First post, a couple questions

[joan pepe]

Hi I everyone ,I found this old rocket in a box and am trying to get it ready to fly.I know it needs a way to attach the cone to the body and I'm planning on using a long piece of rubber band but I don't know how long it needs to be or even if the rubber band is a good idea. 2nd question , I never did find a parachute for this,would a home made streamer suffice ? T hanks for any advice you could give me ,a complete beginner

 

[KenC]

Two to four times the total length of your rocket is a good length for the shock cord. I have used elastic from the sewing notions section of Walmart, it's hard to tell the diameter of the body tube from the photos but 1/4" is probably what you want. For low power rockets the Estes trifold attachment is adequate, see the Estes website and almost any kit instructions will show you how. https://estesrockets.com/instructions/ You can do it with just about any paper trapezoid just make sure to glue it far enough inside the body tube so that it is below the shoulder of the nosecone. Good luck and welcome to the forum.

 

[les]

First - welcome!

A rule of thumb is to have the elastic 2X the rocket length. Sewing elastic works great.
A streamer may not work well for that size rocket. You can make your own chute from a plastic garbage bag

 

[KenC]

It's easy to make your parachute (or streamer) out of a cut up trash bag, string and tape. A streamer is certainly an option depending on the weight of the rocket. Don't forget to get some fire proof wadding to protect the recovery system.

 

[K'Tesh]

Shock Cord? It's my understanding that the rubber used by Estes is supposed to break down when exposed to UV light over time. This is supposed to allow rockets that are stuck in trees to come down quicker (and hopefully with less damage) than if elastic cord, Kevlar, or other materials are used. That said, I lost a favorite rocket to a tree (a snag with no leaves to shade the rubber), and it hung there for IIRC, a year. Cows squashed the remains when it did eventually return to the ground (I got back at them for that... Hamburgers, steaks, roasts).

Parachutes? You can use a mylar balloon to make a parachute with some pzazz. An additional benefit is that shiny mylar balloons are easy to see in sunny conditions (my L1 build had a 1/8" strip of chrome Trim Monokote which created bright flashes as the rocket spiraled in under canopy). The "string" should be something along the line of Coats & Clark Dual Duty Button and Carpet thread (I know of at least one vendor who uses it for their lines).

photos: luke strawwalker

 

[joan pepe]

Shock Cord? It's my understanding that the rubber used by Estes is supposed to break down when exposed to UV light over time. This is supposed to allow rockets that are stuck in trees to come down quicker (and hopefully with less damage) than if elastic cord, Kevlar, or other materials are used. That said, I lost a favorite rocket to a tree (a snag with no leaves to shade the rubber), and it hung there for IIRC, a year. Cows squashed the remains when it did eventually return to the ground (I got back at them for that... Hamburgers, steaks, roasts).

Parachutes? You can use a mylar balloon to make a parachute with some pzazz. The "string" should be something along the line of Coats & Clark Dual Duty Button and Carpet thread (I know of at least one vendor who uses it for their lines).

photos: luke strawwalker

An additional benefit is that shiny mylar balloons are easy to see in sunny conditions.

That's awesome