Senior Space Cadet
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- May 23, 2020
- Messages
- 717
- Reaction score
- 310
A couple weeks ago, I launched the first scratch build I'd done. It flew straight and I took it home unscathed, but was a little disappointed with it's speed and height.
Yesterday I launched four of my other five scratch builds, including two with arrow vanes for fins. None of them went careening out of control and I took all of them home unscathed, except for the attachment point on one of the nose cones that, apparently, broke off with the force of ejection.
That isn't to say that I'm happy with how they all performed. I'd be a liar if I said they flew perfectly.
I'm still learning the best way to pack a chute. Fortunately, it seems that as long as the chute comes out of the rocket, and stays attached, it creates enough drag to prevent damage to the rocket.
Some of my launch lugs must not be aligned perfectly because there was drag on the launch rods. I've got to come up with a solution for that.
The three 24 mm body tube rockets all had less than perfect flight paths. Even the one that didn't have arrow vane fins.
The only rocket I was totally happy with was the 29 mm build, the last one I did. It is very long with four large fins and I put a D motor in it and it flew high and perfectly straight.
I've learned quite a bit since building all my 24 mm rockets, including how to use Open Rocket. I intended a BT-55 and a BT-60 to be my next builds, but not being happy with any of my smaller rockets, I've decided to make another 24 mm rocket first, using Open Rocket and what I've learned. I have some Quest (Aerotech) 18 mm D16 motors for it, so it should fly high and fast.
Smaller rockets might not be as dramatic, especially when you start using motors more than a D, but they are easier to transport, and my launch area is limited in size. Until I go for Mach 1, I have no problem with 24 mm.
The one rocket I didn't launch was my BT-80 build. I didn't feel like my launch rod was long enough.
Yesterday I launched four of my other five scratch builds, including two with arrow vanes for fins. None of them went careening out of control and I took all of them home unscathed, except for the attachment point on one of the nose cones that, apparently, broke off with the force of ejection.
That isn't to say that I'm happy with how they all performed. I'd be a liar if I said they flew perfectly.
I'm still learning the best way to pack a chute. Fortunately, it seems that as long as the chute comes out of the rocket, and stays attached, it creates enough drag to prevent damage to the rocket.
Some of my launch lugs must not be aligned perfectly because there was drag on the launch rods. I've got to come up with a solution for that.
The three 24 mm body tube rockets all had less than perfect flight paths. Even the one that didn't have arrow vane fins.
The only rocket I was totally happy with was the 29 mm build, the last one I did. It is very long with four large fins and I put a D motor in it and it flew high and perfectly straight.
I've learned quite a bit since building all my 24 mm rockets, including how to use Open Rocket. I intended a BT-55 and a BT-60 to be my next builds, but not being happy with any of my smaller rockets, I've decided to make another 24 mm rocket first, using Open Rocket and what I've learned. I have some Quest (Aerotech) 18 mm D16 motors for it, so it should fly high and fast.
Smaller rockets might not be as dramatic, especially when you start using motors more than a D, but they are easier to transport, and my launch area is limited in size. Until I go for Mach 1, I have no problem with 24 mm.
The one rocket I didn't launch was my BT-80 build. I didn't feel like my launch rod was long enough.