Cape Byron Rocketry - The Yalga 2 stage beta build thread

[gdjsky01]

There is a place called Cape Byron... and there is a TRF member called @Cape Byron ... The former is a real place and to be honest, looks like another bucket list addition to my extensive "Get to Australia Before I die" list.



I am not sure exactly when I became aware of @Cape Byron 's offerings... but he (she?) seems like a valuable contributor to TRF. I do not know if @Cape Byron is actually from or at Cape Byron, but if they are, it looks like they are lucky indeed.


So there is Cape Byron Rocketry (CBR). I contacted CBR about their Model Rocketry offerings because I love the idea of rockets from down under AND I need as many friends in Oz as possible to afford to trip to observe the best dark skies in the world who still speak English! Not to mention have amazing wines.

With a few messages through TRF, a bit of dough through PP, and nice exchange, Lo and Behold "Rockets From Down Under" appeared! And it seems like I do not have to point them down for them to go up!!




The kits are immaculately packaged! They came across the pond unscathed!

 

[gdjsky01]

So it seems like, at least in some circles, the the people of Oz remember (and honor?) their indigenous population rather than how we... oh snap. More political truths I can not express here on TRF... fine. The USA... nuff said.

Yalga accord to CBR is the "Tip of the Spear" when indigenous populations used spears to fish. I personally think it is an AMAZING name for a rocket. The Tip of the Spear.

Lets look at the kit:

The instructions are pretty good. Lots of words. Okay illustrations. Anyone who can read, should be able to follow them. My kit is a very early one. I am sending any instruction revisions I think might be useful to @Cape Byron




You get a template for making a fin guide. I have guides. So I'll skip that. There is no scale box on the template. Something I will mention to CBR

 

[gdjsky01]

Parts




That seems to be a Custom Rockets nose cone from the unique screw eye attachment. They have used that since the 90's when I got my first few Custom Rockets kits (Like the Dynamic Carrier)

This is a two stage beta test kit so there are also parts for the booster. It is advisable to read the instructions for the booster as there is a step or two to skip on the sustainer instructions if using the booster. I would presume the final instructions of the sustainer will change to add that note.

On the whole, I see nothing other than good parts. And it comes with a baffle. Always a good sign!

 

[gdjsky01]

The boost engine block is installed at the aft end of the motor mount tube. I checked with CBR and yes, that is correct. The booster motor is friction fitted from the top of the booster. The motors are gap staged. You need to use tape to friction fit the booster motor to keep it from sliding forwards.




As you can see, the rings are installed. They have gaps for a motor hook, but there is no hook in either the booster nor sustainer in this two stage configuration. The sustainer comes with a hook but is not used in the two stage configuration.

 

[gdjsky01]

This is the booster body tube marked at 120* and then a 3 ring binder punch used to create the gap staging vent holes

 

[gdjsky01]

These are the six fins. All laser cut and were already removed from the wood. They came wrapped in plastic wrap.
One booster fin was noticeably more dense than the other two. Not that it will make a hill of beans difference. Just obviously a different sheet of balsa.
The fins were sanded with 220 grit and then the sustainer fin's leading edges rounded. The other edges had the laser 'nubs' sanded off.

The fins have been given their first coating of sanding sealer.

 

[cls]

"like" this thread!

 

[OverTheTop]

There is a place called Cape Byron... and there is a TRF member called @Cape Byron ... This former is a real place and to be honest, looks like another bucket list addition to my extensive "Get to Australia Before I die" list.

Cape Byron is a nice place. I remember standing near that lighthouse watching porpoises surfing in the waves. They would surf in on the waves, turn around and then do it all over again. Amazing to watch. Also near there is the most Easterly point of Oz.

 

[gdjsky01]

Coupler inserted for marking the holes in the coupler. You can't punch them after its glued in. So insert,




mark




remove, punch, then glue with vents lined up.




Just remember, punch first, then glue

 

[gdjsky01]

Then mark thy greeble line!

 

[Cape Byron]

I loves me some greebles. I blame @James Duffy for getting me started.

 

[gdjsky01]

With 4mm wide (or tall) greeble line marked, cut out the greeble guide and wrap. The sustainer's shorter body tube is at the top




Marks are done




I use a cheap stereo microscope that I use for building Eggtimer Products to kinda-sorta mark 4mm off the half round styrene rod.



and the first greebles... and I can already see they vary in length. No matter I have a nail file that should even them out. Greebles go on before the fins so the tube is easier to work with.

 

[gdjsky01]

Well all the booster greebles are on. Sorry @Cape Byron, they are a rag tag lot... proving once again, I am no @hcmbanjo!
Once the CA is fully cured, I'll put the sustainer tube on and clean up the lengths with a nail file.
The booster circle is on, the sustainer circle will wait until I have filled and sanded the sustainer tubes. Which I forgot to do on the booster but is easy peasy since the fins are not on yet and I was lucky (skilled?) enough to not put the disc greeble on a tube spiral.

 

[Cape Byron]

Well all the booster greebles are on. Sorry @Cape Byron, they are a rag tag lot... proving once again, I am no @hcmbanjo!

No apologies needed. I usually measure, cut too long, cut shorter, too short, discard greeble, start again. Hopefully there is enough styrene in the kits to do that.

 

[gdjsky01]

Tubes spirals are filled. Not sanded yet. Tomorrow.

 

[gdjsky01]

So the fins are on the booster and filleted. I used Arlenes so I could do all the fillets at once.
The bottom half of the sustainer it there just to show of the greebles




The baffle is a work of art. Perhaps a little over engineered(?). But a work of art. I may see about order an assortment of those!





Ten grams combined of brass BBs and epoxy in the nose. The inside was cleaned with rubbing alcohol and scratched up with a sanding sponge.

 

[Cape Byron]

The baffles are straight from Qualman Rocketry and for my money they are absolutely the best in the business.

David also supplies our centering rings, cluster centering rings, bulkheads... Great guy.

BT Plywood Baffles

 

[gdjsky01]

The baffle is sanded (it was a tad large as the instructions pointed out) and the kevlar attached to it. Let glue run way down with a chop-stick and the baffle slid home against the coupler




The sustainer fins are on and filleted. Arlene's again.




And the greebles are growing on the sustainer

 

[gdjsky01]

Well well here she/he/whatever is in all his/his/their glory. Naked as a Jay Bird... (WHY is a Jay Bird Naked?)



He/She/It is really a sharp looking bird IMO. And I am not just sayin' that cause I am sucking up to CBR. I paid.
I was tempted to simply shoot some paint. But no. I'll prime it. The booster will have to be red like the forward part of the sustainer. I don't want to be looking for a black booster on the desert floor. Heck fluorescent orange would be best!

Otherwise She'll/He'll/They will get the recommended Red White and (thank goodness not blue!) black the instructions call for.


So far, without the chute, we have a:
70gm two stage model with a CG of about 38cm from the nose (edit: this is almost spot on the CBR ORK file) - The mass is without the C motors - The CG is with


59gm single stage model with a CG 30cm from the nose (cg when there is a C6-7 loaded)

 

[Cape Byron]

The booster will have to be red like the forward part of the sustainer. I don't want to be looking for a black booster on the desert floor. Heck fluorescent orange would be best!

Yep. Orange works well on the booster.

 

[Cape Byron]

Your build is looking great!

 

[gdjsky01]

So I painted the booster red. Why no primer you say!!!??? WTF????

Forgive me. I want to launch this rocket this weekend on a B to A and C to B. I wanted to give myself a fighting chance to find the booster. And all my two stage boosters get a little beaten up anyway! Left 'brown', well, if you look at my personal launch reports (you do read them right?), you can see brown may not be the best color.



It is not horrible. But it would have been a little cleaner with primer.

However mean I could be to the booster, I had to spray primer love on the sustainer. That revealed a nasty mold line I had missed... but again... time waits for no man/women/trans etc. And Saturday is approaching...
The Krylon primer is runny junk... but it dries fast. So I could sand out the runs.




And was able to shoot Valspar red (like the booster)

 

[gdjsky01]

That is most likely as far as I'll go until after it launches (assuming it does) on Saturday. If it survives my machinations, it'll earn its white and black paint and the neat vinyl strip included in the kit. I think it'll be a B6-0 to an A8-5 (tho ORK says -3 is better). If there is time I'll go for a C6-0 to B6-6 (but that MIGHT have to be a streamer - which I know goes against the beta testing idea).

 

[Cape Byron]

(but that MIGHT have to be a streamer - which I know goes against the beta testing idea)

Not really. Could be something worth adding to the instructions. The same goes with smaller parachutes or cutting spill holes. You do want to get it back, right?

 

[gdjsky01]

Not really. Could be something worth adding to the instructions. The same goes with smaller parachutes or cutting spill holes. You do want to get it back, right?

YES! I am supposed to be like the average Joe/Jane/them. They don't want a fire and forget... at least not most.

You really are a nice guy/gal/person! I'll have to see if there is time to go for that second flight and what the conditions are. I'd like to stick to the instructions since that is what future customer will deal with. However one of a great parts of the design, I think, is the forward fins. It not only looks cool, but a streamer landing might not be that bad since it is unlikely to hit on the fins. I think?

 

[Cape Byron]

However one of a great parts of the design, I think, is the forward fins.

Thanks for that, 'cause I agree!

I think the 'spear' look really worked well. One of my favourite designs.

It was a trade off between fin size, fin placement, BT length and wanting no nose weight. The nose weight thing went bye bye for the two stage, but that was expected.

Reinforcing the BT end, after the MMT is fitted, with CA might not be a bad idea. Mine have had some heavy landings with chute experiments, but always on grass.

 

[gdjsky01]

It flies!!!
Absolutely bonza!

C6-0 to an A8-5. Just about right. Jolly Logic said 663ft (200m).

Everything was recovered. Booster tumbled in (unlike many kits where is streamlines in!)

I could not get in the 'all up' C6 to C6 flight. Next time.

She/He/It has earned the rest of the finishing.

 

[gdjsky01]

Staging... remember it is gap staged. Maybe 3cm gap?




And sustainer recovery. Thats how she/he/they landed.

 

[gdjsky01]

I'll finish this build thread with images of the finished sustainer in a bit.
I have other non CBR carnage from the launch to attend to.

However CBR deserves a "Good Job". And a cool looking round.

Now about my free night's stay in Cape Byron???

 

[Cape Byron]

It flies!!!
Absolutely bonza!

C6-0 to an A8-5. Just about right. Jolly Logic said 663ft (200m).

Everything was recovered. Booster tumbled in.

I could not get in the 'all up' C6 to C6 flight. Next time.

She/He/It has earned the rest of the finishing.

YES!!!

Fantastic news. You've made my day/weekend/month/year to date.