Mid Power Rocket 3.90" !!!

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I am curious if this is completely new tube, or similar to Estes BT-101 (0.021" wall thickness), or LOC 3.9" (0.05" wall thickness).

If it is a 'new tube', just where would it come from?
LOC, Estes. Semroc, etc do not make their tubes they use, and it would cost huge $$ to make a new spec tube that is not already in production.

They came/come from the North Coast* FYI, except for the Phenolic that PML used. That Phenolic company I found out bought the Paper Kraft tube company now... topic for other discussion.

Edit: after some use, the HD 4" tube over a few decades gets closer to .08 in what I put calipers on yesterday

*There is a town in the CLE metro called Euclid...
LOC was born in the CLE metro, Macedonia OH
 
Last edited:
20241227_123814.jpgok...fins .125 thick plywood. Strakes... .250 balsa....tube thickness as best as my vernier will tell is .045. The kit is very nicely made, all parts in the bag are of great quality, 20241227_125640.jpgI don't think many kits give you EVERYTHING!!! Ther is even a paper clip!!! I don't know what for, but it's included!!! rsbhunter
 
Started on the kit....motor mount in, fins on , top centering ring on. Went light with the epoxy, internal fillets light, external fin fillets will be light as well...so far, easy assembly...longest part will be waiting til weather is warm enough for primer and paint on body...rsbhunter 20250104_212716.jpg
 
The paper clip is for attaching the shock cord to the nose cone!! ;) It most likely accidently fell in the box.
Actually, I read the instructions completely....it's to form a "L" shape hook to be used for pulling the forward centering ring out of the upper bt after using it to center the mm tube while gluing it in!!!! rsbhunter
 
Quick update...build is complete, sanding ( oh! Joy!!!) and primer/paint. I'm really happy with the build and weight. Right around 36oz as it stands....need a chute and decent weather to launch....thinking either G64 or G76.....This stage is always the hardest....work like a fool to make it pretty, and expect paint chips on the nose tip and fin tips, or get to about 85% prep, paint and launch....rsbhunter 20250106_122430.jpg
 
Can you launch a two G cluster without it being a club ( eg NAR or TRA insured) launch?. Apogee offered (offered?) interchangeable motor mounts. That is you could launch a 4" rocket with two G80s, or swap the mount to allow one H180 or a J motor at sanctioned launches...
Ideally you'd have a versatile rocket that could be launched anywhere.
 
@WizardOfBoz , He has access to a 1500 a side field that can fly rockets under 53oz on H motors with less then 125g of propellent with no need for a waver.

edit: If your G motors combined are less than 125g of propellent, same thing.
 
Quick update...build is complete, sanding ( oh! Joy!!!) and primer/paint. I'm really happy with the build and weight. Right around 36oz as it stands....need a chute and decent weather to launch....thinking either G64 or G76.....This stage is always the hardest....work like a fool to make it pretty, and expect paint chips on the nose tip and fin tips, or get to about 85% prep, paint and launch....rsbhunter View attachment 687522

36 oz sounds heavy, I have a NCR Archer with plywood fins & strakes and it weighs 27oz without motor or parachute, and I’m not usually a light builder. Oops! I forgot yours is 4”, not 2.6” like mine. :ghosty: Nevermind.
 
The motor mount tube is long enough to use a 360mm 29mm engine... I'll stay within the limit of the field , and regulations....I don't want to risk using to much engine, and maybe messing up the availability of using the site for eyerone....maybe a G80....it will be fun either way...rsbhunter
 
Looks good! Is the top section a payload area?

I just realized that it's three days from box to partly primered, wowsa! You're going run out of rockets! :)

-Bob
 
Ok, at least I have primer on it!! I am considering doing a test launch , figuring if it does good, I'll paint it!!! Going to launch it on a G64-7...waiting for a fire shield ...will keep you posted on the results...rsbhunter
 
There's quite a few people who say a rocket has to earn it's paint. For me, the building is the fun part and the launching is just something that you gotta do so mine get painted before I fly them.

I have several that are done and have never been launched yet because after I finished them I didn't want them to be dragged across the desert and thru the tumbleweeds so that is one drawback (for me anyway) of painting/detailing before the first flight :)

Estes Honest John https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-7240-honest-john-build.147314/
1737040508126.png

Rocketarium BB V https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/black-brant-vc.154748/
1737040600802.png

Estes Der Big Red Max "Thunderbird" https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/der-big-red-something-build.180694/page-2
1737040768159.png
-Bob
 

Attachments

  • 1737040626224.png
    1737040626224.png
    212.7 KB
There's quite a few people who say a rocket has to earn it's paint. For me, the building is the fun part and the launching is just something that you gotta do so mine get painted before I fly them.

I have several that are done and have never been launched yet because after I finished them I didn't want them to be dragged across the desert and thru the tumbleweeds so that is one drawback (for me anyway) of painting/detailing before the first flight :)

Estes Honest John https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-7240-honest-john-build.147314/
View attachment 689287

Rocketarium BB V https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/black-brant-vc.154748/
View attachment 689288

Estes Der Big Red Max "Thunderbird" https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/der-big-red-something-build.180694/page-2
View attachment 689290
-Bob
EXACTLY!!!! I think alot of people think of the desert as being sand.....No, it is more like concrete than sand...the excitement of a first launch is always shadowed by the landing...The more work I put into the paint, the bigger the tears! Those are some BEAUTIFUL paint/ decal jobs. The one good thing about launching here is the mesquite and sagebrush and horse crippler cactus will stop them from being dragged....did I say good thing???? rsbhunter
 
There's quite a few people who say a rocket has to earn it's paint. For me, the building is the fun part and the launching is just something that you gotta do so mine get painted before I fly them.

I have several that are done and have never been launched yet because after I finished them I didn't want them to be dragged across the desert and thru the tumbleweeds so that is one drawback (for me anyway) of painting/detailing before the first flight :)

Estes Honest John https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/estes-7240-honest-john-build.147314/
View attachment 689287

Rocketarium BB V https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/black-brant-vc.154748/
View attachment 689288

Estes Der Big Red Max "Thunderbird" https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/der-big-red-something-build.180694/page-2
View attachment 689290
-Bob
Bob, is the Thunderbird details paint or decals?....I like that...alot...rsbhunter
 
Doesn't appear that way to me, but ???? Does this picture help? rsbhunter

ffIt's interesting that the NC appears to be asymmetric. On the left, the base of the exposed cone appears to line up fairly well with the airframe, but it swells out just a bit, and there's some inset due to the curvature. On the right, the base of the exposed cone is clearly proud, and the surface of the cone remains proud as far up as your photo shows.

If used with HPR 4-in tubing, the left side may have a step out to the airframe. Both sides could benefit from some filler to square up and true the junction.

I guess this is consistent with my prior observations of the inconsistency of blow-molded cones. Big or small, they need a lot of work to finish out well. Unfortunately, in the sizes where they are available, injection molded cones that are nice and uniform and consistent part to part also tend to be heavier. That said, I should finish them and take weights before and after finishing. Injection molded cones often have an advantage there, too, because the color can be molded in and no filler/primer/paint is required to look perfect.

Thanks for posting the photo.



1737044452397.png
 
ffIt's interesting that the NC appears to be asymmetric. On the left, the base of the exposed cone appears to line up fairly well with the airframe, but it swells out just a bit, and there's some inset due to the curvature. On the right, the base of the exposed cone is clearly proud, and the surface of the cone remains proud as far up as your photo shows.

If used with HPR 4-in tubing, the left side may have a step out to the airframe. Both sides could benefit from some filler to square up and true the junction.

I guess this is consistent with my prior observations of the inconsistency of blow-molded cones. Big or small, they need a lot of work to finish out well. Unfortunately, in the sizes where they are available, injection molded cones that are nice and uniform and consistent part to part also tend to be heavier. That said, I should finish them and take weights before and after finishing. Injection molded cones often have an advantage there, too, because the color can be molded in and no filler/primer/paint is required to look perfect.

Thanks for posting the photo.



View attachment 689299
Yeah, the nose cone is lightweight....but the whole rocket weighs actually less than half of my Madcow DX-3 that I'm going for my level 1 with. So, for mpr, I'm impressed with this rocket...rsbhunter
 
Bob, is the Thunderbird details paint or decals?....I like that...alot...rsbhunter

Thank you. What you're seeing there is mostly paint. The number 9 in the circle of stars is a decal
1737050424869.png

In this view the stars, Thunderbird logo, and the number 9 are decals. Rest is paint
1737050470001.png

Painting masks were made using a Cricut and the decals are MS Paint and a laser printer

-Bob
 
Bob, is the Thunderbird details paint or decals?....I like that...alot...rsbhunter

Thank you. What you're seeing there is mostly paint. The number 9 in the circle of stars is a decal
View attachment 689311

In this view the stars, Thunderbird logo, and the number 9 are decals. Rest is paint
View attachment 689312

Painting masks were made using a Cricut and the decals are MS Paint and a laser printer

-Bob
WOW!!!!
 
@WizardOfBoz , He has access to a 1500 a side field that can fly rockets under 53oz on H motors with less then 125g of propellent with no need for a waver.

edit: If your G motors combined are less than 125g of propellent, same thing.
Actually remembered to bring my range finder with me yesterday....it actually measures out to 500 yards west and east....South is 500+, north goes to at least 1000 yds....rsbhunter
 
Back
Top