Madcow AGM 33 Pike 8” L3 Cert Build - "Maximum Plaid"

[CORZERO]

Try these:

https://alsacorp.com/chrome-fx-machines-spray-chrome-paint-systems/

https://www.terrysautopaint.com/alsachrome.htm

Search "mirrachrome"

 

[dixontj93060]

Stickershock has a mirror-like chrome vinyl (actually just applied some lettering yesterday). Mark could do a full or partial wrap for you.

 

[soopirV]

I have been enjoying this build from the beginning, but now have to express my dismay- you've got such a fantastic reference to a classic bit, and you're not honoring it by trying a plaid paint job? Maybe there's a sub reference in the movie to chrome that I'm missing (and it may be obvious, I haven't seen it in a shamefully long time), but I was seriously on the edge of my seat to learn how to do a plaid paint job! Several rolls of tape and some carefully identified colors is all you should need...

 

[AllDigital]

The name came after we commited to the stock Pike and made the Stickershock purchase. I played with the idea of doing plaid fins or maybe a plaid tail to give homage to the name, but then I realized that Spaceballs the ship was all metal and "plaid" was what it produced. So, I am looking for an M-class Plaid motor. When CTI is up and running again they should produce a M1450-Plaid. It would sell well.

On the chrome, I like the idea of a full wrap from Stickershock. Maybe the next rocket, unless we actually go plaid. The paints also look promising, although I'd need to do some testing. Chrome paint is very unforgiving.

 

[soopirV]

I realized that Spaceballs the ship was all metal and "plaid" was what it produced. So, I am looking for an M-class Plaid motor. When CTI is up and running again they should produce a M1450-Plaid. It would sell well.

On the chrome, I like the idea of a full wrap from Stickershock. Maybe the next rocket, unless we actually go plaid. The paints also look promising, although I'd need to do some testing. Chrome paint is very unforgiving.

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You are absolutely spot on! I wholeheartedly withdraw my previous assertions. Plaid was an effect, not a plan. Lol, now I want to watch this so badly.

 

[dhbarr]

There's still time to plaid the thrust plate!

 

[thomas]

Your idea to protect the terminal blocks is really nice. I will copy that for my next rocket.

 

[soopirV]

The name came after we commited to the stock Pike and made the Stickershock purchase. I played with the idea of doing plaid fins or maybe a plaid tail to give homage to the name, but then I realized that Spaceballs the ship was all metal and "plaid" was what it produced. So, I am looking for an M-class Plaid motor. When CTI is up and running again they should produce a M1450-Plaid. It would sell well.

On the chrome, I like the idea of a full wrap from Stickershock. Maybe the next rocket, unless we actually go plaid. The paints also look promising, although I'd need to do some testing. Chrome paint is very unforgiving.

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So apparently Tesla has the same idea...They currently have Ludicris Speed mode (it's actually the acceleration), and are saying the next roadster will have Plaid...Article is a bit dated, but I ran across it last night when trying to find Spaceballs streaming somewhere.

https://www.autoblog.com/2015/07/18/next-tesla-roadster-four-years-maximum-plaid/

 

[AllDigital]

Painting is progressing well, but always my least favorite part of a large rocket build. If they get any bigger I think I might outsource painting to the local body shop.

For this rocket we sealed off a paint shop with plastic in our garage. I’m using an HVLP spray gun with an inline regulator and water filter. I settled on Dupli-color lacquer paint, after experimenting with a few. I don’t think it is the best paint out there, but is readily available at most auto parts stores in lots of colors.

We shot 2-3 layers of primer (BSP100) with 400/800 sanding in-between layers. This rocket sucked up a lot more paint than I planned. We went through almost two cans of primer (2 quarts). The main coat was 3 layers of metallic silver (BSP 202 Brilliant Silver) and we’ll finish with BSP300 Clear Coat after we get the stickers on.

I found the primer easy to work with, but the metallic silver paint wanted to orange peel more than normal. It could be my cheap gun, although I haven’t had problems in the past. Overall, I am happy with the way it has turned out, but even with copious sanding between every coat it is not smooth like a baby’s bottom.

Dupli-color also has a mid-coat special effects paint that is a metallic clear. I tested some of this separately and it made no real difference on top of the metallic silver. I was hoping to get more pop in the metallic, but I suspect it only works well on non-metallic colors.

I know lacquer is really good paint, but the hazmat processes for painting and cleaning, and the vapor plume in the neighborhood, make me not want to use it in the future.

I like the art, but I like the science more. The next rocket goes to Earl Scheib.

 

[Nick@JET]

Wow that is a monster! Looking great!

 

[AllDigital]

After three coats of paint we let it dry a few days and then put on the decals.

Our decals are based on the original MadCow prototype and came from Stickershock. They are very high quality and easy to apply. We improvised the layout using other Pike builds.

After the decals, we shot the rocket with two coats of clear coat. The clear really helped bring it to a smooth finish.

After a few days of drying (no hurry), we untaped it and cleared all the port holes. We gave all the couplings a light sanding and did another full dry fit with rigging.

Overall, it weighs in at 69.9 pounds without the motor.

 

[rharshberger]

After three coats of paint we let it dry a few days and then put on the decals.

Our decals are based on the original MadCow prototype and came from Stickershock. They are very high quality and easy to apply. We improvised the layout using other Pike builds.

After the decals, we shot the rocket with two coats of clear coat. The clear really helped bring it to a smooth finish.

After a few days of drying (no hurry), we untaped it and cleared all the port holes. We gave all the couplings a light sanding and did another full dry fit with rigging.

Overall, it weighs in at 69.9 pounds without the motor.

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Very nice, now get out and successfully cert it!

 

[DavidMcCann]

You all are missing the obvious..... a plaid Chute.

 

[AllDigital]

We launched on Saturday morning at LDRS. Overall, everything went exactly as planned and designed, although we had high W that caused a small amount of weather cocking off the pad. We held for 30 min prior to launch due to +25mph W and a few higher altitude rockets decided to scrub. The W even knocked down my goPro tripod at the pad about 5 minutes before launch (Rrrr....), but in total didn't impact the flight or the recovery much.

We hit 6,162' -- almost exactly as planned. Perfect drogue and main deployments and backups also fired perfectly. The paint a bit scratched up from being dragged 100 yards across the desert, but otherwise everything is in perfect post-flight condition.

Here is a two minute video on the flight:

https://vimeo.com/170426046/27ab93154b

 

[Bat-mite]

Wow! Congrats!

 

[DAllen]

We launched on Saturday morning at LDRS. Overall, everything went exactly as planned and designed, although we had high W that caused a small amount of weather cocking off the pad. We held for 30 min prior to launch due to +25mph W and a few higher altitude rockets decided to scrub. The W even knocked down my goPro tripod at the pad about 5 minutes before launch (Rrrr....), but in total didn't impact the flight or the recovery much.

We hit 6,162' -- almost exactly as planned. Perfect drogue and main deployments and backups also fired perfectly. The paint a bit scratched up from being dragged 100 yards across the desert, but otherwise everything is in perfect post-flight condition.

Here is a two minute video on the flight:

https://vimeo.com/170426046/27ab93154b

Congrats!!!

Scratches = battle scars...wear 'em with pride.

 

[AllDigital]

I did a lot of post flight analysis of the video/data and I found the position of the fin can during drogue descent to be a bit odd. This design separates below the AvBay for drogue, leaving the fin can and the upper airframe/nose separated by 45'. The upper weighs slightly more than the expended fin can (41# vs 37#), but I attached the 4' drogue to the upper airframe, so you would expect it to stay higher and the fin can to stay lower. The onboard video shows that it started out that way (drogue up highest, upper airframe high, fin can below), but once the backup charge fires 5 seconds later the upper/nose with the drogue goes to the low position and the fin can stays above the rest of the flight, until the main opens and the fin can drops to the expected position. I'm not sure if the 2G of FFFF were enough downward "thrust" to create the unexpected positioning or if it would have happened anyway.

The drogue was sized for a fast descent (actual = 72 fps / 49mph), but it is interesting that the slightly lighter fin can still stayed on the high side. In the end it didn't matter, but for future flights I'll probably drogue on the fin can side or use a slightly bigger drogue. In this design, I wanted the fin can low to minimize any chance of a main chute tangle during main deploy - so, slightly bigger drogue would be in order. I might also consider a very small drogue on the fin can for stabilization.

Here are some stills from a long range zoom and the onboard camera showing the sequence. I also caught both backup charges firing as planned.

At Drogue deploy the chute is high and the lines to the fin can go lower (bad pic, but video is better)


Backup drogue charge -- boom! thrust down...


Now fin can is high and drogue/upper is low until main deploys


Main initiating deployment


Main fully deployed


A few extras on the ground. Ultimately, the fin can dug in like a boat anchor and that little anti-zipper fireball really earned its keep.

 

[neond7]

I've been following your build - really incredible job and an awesome flight! That playa landing is sure rough on the rockets, down here in Florida we land on nice soft sod farms. ;-)

Regarding your fin can remaining higher than the payload bay, I suspect the fins created enough drag to slow the descent. A bigger Drogue would probably be your only hope of keeping the payload bay higher on descent. Happy to see your chute deployment didn't foul.

Keep up the good work and thanks again for posting your build!!

 

[rharshberger]

Very nice, congrats!

 

[walden0311]

Would you happen to have the rocksim on this rocket? Wife surprised me with this for Christmas and I’m starting my build this week. Love your ideas and plan to use a few of them on my project

 

[tim cubbedge]

I have a 5.5" Pike ork file you can have & upscale to 8" if you can't get the 8".

 

[walden0311]

I have a 5.5" Pike ork file you can have & upscale to 8" if you can't get the 8".

Thanks Tim, I ended up doing the upscale from the 5.5 file mad cow has on their site. Ground testing today and should be ready for LDRS

 

[Hobie1dog]

Just finished reading the thread, you do things first class, thanks for sharing this with us especially all the pictures.

 

[mtnmanak]

Here is one more. The finished thrust plate with an Aero Pack motor retainer. Manually drilling all those holes straight, even on a press, would be very tough. The CNC made perfect holes on the first try.

View attachment 288914

I have a Shapeoko 3 as well and am trying to cut thrust plates like this. Did you use Carbide Create to design the thrust plate? How did you get the screw holes for the retainer in the exact right place? I can't see a function in Carbide Create to distribute shapes around a path.