LOC 7.5" Hawk L3 Build - They are taking orders for a limited run BTW - 12/9/2023

[bchaltraw]

I acquired a 7.5" Cardboard Hawk from a club member as LOC discontinued making them a few years ago, and it's a fantastic rocket to build. I took my time and made adjustments like adding stiffy couplers that run from the forward centering ring to eBay. I launch in the desert so it can be tough on rockets. What you will see in the build thread is the attention to detail for getting those massive fins aligned. I ended up building the fin can outside of the rocket so I could glass the root of the fins and make sure I had everything as close to perfect as possible since it's got a 98MM motor mount and will be flying N motors in it.

 

[bchaltraw]

It all started as a pile of parts. Then, dry fitting to see how it all went together. I had three different, forward sections trying to decide what looked best. I went with the middle length, which made it right at 12'.

 

[bchaltraw]

1st order of business was the boat tail. Getting this straight and aligned was interesting.

 

[bchaltraw]

With a boat tail all of the spacing for it needs to line up. So I used a 3.9” coupler to align the MMT with the centerline. Also some people have reported that the aft centering ring will push forward so I created plywood shims that braces the after centering ring and motor retainer against the doubled up next centering ring. It’s not going anywhere!

 

[bchaltraw]

Next up was to fiberglass the frame. An understanding wife helped me do it in our living room as it was so hot in AZ doing it in the garage was a no go. Used 6oz glass with a 4oz eglass overlay. Also did the switch band so everything was the same height.

 

[bchaltraw]

Checked alignment and fit of the motor and start addressing the elephant in the room. Close to a whole sheet of plywood for the fins.

 

[bchaltraw]

Now come the “fun” of getting the 1st two fins aligned and secured I chose to do the fin can outside of the body. Digital angle finder and laser level were my saving grace. I got the fins within .02 to .06 of perfectly straight.

 

[bchaltraw]

Fin can completed and installed into the body.

 

[bchaltraw]

No going back now. Went through most of a pint kit of RocketPoxy.

 

[bchaltraw]

To get the recovery attachments on I found by test fitting getting the quick links disconnected could be a problem so I notched the stiffness coupler so I had more room to get it done. I doubled up the centering rings as it’s a really heavy rocket and then a stiffy was slid in on top of it.

 

[bchaltraw]

Next focus was external fillets and the RNWS install. I used putty epoxy to hold the cage nuts in place.

 

[bchaltraw]

Now for the tip to tip. 6oz small strip them a larger 6oz piece followed by a 4oz eglass over all of it. Then glassing the boat-tail.

 

[bchaltraw]

Wrapping up the build and time to put color on it. Used white primers, I took my time and only had to use a little glazing putty.

 

[bchaltraw]

Now it’s looking like a rocket worthy of a victory flight after getting my L3 cert. next up is the eBay and testing the deployment charges.

 

[bchaltraw]

eBay wired for dual RRC3’s and a Eggfinder GPS. Time to do the ground testing.

 

[bchaltraw]

Main deployment testing ended up at 5G for the main. There are 8 lbs of nose weight and 4ea 4-20 shear pins.

 

[bchaltraw]

Drogue was tested and 4.5G was used with a 5G for backup.

 

[bchaltraw]

The last bit of work was to build the 98MM 1st flight 3G M2505 from AMW Pro, do a final weight for CG, and send it.

 

[bchaltraw]

Here are the final readouts.

 

[bchaltraw]

Now reach out to LOC and start your own Journey with this kit. They are only doing a small run of them, so get one while you can.

 

[Kabulrocks]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. It’s interesting to me as a LPR guy of what all goes into building the high power airframes.

 

[-Slick-Ice]

That thing is a monster!

 

[b.wieting]

I especially appreciate your tribute to Gloria. It is truly sad. She and Robert were really nice folks, real fixtures at Lucerne.

 

[manixFan]

Great write-up, thanks for taking the time to document your build. Great photos as well, especially that launch pic just off the rail.


Tony

 

[bchaltraw]

Thank you for taking the time to post this. It’s interesting to me as a LPR guy of what all goes into building the high power airframes.

They are a whole bunch more involved and worried about than Hobby Lobby Estes kicking out an LPR in a day or two. In total, it took me ten months to build it. It was very challenging for all of my skills, the scale of the rocket had me sitting for hours thinking about what I needed to do and in what order. Glad you enjoyed seeing the build, and I hope some people buy the few they are taking orders for, and this helps them through the process.

 

[bchaltraw]

Great write-up, thanks for taking the time to document your build. Great photos as well, especially that launch pic just off the rail.


Tony

I was a bundle of nerves! I have some videos, but the launch photo cred goes to one of our club members.

 

[bchaltraw]

I especially appreciate your tribute to Gloria. It is truly sad. She and Robert were really nice folks, real fixtures at Lucerne.

Gloria and Robert have been amazing to work with. She called me a few weeks before she passed and said she had a rocket I needed to buy as I would do it justice with my fit and finish. It's an 8" Fiberglass DX3, so I bought it. I am waiting on some more centering rings so I can toughen it up for the desert with any luck I will have it ready for our Feb big launch and send it on a N2600. Following her mantra of "Just Send it"