LOC Onyx to ToobOnyx

[mcderek]

One of the first mid power kits I built was the LOC Onyx sometime around 2005-6? I had many fun flights with it until one of the fins broke off on landing. I repaired it but the fins kept cracking. The rocket ended up in the box of 'someday'. After a move last year I ran into it again as I was organizing all of my rocketry stuff. I decided it would be a perfect candidate for conversion to tube fins. And it turns out that Larry Brand published an article in Sport Rocketry on building the Onyx as a tube rocketry. Here is the reference:

LOC Onyx Converting a Great Mid-power Rocket Kit to Tubefins.
Author: Brand, Larry Source: SR; Mar/Apr, 2006, Vol.48, No 2 , page 3

I've posted a few pictures of the conversion in other threads. I decided to dedicate a thread to this project because it has grown in scope.
Here is my Onyx on the was with a Smokey Sam or similar motor.

The Onyx with fins removed and initial tube fins ready for beveling.

 

[mcderek]

One of the changes is to add positive motor retention. The original was friction fit and there isn'e enough exposed motor tube to use a retainer.

After input on this site and FB I decided to add retention clips.

 

[mcderek]

Six beveled tube fins ready for attachment. Once glued to the rocket I'll reinforce the leading and trailing edges with watercolor paper tape.

 

[mcderek]

Time to attach the fins:

I love how body diameter tube fins jig themselves. I hope to have a flyable rocket for Saturday's TriCities Rocketeers launch. It's a bit to cold to paint in the garage so it will be one ugly rocket!

 

[mcderek]

Tube fins are attached. Still to cold to paint so the Ugly ToobOnyx will fly tomorrow so it can earn matching colors.

A few more modifications to the nose cone are planned so that it can hold a 29mm CTI 6 grain case. Let's see what happens tomorrow.

 

[mcderek]

The ugly bird flew nicely today on a F67. Looks like it's earned a new coat of paint! Fun times at the sod farm!