Cherry Bomb L3 build

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Fade_to_Black

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Well, here's another L3 build. It's a Performance Rocketry kit the Intimidator 5. Just over 10 feet tall, it's all fiberglass 5" diameter with a 4" motor mount. I'll be flying it weather permitting on April 18th loaded with a CTI M1400. Electronics on board will be one ARTS altimeter, one PerfectFlite MAWD and a Big Red Bee tracker. Recovery will be via a Rocketman 10 foot standard chute with a home sewn 36" X-form drogue. The only non kit parts I added were two 1/2" plywood centering rings to back up the aft and center stock fiberglass rings, a Roger Sadowski built "Gorilla Mount" recovery anchor and an Aeropack 98mm retainer.

It's painted cherry red, and named the Cherry Bomb. Some of you motorheads will probably recognize the logo. (thanks to Mark at StickerShock23.com for the decals)

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Here's some progress pics. The gorilla mount runs through the center c-ring and is epoxied in place.

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nosecone.jpg

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I use the Vatsaas method of making fillets. Put tape down about 1/4" from the joint, spread your epoxy and remove the tape. It works great.

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I used Lord Fusor 100EZ to assemble the rocket. Fusor is used in auto body shops to repair and permanently attach plastic, carbon fiber and fiberglass body panels. It has a working time of about 40 minutes, but sets in 10 minutes when heated to 180 degrees. It's also self leveling, so finish work is minimized.

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Electronics bay with steel cable "leaders" for harness attachments. The leaders protect the harness from damage by the ejection charges.

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Color sanded after the first two coats of cherry red paint. Then, after two final color coats and four coats of clear.

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Ready to go!!! :D
 

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Fred:
Awesome build and a great bird! Mine will be going up at Red Glare 6 next weekend on an AMW M1480RR, Here it is on an AT M650W. Good Luck! on your L3.
TestPhotos005-1[1].jpgIntimidator 5 M650W.jpg
I had Mine made with a 75mm MM.
 
Fred,

Looks very nice. I am starting to think about an L3 project. This looks like a great economical option. Thanks for all the extra tips!

Let us know how it turns out!

Good Luck.

:cool:
 
Great looking finish. Fred, what kind of paint did you use?

Best wishes on L3.

Craig
 
Fred, you always have good looking rockets.

I can't wait to see it. Will you be there and bringing it this weekend?
 
Nice job! I am going to start my I5 build soon. Seeing yours on here is great, thanks for sharing the project and good luck on your L3 attempt.
 
Thanks for all the kind words guys. With this kind of support I can't go wrong. :D

The paint used on the project is all Duplicolor aoutomotive paint in spray cans. I use filler primer to smooth out any small imperfections and wet sand with 400 grit wet-or-dry sand paper. The color is a base coat/clear coat style paint.

Bill, I won't be at JMRC's launch this weekend, gotta get a new pad put together to take with me to the Oaks and get everything ready for the L3.
 
Nice build! I might have to do one of these when I get around to doing L3.
 
Made my L3 attempt yesterday, I say attempt because I'll never know if I pulled it off or not as the CTI M1400 decided to pop the rear closure at about 200 feet. While it was one of the most "exciting" flights of the day for most, it pretty much ruined my day.

Damage was done pretty much throughout the whole rocket. The pressure from the CATO took off everything aft of the middle centering ring and slammed the case into the e-bay which telescoped into the payload bay. The e-bay folded up like a cheap suit, but I may have been lucky enough to have been spared the two altimeters. Both will start up when powered, but I'll have to test them to be sure no damage was done that I can't see. When the e-bay was stuffed into the payload tube, the three stainless screws that held it in cut grooves about an inch or so long into the bottom of the tube before they got pulled out of the coupler. The coupler was wedged into the payload tube so hard I had to cut the tube to get it out. I lost about 8 inches of length off the tube. The nose cone has a pretty big ding in it, but is repairable. All the main recovery parts are undamaged, but the drogue chute is trashed. The drogue harness looks OK, just had two bent quick links. We recovered all three fins which were undamaged, the motor mount tube is intact (believe it or not) but the booster tube is in pieces. We also found the Aeropack, it has a fair amount of damage to the retainer ring, but may be able to be straightened. The (borrowed) Aeropack adapter is also bent, but that may be fixable too.

I'll have some pics, and maybe video later this week. I already have plans to rebuild the rocket, but it will fly on a LOKI motor next time. FWIW, this was the second CATO in a row with the same motor at our club. In fact, the case I used was a brand new warranty case from the last one. This was a 75mm CTI standard propellant motor, and I've been hearing about other CATO's with this motor, after the fact of course. It's bad enough that it ruined my rocket, but hey, it happens. I'm very upset that it ruined my L3 attempt. Now I have to spend all the time going through all the cert stuff again. So, just be careful with the CTI 75mm motors.

BTW Mark, All the stickers survived. :D
 
Made my L3 attempt yesterday, I say attempt because I'll never know if I pulled it off or not as the CTI M1400 decided to pop the rear closure at about 200 feet. While it was one of the most "exciting" flights of the day for most, it pretty much ruined my day.

Damage was done pretty much throughout the whole rocket. The pressure from the CATO took off everything aft of the middle centering ring and slammed the case into the e-bay which telescoped into the payload bay. The e-bay folded up like a cheap suit, but I may have been lucky enough to have been spared the two altimeters. Both will start up when powered, but I'll have to test them to be sure no damage was done that I can't see. When the e-bay was stuffed into the payload tube, the three stainless screws that held it in cut grooves about an inch or so long into the bottom of the tube before they got pulled out of the coupler. The coupler was wedged into the payload tube so hard I had to cut the tube to get it out. I lost about 8 inches of length off the tube. The nose cone has a pretty big ding in it, but is repairable. All the main recovery parts are undamaged, but the drogue chute is trashed. The drogue harness looks OK, just had two bent quick links. We recovered all three fins which were undamaged, the motor mount tube is intact (believe it or not) but the booster tube is in pieces. We also found the Aeropack, it has a fair amount of damage to the retainer ring, but may be able to be straightened. The (borrowed) Aeropack adapter is also bent, but that may be fixable too.

I'll have some pics, and maybe video later this week. I already have plans to rebuild the rocket, but it will fly on a LOKI motor next time. FWIW, this was the second CATO in a row with the same motor at our club. In fact, the case I used was a brand new warranty case from the last one. This was a 75mm CTI standard propellant motor, and I've been hearing about other CATO's with this motor, after the fact of course. It's bad enough that it ruined my rocket, but hey, it happens. I'm very upset that it ruined my L3 attempt. Now I have to spend all the time going through all the cert stuff again. So, just be careful with the CTI 75mm motors.

BTW Mark, All the stickers survived. :D

Fred, talk with CTI. There was a 38mm 6 grain classic propellant motors that blew the top closure.

There also was an M1400 at RGVI yesterday that let loose. Im thinking quality control.

Ben
 
Dude, I soooo feel for you. I had the same thing happen to me, only it was my L1 attempt. Same thing happened, the motor popped about 200 ft up, and then it all came crashing down. Same motor company, too, CTI. Sorry man.
 
same here, I had the motor pop about 200ft or higher then came down in flames the rocket was a total lost . Sorry for your lost espically on your Level 3 attempt that really hurt see that happen.
 
Fred,

I've never had a rocket with as much sweat equity in it as your L3 so I don't know how disappointing it really is, but from my experience, you will get past this. When you think about this, in several years when you've been an L3 for a while, this will make a great story at the big launch. When someone shows you their rocket named, C4, Dynamite, A-Bomb or something similar, you can tell them the story of your Cherry Bomb and how it did exactly what it's namesake does.

The old saying, "If I wasn't laughing, I'd be crying", well, as tough as it is to laugh about it now, the sooner you can get a chuckle from the irony of the name and the results, the easier it will be to make that next attempt.

Sorry about the Cherry Bomb exploding and Good Luck with the next attempt. We're pulling for you.
 
Thanks for all the well wishes guys!

Funny thing, I never really got angry over it, hugely dissapointed but not mad. When it happened, I just felt like bawling like a little girl (most probably from the giant emotional let down after all the anticipation up to the actual launch) but I went back in the trailer and gathered myself together, then went out and picked up the pieces. I felt worse for my friends that helped me out, I think they all were as upset as me. My motor guy was a basket case, he kept apologizing, but I know it wasn't his fault and I told him so. It's part of flying rockets.

We did joke about the irony of the name, and I decided that it was a good thing I didn't name it something like Thermonuclear Explosion. I'd hate to be the one responsible for turning Three Oaks Michigan into a black spot. :D

I will rebuild the rocket, this just makes me that much more intent on pulling this off. And besides, I'll get to fly another M motor. But I won't be naming it the Cherry Bomb II. LOL!!!!
 
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