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Quest Aerospace sells 50mm body tubes
rharshberger
Well-Known Member
BT 50 is not 50mm, its 24mm I.D.
lakeroadster
When in doubt... build hell-for-stout!
I'd pick a vendor... then go with the tube sizes they have in stock. I buy from Balsa Machining Service. Good folks, fast friendly service.
Klima is a German company. So Klima tubes are non standard in the US. Klima coupler for 50mm tube is here:
Kuppler für 50mm Körperrohre | Rohrverbinder /-reduzierungen | Ersatz-/Bauteile | Zubehör | Raketenmodellbau (raketenmodellbau-klima.de)
Use the translation function to see the page in English.
Don't know what shipping from Europe might be, could be prohibitive.
Probably the easier way would be to make your own coupler by cutting down a slightly larger standard coupler to fit 50mm.
50mm is about 1.97", so a BT-60 coupler would be too small.
You could cut down a BT-70 coupler by cutting and removing a vertical strip equal to the difference in circumference of the BT-70 and 50mm coupler. Use the formula circumference = pi x diameter.
Use the cut strip as a glue tab and dry fit the coupler into the tube. Glue the strip to the inside of the coupler, taking care not to get any glue between the tube and the coupler.
If all this is too much work then just switch to standard US components: e.g. BT-60 or BT-70 tubes, couplers and motor mounts.
Kuppler für 50mm Körperrohre | Rohrverbinder /-reduzierungen | Ersatz-/Bauteile | Zubehör | Raketenmodellbau (raketenmodellbau-klima.de)
Use the translation function to see the page in English.
Don't know what shipping from Europe might be, could be prohibitive.
Probably the easier way would be to make your own coupler by cutting down a slightly larger standard coupler to fit 50mm.
50mm is about 1.97", so a BT-60 coupler would be too small.
You could cut down a BT-70 coupler by cutting and removing a vertical strip equal to the difference in circumference of the BT-70 and 50mm coupler. Use the formula circumference = pi x diameter.
Use the cut strip as a glue tab and dry fit the coupler into the tube. Glue the strip to the inside of the coupler, taking care not to get any glue between the tube and the coupler.
If all this is too much work then just switch to standard US components: e.g. BT-60 or BT-70 tubes, couplers and motor mounts.
not sure there is enough thickness to allow you to sand down the outer diameter to get it to fit in a 50mm body tube, but this may work (at least for a coupler)...
https://estesrockets.com/product/030618-pro-series-ii-2-body-tube-coupler/
https://estesrockets.com/product/030618-pro-series-ii-2-body-tube-coupler/
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For LPR if I need a coupler I just cut a section of my main body tube about 2” long, cut a slice out of it juuuusssst about right, tape it together, and stick it in there.
For 18 mm and 24 mm motor mounts, I use foam board. I use a 16mm or 22 mm hole cutting drill bit to cut the inside hole (you want it a bit small to start), put a template centered on the hole once cut to mark the outside diameter and cut with a knife (actually I use a straight edge and make multiple tangential cuts, it takes fewer than you think and keeps the edges on both sides more “even” then free handing.
I wrap a sand paper “cone” around a motor casing and sand the inside hole larger on both forward and rear mounts taped together, nice thing is that you sand just enough to get a “tight” fit and it makes gluing easy.
I have gone up to a Pringle’s can in diameter, no thrust failures yet, knock wood.
For 18 mm and 24 mm motor mounts, I use foam board. I use a 16mm or 22 mm hole cutting drill bit to cut the inside hole (you want it a bit small to start), put a template centered on the hole once cut to mark the outside diameter and cut with a knife (actually I use a straight edge and make multiple tangential cuts, it takes fewer than you think and keeps the edges on both sides more “even” then free handing.
I wrap a sand paper “cone” around a motor casing and sand the inside hole larger on both forward and rear mounts taped together, nice thing is that you sand just enough to get a “tight” fit and it makes gluing easy.
I have gone up to a Pringle’s can in diameter, no thrust failures yet, knock wood.
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