Daughter's Mega Der Red Max

[kcobbva]

My daughter loved my Mega Der Red Max (BlackMax) and asked to try to build one as well. I gave her one for Christmas and also ordered a set of Der Purple Max decals from Stickershock. What can I say, Mark rocks! LOVE his stuff. She wants to drag race mine. I'm a lucky guy!!

Anyway, since I've been so preoccupied with my fiberglassing whoas, she's been patiently sitting idle until today. We are deviating slightly by using an Aeropack adapter because I really like them and prefer the aluminum over plastic.

Today she glued the fin planks together and while that was drying, marked the Aeropack location, and then glued on the center centering ring. The aft ring will be glued on after the fins are completely filleted in the back chamber.


More to come as her schedule allows.

 

[dmgrime]

I have only one child, a daughter. I wish she took 1/100th as much interest in rocketry as yours has! Lucky man you are!

 

[kevinkal]

Nice Kevin, you are indeed a lucky dad.
I love the MDRM.. I think it's my favorite Estes Kit. It has presence on the pad and in the sky. I've only boosted with G80-7's so far, and am very happy with the flights.
I remember being surprised how much the fins wanted to warp after using Titebond II to put the fin "sandwiches' together.
I'll being showing your thread to my daughter as things progress... and gauging her interest with my fingers crossed.

 

[K'Tesh]

Looks like she's enjoying it! I hope you do a build thread!

Pointy Side Up!

 

[KenRico]

Dont shred it with a H550-ST

:grin:

Kenny

 

[kcobbva]

as much as she wants to, she's only 12. she'll be ready for Jr. HPR L1 the day she turns 14!! ...if I'm able to keep her interested in it.

 

[kcobbva]

Nice Kevin, you are indeed a lucky dad.
I love the MDRM.. I think it's my favorite Estes Kit. It has presence on the pad and in the sky. I've only boosted with G80-7's so far, and am very happy with the flights.
I remember being surprised how much the fins wanted to warp after using Titebond II to put the fin "sandwiches' together.
I'll being showing your thread to my daughter as things progress... and gauging her interest with my fingers crossed.

Kevin, thankfully I didn't experience the warping with my MDRM. Hopefully we wont with hers either. Mine blew up on a bad G76; but a coupler has been glued down into the airframe and it's had many successful flights following. btw. I love that pic of the Level2 taking off! Very nice shot!

 

[kcobbva]

My daughter made great progress today. She learned to sand and I'll say did an awesome job. Sanded both the planks and also the internal plywood structure.


She then did a dry fit to find out which fin fit best where and marked each as such (1, 2, 3)


Then she began drawing out each fin marking each as Fin 2 left side, Fin 2 right side. Then cut two of the fins out.


Finally we talked about ensuring right fin was on the right side of the plywood structure and smeared glue covering the entire plywood surface (minus the fin tab). then carefully laid that side of the fin on top and placed weight on top ensuring the fin didn't slide to a side. We'll let it dry for a few hours before flipping over.

 

[K'Tesh]

Looks good! I'm envious! :wink:

And.... now I understand why I'm seeing all the ads for beer making kits here in the forum.

 

[kcobbva]

Looks good! I'm envious! :wink:

And.... now I understand why I'm seeing all the ads for beer making kits here in the forum.

yeah. I grabbed every heavy thing I could find close by and realized what I'd stacked on top after taking the picture. Oh well

 

[Swissyhawk]

Wait till next year - "Daddy, I want to build another MDRM, but this time I want to put a 38 mm MMT in it!"

 

[kcobbva]

Wait till next year - "Daddy, I want to build another MDRM, but this time I want to put a 38 mm MMT in it!"

When she's 14 and we can do Jr. HPR; we'll both do it! by then my little guy might be able to make one himself. Family drag race!!

 

[Steve Shannon]

as much as she wants to, she's only 12. she'll be ready for Jr. HPR L1 the day she turns 14!! ...if I'm able to keep her interested in it.

Tripoli has their TMT program which is a little like Jr. L1. It starts at 12 years old. It doesn't become L1 certification when the person turns 18, but that's just another flight.

 

[retortec]

Good job dad. Not only are you building a rocket but a stronger kid. Girls spending any time with dad sharing hands on science is huge. I am very lucky with a 9 year old maker in my house. She is a regular fixture at our club launches. I hope it it sticks. If not, time well spent.

 

[kcobbva]

that smile says it all. I totally agree retortec. thanks for sharing the pictures! my daughter loves that rocket (she just saw it).

 

[Forever_Metal]

Good job dad. Not only are you building a rocket but a stronger kid. Girls spending any time with dad sharing hands on science is huge. I am very lucky with a 9 year old maker in my house. She is a regular fixture at our club launches. I hope it it sticks. If not, time well spent.

I myself have a 12er that flew so many times at a launch last year that they started calling pad 11 by her name. Between her and her brother they flew over 40 times in the weekend.

fm

 

[kcobbva]

I myself have a 12er that flew so many times at a launch last year that they started calling pad 11 by her name. Between her and her brother they flew over 40 times in the weekend.

fm

That's totally awesome. So much fun flying with the kids!! I bet you spend more time prepping motors than flying yourself!

 

[kcobbva]

She got a little further over last evening and today. After the fins were dry, she learned to sand them down. She had the same issues I had with mine where the root edge wasn't as flush as we'd like and we sanded it flush, but then it doesn't meet the outer wall as tight as we'd like. I recall slicing some thin balsa on mine to fill the gaps. I'll have her do the same once it's all dry. After sanding, we completed the MMT, but left the rear CR off so we can secure the inside lower half with fillets. Then she'll glue on the rear CR. Finally she began putting glue down in the tube and mounted the MMT. Since the rear CR wasn't in place, she then secured a rail guide in place. After that was dry, she fit each fin and slid over a fin guide we made earlier while things were drying.

 

[Forever_Metal]

That's totally awesome. So much fun flying with the kids!! I bet you spend more time prepping motors than flying yourself!

Actually i was working the high power LCO table while they flew all of those. The eldest son was helping sister until she got comfy with the process while mom oversaw the whole evolution; I only got the call when they needed repairs, lost one or needed more $$ for motors. I even had two Cavalier Charles pups QA'ing everything before they went to the RSO table (I'll add a pic when I get home). It was the best time ever!

fm

 

[kcobbva]

My daughter has gotten further along. She filled the body tube spirals and sanded them down and then began putting fillets on. We prefer rocketpoxy for fillets and she's gotten pretty darned good at doing them.


Hopefully the nice weather stays today and she can put on the primer basecoat. Our goal is that she takes it to the next TARC launch and get's to launch it in-between their teams launches.

 

[Bat-mite]

Are you going to bring her to LDRS? Talk about getting the HPR bug!

You might want to consider wider fillets on those big, heavy fins.

 

[kcobbva]

Are you going to bring her to LDRS? Talk about getting the HPR bug!

You might want to consider wider fillets on those big, heavy fins.

Yes. As it stands, she will be joining me for LDRS. Things always change, but I hope this doesn't! We did smaller fillets since she did internal fillets all over inside the tube. Figured they were pretty stable due to that as I had done on mine. I could be wrong, and if you think it's still beneficial to do larger external fillets when all the internal fillets are also done, please let me know. Always a learning process!! Sorry I never got time to run out to MD. Life with 3 kids, etc so on, is never slow...ever!

See you there!! She and I are also attending NARCON this saturday. I'm working it, but she wanted to go as a participant, so I'm excited that she really is interested in all of this!

 

[TangoJuliet]

I think your fillets are fine. BTW, what is rocketpoxy? I use 30 minute BSI Epoxy with Microballoons added if I need a thicker substance.

 

[Bat-mite]

https://www.madcowrocketry.com/adhesives/

 

[kcobbva]

I think your fillets are fine. BTW, what is rocketpoxy? I use 30 minute BSI Epoxy with Microballoons added if I need a thicker substance.

John beat me to it. Same link. It's excellent stuff. I use different adhesives for different things, different epoxies etc. but for all external fillets I always use RocketPoxy. IMO I just think it's excellent stuff.

 

[Bat-mite]

With Rocketpoxy, mix it 1:1 and let it sit about 20 minutes. It smooths out to peanut butter consistency, and all the sir bubbles rise to the surface. Pop them, smooth it into the grooves with a tongue depressor, and you have instant fillets.

 

[TangoJuliet]

Hmm, I may just have to order some of that and give it a try. Thanks.

 

[kcobbva]

Another step closer last evening. She did really well with the paint this time. It's a mixed blessing. Pretty soon she won't need my help at all!!

 

[TangoJuliet]

Don't blink! Before you know it, you'll need her help, so be sure to teach her right. :wink:

 

[kcobbva]

Don't blink! Before you know it, you'll need her help, so be sure to teach her right. :wink:

Excellent advice!