Launch day, finally!

[crossfire]

Happened to me three times yesterday.

Nice launches. What motor did you use in the Mercury?

 

[lakeroadster]

Get rid of the plastic chutes.

There's gotta be something other than plastic -or- nylon for lpr? Has anybody tried making chutes from cotton material, like a handkerchief, but then treat it like home made wadding in regard to soaking it to make it fire resistant?

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Nice launches. What motor did you use in the Mercury?

Thanks. E12-4. I rearranged the chutes so ready for flight, but not planning to launch it tomorrow. Gonna try the Big Daddy and hopefully a bunch of flight videos.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Get rid of the plastic chutes.

I agree, my good fellow! Now to finagle SWMBO into sewing up some good 'chutes! I can design, and I know she can sew. She's made 15-panel circular "table toppers" for years, from a pattern I corrected and then generated multiple variations of. (She'd been at a class and they gave her this ridiculously skewed pattern, no way it would ever have formed a ring...)

 

[Blast it Tom!]

Thanks. E12-4. I rearranged the chutes so ready for flight, but not planning to launch it tomorrow. Gonna try the Big Daddy and hopefully a bunch of flight videos.

Did I hear in the video that you opted for the 3D printed version? When I saw one of those on Shapeways, it was like, "THAT'S what I should've done!" It looks like you're in a fairly smalll field, how much altitude do you get from that E? Is it an Estes? I've read elsewhere on this forum that they CATO more than usual. Ever had any problems?

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Did I hear in the video that you opted for the 3D printed version? When I saw one of those on Shapeways, it was like, "THAT'S what I should've done!" It looks like you're in a fairly smalll field, how much altitude do you get from that E? Is it an Estes? I've read elsewhere on this forum that they CATO more than usual. Ever had any problems?

I bought the fin can and capsule separately. I got tired of knocking off the tabs on the Estes model. The only problem with the kit was that I discovered the lugs need to be drilled wider which was difficult after it was glued to the rocket.
https://boyceaerospacehobbies.com/products/mercury-redstone-fin-can
The field is about 150m long surrounded by Monkey Pod trees and a canal. Lost my Estes glider there last week. I guess the MR went 400 to 500 ft which is what was expected so pleased with that. This was my 2nd E12 I ever launched so 2 for 2. Bill Stine said they have new tooling at Estes so the E12s will be more prevalent and reliable.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

I bought the fin can and capsule separately. I got tired of knocking off the tabs on the Estes model. The only problem with the kit was that I discovered the lugs need to be drilled wider which was difficult after it was glued to the rocket.
https://boyceaerospacehobbies.com/products/mercury-redstone-fin-can
The field is about 150m long surrounded by Monkey Pod trees and a canal. Lost my Estes glider there last week. I guess the MR went 400 to 500 ft which is what was expected so pleased with that. This was my 2nd E12 I ever launched so 2 for 2. Bill Stine said they have new tooling at Estes so the E12s will be more prevalent and reliable.

View attachment 441829

Thanks, I didn't know that about the Estes E's. My field (covered with goose poop in the off-season, we discovered) is kinda trapezoidal, about 550 ft maximum, 370 ft across the wide part. School buildings to the east and west, parking lot and police station to the north, bus garage and rocket eating trees to the south. We almost put rockets on one of those roofs twice the first time out.

There is a 3D printed fin can/capsule on Shapeways that looks nice, as well - capsule has the rectangular window, etc. I would like a 24mm mount.

Happy Flying!

 

[Greg Furtman]

Top Flight makes some really nice Thin Mill chutes and can handle a fair amount of abuse, like early chute ejections.

I've bought some Top Flight thin mill chutes for my LPRs and I like them a lot. I recently bought some Bama Rotofoil chutes. I haven't flown them yet but they appear really well made. I also choose colors that are very bright and easy to see.

 

[Blast it Tom!]

I've bought some Top Flight thin mill chutes for my LPRs and I like them a lot. I recently bought some Bama Rotofoil chutes. I haven't flown them yet but they appear really well made. I also choose colors that are very bright and easy to see.

Those BAMA chutes are more what I had in mind, hemispherical or something besides flat. Much prettier on descent! Thanks! (But I still want to sew my own, or have my Beloved do so...)

 

[jqavins]

No need to eliminate long skinny fins, just use a material that'll survive.

Have you tried basswood, or lite-ply, or making your own plywood with balsa?

Ah, you beat me to it.

Are the shroud lines getting tangled with the shock cord? Despite some people saying it's a bad idea, I've had more success wrapping the shroud lines around the folded-up canopy. It prevents the lines from tangling with the shock cord.

My method of choice is to fold the shrouds with the 'chute, then wrap the shock cord around. That keeps then entirely away from each other. I don't think I've ever had one fail to open that way. (I've had at least one fail to eject, one stick to the glue holding nose weight in the tip, some shroud line failures, and one or two with shock cord failures, but never a failure to open up if given the chance.)

There's gotta be something other than plastic -or- nylon for lpr?

There's a reason that sky divers and paratroopers are said to "hit the silk".

 

[mooffle]

Get rid of the plastic chutes.

They are unacceptably adequate and I try to keep them in my BT-50 and under rockets. Anything bigger that can fit a nylon one I will add it to.

In BT-50 I don't even fold the chutes, just bring them to a point and get them as narrow as possible so they don't get stuck.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

My method of choice is to fold the shrouds with the 'chute, then wrap the shock cord around. That keeps then entirely away from each other. I don't think I've ever had one fail to open that way. (I've had at least one fail to eject, one stick to the glue holding nose weight in the tip, some shroud line failures, and one or two with shock cord failures, but never a failure to open up if given the chance.)

There's a reason that sky divers and paratroopers are said to "hit the silk".

That was working for me except last Sunday when I had three failures to open so I'm back to the burrito method.

 

[crossfire]

The chute in big daddy looked to be folded up for years

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

The chute in big daddy looked to be folded up for years

Nah, just singed. New rocket and I had just powdered and inserted the night before. I tried it again this morning and worked great this time. Didn't have the same problems as last time.