NewEntity1
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Cracked a fin...but she'll fly again
The executioner ejected successfully, but had a tangled chute and landed hard. End result: One fin broke free of its fillets. It has already been repaired.
All that baffling I had in the executioner made the nose cone come off rather sluggishly...but it came off. The ejection charge also kicked off the cap on the end of the motot mount I had deliberately glued very lightly as a safety precaution... this was my built in 'weak point in case of failure' . It's much preferable that is would do this than eject the motor out the back
More of a problem was the tangled chute. I'm not certain, but I think the chute became tangled around the quicklink I had attached to the keyring, which in turn is connected to the duel shock cords. I think I'll just forget about the quick-link a loop the chute through itself right on the shock cord, Estes-style.
Another minor problem was the motor used...my Exec weighs 11 oz, and for that much weight on a D motor...which is what I chose for it's maiden flight...it should have had a 3 second delay. However, I didn't have any D12-3s, so I used a D12-5. An 11 oz Exec doesn't go very high on a 'D' engine...if the rocket had been higher, or the delay shorter, the chute might have had time to straighten out.
Changes for future flights of this Exec:
1) Don't reglue the cap on the end of the motor mount, an just use recovery wadding for future flights of this rocket.
2) Remove the quicklink from the revovery system, and tie chute directly onto the shock cord.
3) Shorter relative delay.
It's next flight is going to be on an E9-6, which should be just about the right delay for an E.
Changes for any future Execs I might build:
1) Red Arrow hobbies sells a PML-style piston. I will try that approach instead of the baffling, for a non-payloader like an Exec.
2) If and when I build another Exec, I will build it with a 29mm motor mount
3) I would build it with Red-Arrow or Giant leap flexible phenolic tubing for the motor mount, to handle the greater forces of most 29mm motors.
4) Birch or phenolic centering rings.
5) I would apply 2 part foam to the fin can.
The executioner ejected successfully, but had a tangled chute and landed hard. End result: One fin broke free of its fillets. It has already been repaired.
All that baffling I had in the executioner made the nose cone come off rather sluggishly...but it came off. The ejection charge also kicked off the cap on the end of the motot mount I had deliberately glued very lightly as a safety precaution... this was my built in 'weak point in case of failure' . It's much preferable that is would do this than eject the motor out the back
More of a problem was the tangled chute. I'm not certain, but I think the chute became tangled around the quicklink I had attached to the keyring, which in turn is connected to the duel shock cords. I think I'll just forget about the quick-link a loop the chute through itself right on the shock cord, Estes-style.
Another minor problem was the motor used...my Exec weighs 11 oz, and for that much weight on a D motor...which is what I chose for it's maiden flight...it should have had a 3 second delay. However, I didn't have any D12-3s, so I used a D12-5. An 11 oz Exec doesn't go very high on a 'D' engine...if the rocket had been higher, or the delay shorter, the chute might have had time to straighten out.
Changes for future flights of this Exec:
1) Don't reglue the cap on the end of the motor mount, an just use recovery wadding for future flights of this rocket.
2) Remove the quicklink from the revovery system, and tie chute directly onto the shock cord.
3) Shorter relative delay.
It's next flight is going to be on an E9-6, which should be just about the right delay for an E.
Changes for any future Execs I might build:
1) Red Arrow hobbies sells a PML-style piston. I will try that approach instead of the baffling, for a non-payloader like an Exec.
2) If and when I build another Exec, I will build it with a 29mm motor mount
3) I would build it with Red-Arrow or Giant leap flexible phenolic tubing for the motor mount, to handle the greater forces of most 29mm motors.
4) Birch or phenolic centering rings.
5) I would apply 2 part foam to the fin can.