Kit review

[Dipstick]

Just wondering if anyone has built the Basic Blues 4" kit from Always Ready Rocketry? Happy with it? Have a rocksim file to share? I'm looking for a bigger 4" kit for fun flying without going too high.

Has a nice price point: https://www.alwaysreadyrocketry.com/product/bb4/

 

[Handeman]

I don't have that kit, but I've been flying a 4" rocket w/54mm MMT for 9 years. It weighs about 144 ounces (9 lbs.) with all the DD electronics and recovery, but without a motor.

I get about 2000 on a baby J
4400 on a J415W
5600 on a small K
and just over 9500 on the CTI 6GXL L935.

I have no idea what you mean by "without going too high", but being pounds lighter and without dual deploy or a JLCR, I'm thinking you won't want to fly anything much above baby J in that. I'm sure it's capable of much larger motors, but its the altitude you need to consider. Again, what is "too high"?

 

[Wallace]

Doesn't seem to state the body tube. Is that what "basic blues" is about? Meaning blue tube?

 

[Dipstick]

It'll be for the smaller 54mm loads, I like doing flights I can see the whole way once in a while, so around 5000' is nice. Just curious if anyone has a bluetube veteran...

 

[Wallace]

Ok, got it. They apparently sell blue tube kits.

 

[Wallace]

Never seen one myself. Pretty much everything else, but...If you do get it please let us know your impressions.

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

Yes they sell Blue Tube kits. It may be proprietary to them, not sure.
IIRC the inside of Blue Tube has to be sealed with wood/sanding sealer to prevent absorption of moisture caused by the black powder charges. This would of course add weight. That may have been the old Blue Tube and not Blue Tube 2.0.
User David McCann has used some Blue Tube to make one of his Optimas I think and another user made a BlueFin Tuba tube fin beast out of it. One of those may offer some advice.

Along with what Handeman said my Tyrannosaur weighs nearly 10 pounds on the pad and was 2148' on a J315. It should fly on punchy 38mm I motors as well.

I looked into Blue Tube for my Level 1 and 2 cert flights. Just never did buy any. So I went and revisited the website and reading up on it a bit, I don't see anything about sealing the inside of the airframe. 1/4" plywood fins it looks like.
I do see one bit of interesting information. Kinda wrong, kinda right. It says Blue Tube is used in the 105mm M1 Abrams tank round. The first production model of the Abrams was the M1 and had the 105mm; and was phased out mid-80s I think, at least from US service. So if the statement IS/WAS true, then the stuff has been around since the 70's? To clarify, the current model is the M1A2 and uses a 120mm.

For 100 bucks it is a fair deal. Just remember you have to add recovery and retention, but the majority of kits are like that anyway.

 

[Dipstick]

Ya, the price point is great, just curious if people have built/fliwn these, I'm really interested in durability...I fly in a gravel pit and we pretty much count on landing on rocks...

 

[tim cubbedge]

I have a few scratch built blue tube rockets, one 3" I fly a lot on 38 & 54mm motors. The others are both 7.5" diameter. Blue tube can withstand some pretty hard landings on paved roads with damage no worse than fiberglass. I have used sanding sealer on most and haven't seen any warping even living in humid environment. I think a lot of the warping issues was with Blue tube 1.

 

[dhbarr]

Ari's Bluefin Tuba 3" flew on G through M motors in a single day. It was built with nothing more than wood glue.

 

[Speaknoevil]

I love Blue Tube: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/big-battle-axe.29099/

 

[Dipstick]

I love Blue Tube: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/big-battle-axe.29099/

That is a killer looking rocket! Blue tube has held up fine?

 

[Speaknoevil]

That is a killer looking rocket! Blue tube has held up fine?

I had it for 3-years and just fine. Sold it to a TRFer on the East Coast and I hear it is still flying.

 

[cletusjones]

I recently bought this kit but have not built it yet. I have worked with blue tube though. I completely destroyed the tubes in my first HPR- a Sonic 3100 Phase 2 by US Rockets and replaced them with a 48" long 3" Blue Tube I ordered.. I used mainly Titebond II and it feels as solid as furniture. I was so impressed with the stuff that the Basic Blues became irresistible. Besides, it will be a nice back-up/ improvement if I still manage to trash manage to trash my Sonic 3100.

 

[Howie]

I built this kit nearly a year ago, and it has logged six flights for far. From a construction standpoint, I thought the coupler tube for the E-Bay was a bit short -8" - but no other complaints. Added an Aeropack retainer, and with recovery gear but no electronics my finished weight was 110oz. Maiden flight was on an I284 to ~2200 feet, last flight was on a J490 to almost 8600'. Last flight it landed on hard ground and the tube has a small crease just below the bottom rail button, but it's held up well otherwise. I have a Rocksim file I could share - PM me for details.

 

[DavidMcCann]

Sorry I'm late to the party.

My 4" Bluetube Emerald Dragon has flown 8 times. This photo is on a J510W to about 5,000'

other flights include
J500G 3100'
I600R 2850'
and several EX flights in line with the above motor sizes.

I love flying this bird, nice easy size to fly. I've got the materials to build one with a 54mm mount, just haven't done it yet.

 

[Dipstick]

Sorry I'm late to the party.

My 4" Bluetube Emerald Dragon has flown 8 times. This photo is on a J510W to about 5,000'

other flights include
J500G 3100'
I600R 2850'
and several EX flights in line with the above motor sizes.

I love flying this bird, nice easy size to fly. I've got the materials to build one with a 54mm mount, just haven't done it yet.

Thanks for the responses! Think I'll give this one a shot sometime this winter.