HPR Custom Build

[thzero]

Have been working on the electronics bay, doing so I revised how I had it wired.



Electronics bay holding the RCC3


And the other side that will have the Raven as well as the pull-pin wiring setup.

 

[thzero]

Should be mostly wrapped up until I get to fly it this spring...

 

[Gary Liming]

That's a sweet looking rocket!

 

[thzero]

Learning new skills - CAD modeling (as opposed to Tinkercad :|) - rebuilding the components for the GPS/altimeter holder to get 3d printed. Kinda a pain, but found that once I started getting used to it I prefer it over "simple" programs like Tinkercad; being able to reuse or derive components and then adjust them is great (OOP for CAD!).

Using OnShape free version.

 

[Gary Liming]

OOP for CAD is OpenSCAD.

 

[thzero]

OOP for CAD is OpenSCAD.

Yeah, I haven't quite gotten to that level.

 

[thzero]

Well 7 hours, 42 minutes later I have my test print piece.



And with a sled in, that is for the Missileworks GPS unit, and the JollyLogic Altimeter 3.



May need to make the next version slightly narrower to avoid a bit of sanding in order to slight easily into the 3" tubes.

 

[Sebastian Lindquist]

Nice thread so far.

I'm becoming familiar with filling pin holes! Although it's more critical for me since my goal was to use a colored sleeve and avoid the weight of paint except on the nose and fins.

My Soller sleeved project is a 4 inch, so no shrink sleeve.....and pin holes have become the bane of this project.

Also having some pinhole issues after glassing a tube. You mentioned a sleeve? In my mind I’m thinking of a shrink wrapping product? My plan was to use vinyl cut designs to help hide some imperfections but if there was a full length product that covered everything that might be nice.

 

[thzero]

Shrink wrap from Soller but its not really a final layer, but rather to assist with the sock. Not sure if they have any "final layer" heat shrink or not.

 

[Sebastian Lindquist]

I’m

Shrink wrap from Soller but its not really a final layer, but rather to assist with the sock. Not sure if they have any "final layer" heat shrink or not.

Im tracking now. I haven’t tried the sock and wrap method for airframes yet. I’ve have moderate success with bagging molds (1 airframes) with standard fabric. But have ran into voids and heavy print through on the tubing.Going to try some infusion processes soon and think it might help keep things consistent.

At this point I’m chase superficial issues but still like a nice clean part.

 

[thzero]

I hear you... I watch Jon Coker's glassing video and yeah, it never works that well for me the couple of times I've tried it.

 

[thzero]

Designed and printed a camera mount for the Mobius camera to attach to the outside of the 3" rocket. Also working on an internal mount that would be perpendicular to the vertical axis of the rocket. Not sure I want to decase the Mobius or not to try and design an internal mount that has the camera lens pointed down the vertical axis.

 

[thzero]

Did some revamping of my electronics carrier. Showing it holding a Featherweight GPS, a Missileworks GPS, and a JollyLogic Altimeter 3. It can also hold another sled for the batteries for both of the GPS units. Of course, can change out any of the sleds to hold different components, i.e. I have a sled for an Eggtimer mini-GPS too.

 

[FlyBy01]

Have been working on the electronics bay, doing so I revised how I had it wired.

View attachment 440329

Electronics bay holding the RCC3
View attachment 440330

And the other side that will have the Raven as well as the pull-pin wiring setup.

View attachment 440331

Can you pleas send me the 3D print file or company you got the switch mounts from?

 

[thzero]

Oh those orange mounts? Those are from Lab Rat Rocketry

 

[thzero]

Attached the Mobius Camera mount to the upper stage of the rocket.



Revamp of the electronics bay. It'll have to two of the 'remove before flying' flags one for each of the altimeter (main and default)

 

[thzero]

Continuing to rework the avbay... needed to make room for the static ports to breathe.

 

[DaHabes]

With a 38" motor mount...

View attachment 434289

With a 54" motor mount...

View attachment 434290

38" and 54" or 38mm and 54mm? Is this going into outer space?

 

[thzero]

It was a test... congrats you passed.

 

[thzero]

Trying to get the rocket sorted with electronics and full dual deployment for Midwest Power.

Following along with some other threads, I created a pocket for a metal backer plate to help 'slice' the shear pin. Ended up going with a 4/40 shear pin, probably wouldn't have been find with 2/56 shear pin. As such wanted a bit more than just the LOC cardboard. Wasn't as worried about the shoulder as the coupler has a LOC Stiffy behind it as well.



Instead of brass, went with some 28 gauge steel sheet that I had... again, because stiffy tube I wasn't as worried about thickness but still could probably use a bit thinner gauge. Smaller rockets, I'd try brass sheets but definitely need to be less ham fisted on the grind.



And with a shear pin installed.

 

[thzero]

Speaking of this picture; still a bit leery on the size of static ports needed for the pressure. I have 3 static ports of 7/64" diameter based on amalgamation of static port posts, guidance from the vendor, calculators, etc.

 

[thzero]

Also created a new Micro Mobius attachment shield since I had sourced some micro mobius cameras, as opposed to the bigger brothers.

 

[thzero]

Updated schematic for dual deployment as well as the dual Eggfinger Quantums

 

[thzero]

Then been updated the electronics bay carrier.





Supports 4 switches to act as a physical disconnect between the altimeters and the ejection charge. Its probably overkill with the way the Eggtimer Quantums works, but I think its cool looking!

 

[Steve Shannon]

I drew up the wiring diagram for the eventual full electronics bay, learning Kicad (at least some of it) as I was doing so.

View attachment 438457

But here is what I'm going to concentrate on for the first flight... main at apogee, motor backup, plumbed for drogue but will probably go with the Jolly Logic but we'll see.

View attachment 438456

The way this is drawn, closing the power switch doesn’t connect the two RRC3 switch terminals to each other. You really only need an SPST between the two.

 

[thzero]

Been working more on the av bay...

 

[thzero]

Did a slight change to the electronics bay to tie it together a bit.





Would like to do a better job with the wiring, but for now it should work.

 

[thzero]

Ok... well did an initial test for the drogue. 15 psi for the 12"x3" space equated to .67gs, but that seemed weak. I then tried at 1g, and this is what I got. I do not have the main parachute in place, but the shock chord etc is in. This looks bit better without being too much it seems.

View attachment PXL_20211109_222916837_3.mp4

 

[thzero]

Well launched the Polaris on an Aerotech I180W at the last launch of the year the club I normally do high power with.

Total build out..
Madcow 3.0"Aerobee with LOC Precision couplers
Custom fins
Tubes were fiberglassed with Soller Composites fiberglass sleeves.
Fins are tip-to-tip fiberglassed
Lab Rat Rocketry "Remove Before Flight" flags.

Electronics
Featherweight GPS Tracker
Eggtimer Quantum altimeter

Recovery
TopFlight standard type parachute for the drogue
Bama Chutes Aero-spherical parachute for the main

Motor
Aerotech I180W

After prepping, with a launch list put together in Excel, it was a beautiful flight on a pretty nice, if cool, day! Went up straight as an arrow, and both the drogue then the main ejections popped with a nice decent and easy recovery!



Here's the flight info from the Eggtimer Quantum altimeter; from the CSV flight output. Max. altitude of 1,543ft which was slightly less than the Open Rocket simulated 1,632ft so I'll consider that a success.



Created my own open source tool to generate the charts/flight info - Rocket Graph (https://github.com/thzero/rocket_graph) (such as boring name) mostly as an excuse to create an ElectronJs app.



Since I also had a Featherweight GPS onboard for flight tracking (not that it was needed), I wanted to see that plotted out on Google Earth. Pulling the GPS data from the Featherweight GPS via their iFIP tool, and then following the instructions from a Featherweight thread (https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/featherweight-tracker-update-build-127.155873/#post-1934407) - worked like a charm.



You do need to download Google Earth Pro. Pretty cool being able to spin around and see the flight trajectory. You can certainly tell where the main ejection happened!

And of course there has to be a video...



Have some other opportunities in Dec. for high power launches, so there may be other opportunities... maybe on an Aerotech I211W.

 

[thzero]

Less steps to deal with to create a track in google Earth...



Creates both the flight track, as well as the ground track.