Been messing around with the new laser for a couple of weeks now and decided it was time to build something I've been kicking around for a while. A couple of years back I built a BT60 upscale of the Luna Bug and have been wanting to do a BT80 ever since but wasn't looking forward to cutting the fins. Since buying the laser, I figure I am out of excuses so lets get started.
- BT80 Body tube. Slightly stretched over stock. This one is 13 inches.
- Estes BT80 NC80B "Bertha" nose cone.
- 29mm motor mount. 5 inches long.
- Rocketry Works upper centering ring.
- Light weight rear ring.
- Fins cut from 3mm ply. Added a couple of extra holes in the fins to make the design a little more interesting.
- Landing pads cut from 3mm ply.
- Not Shown. I'll be using 500# Kevlar for the recovery along with a 1/4" launch lug.
Starting with the motor mount. This rocket is going to come in somewhere around the 9oz mark when completed so I plan to fly it on Estes 29mm motors. To begin I'm inserting a motor block. The outside to the motor black has been sanded to open up the fibers.
Next up was the upper centering ring. I was going to cut my own upper ring for this but I have a dozen of these Rocketry Works rings on the shelf so I decided to use it. The outer layer was peeled from the motor tube where the centering rings will attach.
Next up was the adding the Kevlar for the recovery system. For this I'm using 12ft of 500# Kevlar from Emma's kites. I punched out the opening in the upper rings and threaded the Kevlar through them then tied it off. Glue was also spread into the unused slots for strength.
At this point I also peeled off the remaining outer layer of the motor tube. I don't know why I didn't do this originally
A piece of heat shrink was added to the shock cord for protection and fillets were done to top and underside of the centering ring.
Last thing I did for the night was cut the slots in the body tube for the fin tabs then glue the motor mount into the body tube.
Next up will be attaching the fins. Should hopefully get to that before the weekend.
- BT80 Body tube. Slightly stretched over stock. This one is 13 inches.
- Estes BT80 NC80B "Bertha" nose cone.
- 29mm motor mount. 5 inches long.
- Rocketry Works upper centering ring.
- Light weight rear ring.
- Fins cut from 3mm ply. Added a couple of extra holes in the fins to make the design a little more interesting.
- Landing pads cut from 3mm ply.
- Not Shown. I'll be using 500# Kevlar for the recovery along with a 1/4" launch lug.
Starting with the motor mount. This rocket is going to come in somewhere around the 9oz mark when completed so I plan to fly it on Estes 29mm motors. To begin I'm inserting a motor block. The outside to the motor black has been sanded to open up the fibers.
Next up was the upper centering ring. I was going to cut my own upper ring for this but I have a dozen of these Rocketry Works rings on the shelf so I decided to use it. The outer layer was peeled from the motor tube where the centering rings will attach.
Next up was the adding the Kevlar for the recovery system. For this I'm using 12ft of 500# Kevlar from Emma's kites. I punched out the opening in the upper rings and threaded the Kevlar through them then tied it off. Glue was also spread into the unused slots for strength.
At this point I also peeled off the remaining outer layer of the motor tube. I don't know why I didn't do this originally
A piece of heat shrink was added to the shock cord for protection and fillets were done to top and underside of the centering ring.
Last thing I did for the night was cut the slots in the body tube for the fin tabs then glue the motor mount into the body tube.
Next up will be attaching the fins. Should hopefully get to that before the weekend.