Is this beyond repair?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

dford

Tada
Joined
Apr 23, 2016
Messages
330
Reaction score
2
20160830_185315.jpg

I built this thing over a month ago. After weighing all the parts and inputing them into OR she needed 40g of nose weight. After a few good launches, and a month later I forgot about how close to unstable she was and strapped a camera to the side. Well she did what you are thinking. A bunch of acrobatics, nearly lost/broke an altimer, ripped off the nose cone and zippered the side.
So, can I repair the body tube? Can I attach a Y harness type deal to the inner flange on the nose cone?
 
cut it off, toss in a coupler, new length of tube....longer this time around ;)
 
Geez, doesn't get more straight forward than that. I'll adjust the file and go from there.
Good advice. Thanks
 
What you're facing is roughly the same thing I had with my Der V-3 clone earlier this year. Different reasons, but the result was similar damage. I did what Dave suggests, save for the longer tube part (since that wasn't needed). I sliced off 7" of body tube, inserted a coupler, and had to rebuild the motor mount in the process, since the cut line was below the upper CR. I still haven't repainted it, but it flies at nearly every club launch...

17255843456_f4e9440d54_c.jpg


26610039296_cc1b36bdbd_c.jpg


27095731436_08e0d1e265_c.jpg
29243410861_2a73843746_c.jpg
 
Yup, the advice already given is spot on. I'm not sure why you would want a Y harness for the cone. The best way to avoid a zipper is add a longer shock tether and or an anti zipper device (a ball or even some duct tape).
 
What you're facing is roughly the same thing I had with my Der V-3 clone earlier this year. Different reasons, but the result was similar damage. I did what Dave suggests, save for the longer tube part (since that wasn't needed). I sliced off 7" of body tube, inserted a coupler, and had to rebuild the motor mount in the process, since the cut line was below the upper CR. I still haven't repainted it, but it flies at nearly every club launch...

17255843456_f4e9440d54_c.jpg


26610039296_cc1b36bdbd_c.jpg


27095731436_08e0d1e265_c.jpg
29243410861_2a73843746_c.jpg

Please don't repaint the Der V3. For some reason I just love your current scheme :D
 
Only her see what is thick and short and you understand that it is quite unstable :) Yes it can easily be repaired, cutting pipe and put a new tube :)
 
Yup, the advice already given is spot on. I'm not sure why you would want a Y harness for the cone. The best way to avoid a zipper is add a longer shock tether and or an anti zipper device (a ball or even some duct tape).

I'd like the Y harness because the nose cone snapped at the attachment point. I figure have two points of attachment in the thinner flange area would be better than one attachment point. Less likely to pull through again.
 
Last edited:
It often happened something. The difficulty here is a new piece of pipe to be stuck so that the rocket be straight. Me I rarely got :) if you stick the new pipe sideways rocket will fly strange without a camera :)
 
I'd like the Y harness because the nose cone snapped at the attachment point. I figure have two points of attachment in the thinner flange area would be better than one attachment point. Less likely to pull through again.

IC. I don't know what you need to do there, but...

What I have done before is to cut the base off the cone. Get a plywood bulkhead and install you favorite attachment hardware (eyebolt, Ubolt). Flex the base of the cone and push the bulkhead up to the inside past the shoulder. Once you know it fits (it should rest on the transition there), pull it out and slather the inside of the cone with your favorite cone glue (epoxy, Gorilla glue...). When dry, add a large fillet at the base of the bulkhead.

I have also done this with the bulkhead resting on the base of the shoulder, but that was on a 5.5" cone that was really thick in that area.
 
I'd like the Y harness because the nose cone snapped at the attachment point. I figure have two points of attachment in the thinner flange area would be better than one attachment point. Less likely to pull through again.

I think the chances of the Y harness coming tight on both sides at the same moment is going to be pretty small. If it's not landing on both, then it will still put a pretty good shock load on one. I think you're better off to reinforce the attachment point as described above.
 
I agree with boatgeek and rstaff.
Boatgeek, I had the thought you had mentioned before you mentioned it but played it off as it would still work. Now you mention it, I have a second motion to deny the idea.
Rstaffs' idea truly feels ideal. I like having a center attachment point for the nose cone far more anyhow. Trying to tie a knot on the side and attach a zip tie for the altimeter 3 doesn't work very well. And I'll be able to add a little more weight to keep the altitude around where I feel comfortable.
My next adventure is ham licensing for tracking while maintaining the birds I have. Then build some stronger, to go further with tracking with the parts I currently have.
 
Back
Top