Crash-n-Burn
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2014
- Messages
- 377
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I decided to build this rocket last week but found that all three fins are both warped and twisted. I did my usual wet/press/repeat tricks, but the fins soon returned to a deformed state. I'm sure Barry would send out replacement fins, but I started thinking about going away from plywood. The fins are 1/8" thick and the booster is slotted, so I'm locked in at a specific thickness. Carbon fiber would look cool but is certainly overkill on a cardboard rocket from a materials standpoint. FG is more reasonably priced but I have a couple experiences with FG fins being slightly warped. Either option forces me to use epoxy (despite the LOC instructions I decided to build with wood glue). There's no guarantee that replacement fins - or ones I cut from ply myself - would remain flat.
Or I could just go bananas and sleeve the whole rocket. That would be purely for aesthetic purposes. A 6' CF/FG sleeve would look great with gloss CF fins. This line of thinking also starts to cost more thancwhat I paid for the kit. Let's table that for now.
Seems the practical choice is a sheet of FG. Anyone care to weigh in on their experience with sheet goods? I'm worried about getting a warped sheet but not sure if that is a reasonable concern. I would likely source from Rocketry Warehouse but am open to alternatives.
Thoughts are welcome.
Or I could just go bananas and sleeve the whole rocket. That would be purely for aesthetic purposes. A 6' CF/FG sleeve would look great with gloss CF fins. This line of thinking also starts to cost more thancwhat I paid for the kit. Let's table that for now.
Seems the practical choice is a sheet of FG. Anyone care to weigh in on their experience with sheet goods? I'm worried about getting a warped sheet but not sure if that is a reasonable concern. I would likely source from Rocketry Warehouse but am open to alternatives.
Thoughts are welcome.