........ Should I put the nose weight into the tip of the nosecone before I foam it???

 

[rbeckey]

There are two kinds of foam available here. One is "triple expanding" and the other is "minimal expanding." Perhaps the minimal expanding would be best, for the sake of control. It would still expand enough to fill gaps. The cured foam weighs next to nothing.