It's been too quiet, Lets talk about Micros!

[Micromeister]

Man! I need a micro fix! I've been sorta stagnate the last couple months, working on Micro 1/8A HD's and Micro piston launcher set-ups. Not sure if this or the "support" forum is the right place to talk up the Micro Floating head piston so we'll let it be "just mentioned" for the moment.

Since the T3 SolarFlare turned out to be just a bit to heavy, I have been looking around very hard for a T2+ or something about that size clear payload section to fit a further downscaled T2+ SolarFlare but have not yet come up with anything "good enough" to report. Me thinks that may be part of my doldrums

Anyone doing any micro model building, flying or research? Come on now guys...I'm in a slump and need someone to inspire or maybe just give me a kick-in-the-pants to get started again.

Whos got a something "Scale", down-scale project prospects or maybe an Odd-Roc idea that'll work in micro size.....Just get the juices flowing?

Look guys NO pics...I'm stuck!!!!

 

[rstaff3]

I flew a handful yesterday...the first ones in while. Full report is here:
https://rocketdungeon.blogspot.com/2009/08/launch-report-2009-6-solo-1.html

The biggest surprise was I managed to loose my Quest Tomahawk. My yard is only suitable for saucers and monocopters I guess.

Since I had two of the Quest Saucers (both free BTW), I converted one to 18mm :y: https://rocketdungeon.blogspot.com/2009/08/micromaxx-alien-ufo-on-roids.html

 

[billspad]

I flew a half a dozen or so at NARAM last week. Nothing really special but I did get a Jenny to come pretty close to a glide. Considering past flights were either a spiral or a tumble, I think I'm making progress. I was also able to do a 4 motor cluster using just the new uncoated igniters. In the past I wire wrapped extensions on to the old style igniters. This time I was able to twist them all together. I did use the evil toothpicks.

 

[Huge Blues]

I did get my Tiddlywink yesterday in the mail from JonRocket's Relaunch sale.
(Excellent service BTW). I examined the bag and wondered what the heck I got myself into.
That was inspired by recent Tiddlywink posts.

My latest builds-in-progress is one of Micromeister's streamer duration models.

 

[chanstevens]

Well, I dressed up my NARAM peanut scale model with a couple micro attachments. I built a WASP with outboard strap-on Recruits, and decided to make them functional. In that scale, T-2.5 tubing would have been too big, so I had to actually paint a couple MMX casings and use the motors at launch time to hold the aft shrouds in place. They vent out the side, against the WASP booster, which pushes them away in flight. They were held in place via teeny tiny music wire pins that tucked into the BT-20 body tube, and are then crimped by the motor inserted pre-flight. It's a tricky balancing act getting the amount of "bite" just right--too loose and the buggers fall off on display, too tight and they don't come off in flight. As it was, I wound up losing about half the Recruits on test flights despite painting them dayglo orange. The WASP flies B6-0 pistoned, so carries the Recruits up a good ways before they separate, usually too high to track.

At NARAM, both lit fine, but one was lost somewhere over the range head, and the other recovered near the booster (probably didn't break away). The damage points assessed for losing that Recruit was just enough to bump me from 2nd to 4th, which was just enough to drop me from 1st to 2nd for the overall meet, and from 2nd to 3rd for the national rankings. Ouch!

Not quite as cool as spidering 16 MMX's on a Soyuz, but that WASP had a lot of neat stuff going for it (including a free-spinning payload section to protect volatile liquid payload).

 

[brianc]

I was joking with Gary Dahlke at
one of the NEFAR launches this summer.

Gary loves the Quantum Leap and has one in almost every size
except MMX. That led to me building the attached...


A little creative scaling on the printer/copier of the PML QL configuration
chart resulted in a nice 1:1 blueprint and fin patterns.

I'm still futzin' with the recovery components (attempting to keep
it interchangable) so it hasn't flown yet...

BTW- anyone tried tiny jewelry clasps for MMX quick links?

 

[Delta-IV]

Now that is one small rocket!

Gotta keep a good eye on that one.

 

[billspad]

I was joking with Gary Dahlke at
one of the NEFAR launches this summer.

Gary loves the Quantum Leap and has one in almost every size
except MMX. That led to me building the attached...


A little creative scaling on the printer/copier of the PML QL configuration
chart resulted in a nice 1:1 blueprint and fin patterns.

I'm still futzin' with the recovery components (attempting to keep
it interchangable) so it hasn't flown yet...

BTW- anyone tried tiny jewelry clasps for MMX quick links?

Are you going to stage it?

 

[MarkII]

...
BTW- anyone tried tiny jewelry clasps for MMX quick links?

Yes! But I prefer brass snap swivels, size 14 or smaller. But you can use lobster claws too; the smallest size that I have seen is 7mm. They are like micro carabiners. In any larger rocket you wouldn't want to use a carabiner that doesn't lock closed, because the ejection charge can force it open. But with Micromaxx, the ejection charge is so weak that it is not much of a worry for something like a lobster claw. You can also try spring rings, too. I wouldn't recommend using the type of connector known as a jump ring anywhere in the rocket, though; it is just too weak and a little bit of pull can bend it back open. If you need to use a ring anywhere, use a split ring. You can get all kinds of tiny hardware in the bead and jewelry craft section of a craft store and in the fishing tackle aisle in the sporting goods section of Walmart, etc. that will enable you to build some pretty fancy harnesses and linkages. But before you do, ask yourself if it is really necessary; after all these are micros, and the recovery systems of most models in this power range are never going to experience very much stress. It is usually best if you keep things simple.

One type of item that I have found useful, though, are tiny brass screw eyes. You can find packs of them in the dollhouse section of a crafts store like Michael's or Joanne's Fabrics. They are actual micro-sized threaded screw eyes, about 3/8" long, with approx. 1/16" diameter eyes. I use them just like I use screw eyes in larger rockets, to provide an anchor point for the shock cord at the base of the nose cone. And just as I do with the larger ones, I apply a tiny drop of epoxy to the threads to keep the screw eye from being pulled out.

MarkII

 

[Fred22]

Hey John how about the Minuteman series of Icbms Scale and you dont see it very often
Cheers
fred

 

[brianc]

Are you going to stage it?

Yup! That's the original intent- to try out some of the new
MMX-NC motors.

 

[Micromeister]

I was joking with Gary Dahlke at
one of the NEFAR launches this summer.

Gary loves the Quantum Leap and has one in almost every size
except MMX. That led to me building the attached...


A little creative scaling on the printer/copier of the PML QL configuration
chart resulted in a nice 1:1 blueprint and fin patterns.

I'm still futzin' with the recovery components (attempting to keep
it interchangable) so it hasn't flown yet...

BTW- anyone tried tiny jewelry clasps for MMX quick links?

That is just Too KEWL Brain! Very Nice Quantum Leap, I really like the variable configurations.. a GREAT downscale. It should be a fun micro flying machine.
I hope to stage the T2+ Solarflare once I find a decent clear payload piece. I have a piece of 1/4" ID clear butyrate coming that might get me back on track. have to see what the OD actually turns out to be...

I rarely use much in the way of added hardware or terminal tackle simply to keep the base model mass at a minimum. I do however use a good bit of Stainless multi-strand beading wire with aluminium compression clamps for Micro Shockcord anchors on minimum diameter models to reduce kevlar shockline burn-offs. Pay a small upfront weight penalty to vastly increase the flyable life of the model.
Instead of screweyes or other terminal hardware I use a small overhand loop tied piece of kevlar inserted in the hollowed out balsa or basswood nosecones which allow room for noseweight added later if needed. Tying the shockline directly to the NC loop with two half hitches (sometimes 3), completes the attachment and can be un-tied if needed in the future. Same knot is used on the Beading wire loop-Kevlar connection.

If tied properly these knots do not slip, loosen or untie. By the way It's not wise to add glue to any knot as it's like installing sharp glass shards in the cord. Over time and flexing the glue cuts through the fibres causing the line to fail just at the glue drop in the knot. Properly tied knots never need the addition of glue. If Adding glue to a knot, it not tied properly or is the WRONG knot for the job.

 

[Micromeister]

Hey John how about the Minuteman series of Icbms Scale and you dont see it very often
Cheers
fred

Fred22:
I've been collecting data on minuteman ICBM missiles for just that purpose like so many Other Scale projects it's got a very LARGE bunch of models ahead of it.

 

[billspad]

Yup! That's the original intent- to try out some of the new
MMX-NC motors.

You'll like the 1 second delay before the top stage lights. It adds a little suspense.

 

[Micromeister]

It does make the heart pump a little faster doesn't it LOL!!!

I had one of my heavier 13grams (ewt) T4 2 stage test models turn over during the lull. needless to say when the upper stage ignited it didn't turn out to well.
I've decided it's a good Idea to keep staged micros at 10grams (ewt) or under. So far they've worked out pretty well.

 

[Micromeister]

Speaking of staged micros:
I've been toying with two new downscale ideas. one for a Micro-Midget 2-stage. Haven't finalized which body size will best fit the little beasty! T3-T2+ will work but may not be recoverable LOL.. T4-T3 looks kinds promising, and T5-T4 may be to large/ heavy to fly well.

and the Micro-Manchee-3: Again looking at the different body sizes I'm just not sure which will give me the "best change" of recovering the sustainer. T3 or T4...Hummm.