Estes Rubicon

[JAL3]

The Rubicon is one of my earlier attempts. It has flown quite well on Ds and, once, an E15. On each flight, though, I manage to pop off a fin or a nozzle. So far every nozzled has been put back at least once and 2 of them are now lost.

I've been more fortunate with the fins. Each has been put back on at least twice and I have always found the popped fin. So far, I have tried tube type plastic cement, liquid plastic cement and CA. All have failed.

Does anyone have a suggestion that will hold up?

 

[CharlaineC]

have you tried epoxy? when you glued the fins on did you rough up the plastic first and the serface to be attached to? make glue rivets that might help as well.

 

[JAL3]

have you tried epoxy? when you glued the fins on did you rough up the plastic first and the serface to be attached to? make glue rivets that might help as well.

I can't swear to the epoxy but I think I have. I've just replaced SO MANY that they all seem to blur together in my memory.

The plastic has been roughed up but I have not done the rivet thing.

 

[JAL3]

I went ahead and decided on epoxy for the repair. I sanded down what was there before; it looks like CA, and then mixed up a small batch. I pressed it into place and let it set.

While waiting for it to set, I decided that the fin can looked awfully sad. It had been pained with a metallic silver paint and to say it looked tarnished is an affront to tarnish. Accordingly, I sanded the fin can and masked off the upper tubes.

I then repainted with a flaked silver paint I have used successfully on several projects. Its not going to win any beauty pagents but it does look better.

 

[Fred22]

Just throwing out an idea but one side usually impacts first when a rocket lands. That is not a rule of course. How about attaching a piece of dowelling or something flexible projecting down from the base to absorb the impact? I also wonder if a bigger chute might help reduce the landing speed? Just some ideas John
Cheers
fred

 

[JAL3]

Just throwing out an idea but one side usually impacts first when a rocket lands. That is not a rule of course. How about attaching a piece of dowelling or something flexible projecting down from the base to absorb the impact? I also wonder if a bigger chute might help reduce the landing speed? Just some ideas John
Cheers
fred

I appreciate the ideas.

The breakage seems to be distributed around the fins but you're probably right that one side takes a bigger hit than the others. I'll check that out.

I think this one has the original Estes chute in it. It was an earlier, "expendable" rocket that has survived. Now I try to make them all survive.

Its been a while since it has flown so I may swithc chutes on the next outing.

 

[Micromeister]

John:
One of the easiest ways i've found to reduce or eliminate most fin damage recovering on Plastic parasheets is the use of a spill hole.
Generally a 3/4" or 1" hole is all it takes depending on the size of the chute, to all but stop the "air spill wobble" inherent to all Plastic parasheets.

You'll still have to deal with decent rate and first touch down issues but having the model NOT swinging wildly around on the chute as it decends greatly reduces the impact even in pretty stiff breezes

Hope this helps a little.

 

[JAL3]

John:
One of the easiest ways i've found to reduce or eliminate most fin damage recovering on Plastic parasheets is the use of a spill hole.
Generally a 3/4" or 1" hole is all it takes depending on the size of the chute, to all but stop the "air spill wobble" inherent to all Plastic parasheets.

You'll still have to deal with decent rate and first touch down issues but having the model NOT swinging wildly around on the chute as it decends greatly reduces the impact even in pretty stiff breezes

Hope this helps a little.

It does and I do appreciate it.

 

[cls]

too bad we lost the old TRF threads - this was a common question / discussion.

all the Estes X-Prize rockets use a kind of plastic that does not melt under "regular" glue (Testor's orange tube).

Instead, use liquid cement, like ProWeld.

 

[JAL3]

too bad we lost the old TRF threads - this was a common question / discussion.

all the Estes X-Prize rockets use a kind of plastic that does not melt under "regular" glue (Testor's orange tube).

Instead, use liquid cement, like ProWeld.

I'm actually about 95% sure that I originally used Pro Weld. I know I've subsequently used it...and the orange tube...and CA...and a different CA...and I'm pretty sure I've done the epoxy thing too. I'm about ready to drill some small holes and bolt the little @#$ on there!

 

[cls]

I went and looked in the garage - the stuff that worked for me is "Plastruct". Gotta do the "double' gluing thing so it has a chance to eat in to the plastic.

all those X-Prize rockets are really cool, and they are all made of that difficult plastic.

I recently built a Gauchito using Plastruct - those little nozzles stayed on just fine.

 

[JAL3]

I went and looked in the garage - the stuff that worked for me is "Plastruct". Gotta do the "double' gluing thing so it has a chance to eat in to the plastic.

all those X-Prize rockets are really cool, and they are all made of that difficult plastic.

I recently built a Gauchito using Plastruct - those little nozzles stayed on just fine.

I know I have some plastruct sitting around. I knocked a bottle of it over a few days ago. I might give it a try on some of the other Xprizes sitting around. THe Lucky 7 and Rubicon are built and the Cosmos Mariner is in progress. The rest are just waiting their turns.