Level 1 certification flight is tomorrow on a PML AMRAAM3, but I couldn't wait and ended up starting my next HPR build.
I was checking out the LOC website a couple weeks back and noticed the Norad Pro Maxx had been discontinued this summer, but ended up seeing one elsewhere online I couldn't pass up on. I was going to try and fly it as a backup rocket for tomorrow but as fate would have it the kit was missing two pieced. Thankfully the folks over at LOC have awesome customer service and in about 5 minutes had a package ready to ship with my missing pieces.
Did some dry fitting and ready over the instructions and decided to make a few changes as I go through. First, instead of the ginormous launch lug, I decided to use some rail buttons since that will work better with my local club launches. Second, I decided to modify the set up to anchor the shock cord on the centering rings rather than the tube wall.
First step in was filling spirals...first time I've ever gone through the effort but planning to make this one pretty. Used some Elmer's putty, let it dry, and got it all sanded smooth. With the Arizona humidity back down to ~10% it didn't take much time.
Next I got the forward centering ring epoxied onto the motor tube and realized as I was positioning it that, I'd nearly let the epoxy set filling the pre cut notches, that would have complicated my plan to adjust the shock cord, but luckily I realized my mistake before the epoxy had gelled and was able to clean it up pretty easily. With the forward CR filleted I loaded up the transition piece and taped it to the CR to hold it out of the way.
While checking out measurements and going through some dry fitting I realized both the mid and aft CRs would need to be sanded down quite a bit for a fit in the 3" lower body tube. While I was spending some quality time sanding and making repeated dry fits I realized this was also the right time to put on my rail buttons. Unfortunately, my rail buttons have a rather tall weld nut and weren't a great option for the thin walled lower body tube so I dug through some of my spare parts and came up with a 1010 lug and, having seen it in TRF before, decided I would cut it in half and mount With the arrangement I have I'll end up using a some epoxy to mount to the tube and run a screw through retained by a nut on the inner wall.
Because of the very long motor tube on the rocket and the three CRs this means I need to get these set before I mount the next CR because I wont have access to the top lug inside the tube after mounting. It also means that I need to accommodate the retaining nut with the CR. So after a lot of sanding to fit the rings I took one over to my drill press to put in a couple holes for eye bolts and also to remove some material for a notch to clear the nut. then cleaned it up with a bench chisel and only a little sanding.
At this point it was getting pretty late and I realized I didn't have small enough eye bolts to mount so I called it a night before making plans to stop at the local ace hardware in the near future.
I was checking out the LOC website a couple weeks back and noticed the Norad Pro Maxx had been discontinued this summer, but ended up seeing one elsewhere online I couldn't pass up on. I was going to try and fly it as a backup rocket for tomorrow but as fate would have it the kit was missing two pieced. Thankfully the folks over at LOC have awesome customer service and in about 5 minutes had a package ready to ship with my missing pieces.
Did some dry fitting and ready over the instructions and decided to make a few changes as I go through. First, instead of the ginormous launch lug, I decided to use some rail buttons since that will work better with my local club launches. Second, I decided to modify the set up to anchor the shock cord on the centering rings rather than the tube wall.
First step in was filling spirals...first time I've ever gone through the effort but planning to make this one pretty. Used some Elmer's putty, let it dry, and got it all sanded smooth. With the Arizona humidity back down to ~10% it didn't take much time.
Next I got the forward centering ring epoxied onto the motor tube and realized as I was positioning it that, I'd nearly let the epoxy set filling the pre cut notches, that would have complicated my plan to adjust the shock cord, but luckily I realized my mistake before the epoxy had gelled and was able to clean it up pretty easily. With the forward CR filleted I loaded up the transition piece and taped it to the CR to hold it out of the way.
While checking out measurements and going through some dry fitting I realized both the mid and aft CRs would need to be sanded down quite a bit for a fit in the 3" lower body tube. While I was spending some quality time sanding and making repeated dry fits I realized this was also the right time to put on my rail buttons. Unfortunately, my rail buttons have a rather tall weld nut and weren't a great option for the thin walled lower body tube so I dug through some of my spare parts and came up with a 1010 lug and, having seen it in TRF before, decided I would cut it in half and mount With the arrangement I have I'll end up using a some epoxy to mount to the tube and run a screw through retained by a nut on the inner wall.
Because of the very long motor tube on the rocket and the three CRs this means I need to get these set before I mount the next CR because I wont have access to the top lug inside the tube after mounting. It also means that I need to accommodate the retaining nut with the CR. So after a lot of sanding to fit the rings I took one over to my drill press to put in a couple holes for eye bolts and also to remove some material for a notch to clear the nut. then cleaned it up with a bench chisel and only a little sanding.
At this point it was getting pretty late and I realized I didn't have small enough eye bolts to mount so I called it a night before making plans to stop at the local ace hardware in the near future.