Mike IX...we can rebuilt it...we have the technology...

[OKTurbo]

Household responsibilities kept me away from AIRfest this weekend. (still working on the home addition) But...we did have enough time for a low-key launch this morning.

Everything went fairly well. One Caution Rocket Launch in Progress (CRLIP) was sacrificed to a RET. Another CRLIP came in ballistic. It's now about 3" long. (12yr old packed the streamer too tight). Against my better judgement I sent up a Pratt Positron on a C6-5. We think it's in orbit at this very moment. Cool flight though

The Maxi Red Max went up beautifully on a F21. (love that rocket!)
We had numerous other flights, but to get back to the topic of this post.

The Mike IX lauched great on 3xD12-5's. Chute came out right at apogee, but like a couple of times before, the chute and shock cord got tangled up on the forward fins. So....we watched it fall with a fouled chute...it didn't look like it was coming in TOO fast, but here is the damage. (Note: these fins have been re-glued MANY times)

Picture No1

 

[OKTurbo]

Pic No2

 

[OKTurbo]

...cover your eyes if you're squimish...

Pic No3

 

[OKTurbo]

So here's what I'm thinking. The dent in the body tube concerns me. So I'll just cut the body tube about 1" aft of the center fin set. Rebuild the lower section completely. BUT...wasn't it Eugene that's been toying with the idea of a 2-stage Mike IX?!?!

Here's the perfect opportunity. A couple of centering rings. A BT-50 tube for the sustainer MMT. A BT-80 coupler. Some glue and a couple of prayers and VIOLA! A gap staged, 3x24 to 1x24 Mike IX. I think I even have all the parts required in my stash.

Now to find some D12-0's

Wish me luck.

John

 

[havoc821]

REALLY cool rocket! I like the paint job a lot! It must have been a masking nightmare! Good luck on the rebuild!

 

[eugenefl]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
So here's what I'm thinking. The dent in the body tube concerns me. So I'll just cut the body tube about 1" aft of the center fin set. Rebuild the lower section completely. BUT...wasn't it Eugene that's been toying with the idea of a 2-stage Mike IX?!?!

Here's the perfect opportunity. A couple of centering rings. A BT-50 tube for the sustainer MMT. A BT-80 coupler. Some glue and a couple of prayers and VIOLA! A gap staged, 3x24 to 1x24 Mike IX. I think I even have all the parts required in my stash.

Now to find some D12-0's

Wish me luck.

John

Yep, that was me. I still have this Perfectflite minitimer3 in its baggie waiting to do something. I am in such debate over what rocket I want to use it in that I can't make a decision. The MIKE IX does look like the best candidate though. If only I could make up my mind!

The gap staging idea does sound promising although I would find the best way possibe to "route" particles from the booster engines directly into the sustainer motor. Perhaps 2 booster motors could ignite the sustainer while a third pops a small 12" chute. Please post back on here if you do go that route. If you're looking to repair it, I'd say cut it, slip a coupler in there to "push" the dent back out, then reglue. Good luck whatever you do! The rocket still looks sweet even with scars.

 

[OKTurbo]

I've got a Rising Star Payloader and Semroc Astro1 to finish up before I start on the MikeIX rebuild, but I was going to keep it fairly simple.

I'll see how it goes once I've got it all cut apart, but I was thinking of keeping the 3x24 cluster for the booster stage. Above the 3x24 there will be a paper cone transistion...ID of the BT80 to BT50 size on top. This will be heavy cardstock coated in epoxy...maybe a layer of foil for good measure. The cone will "funnel" the booster charges up to the single 24mm sustainer. I'll have a 1/2 to 1" gap between the top of the cone and the sustainer motor. A few vent holes will be cut in the BT80 booster tube toward the top. I'll probably go with 4x 3/8" holes....3 D12-0's will have a lot of pressure if they happen to all pop at the same time.

In the space between the BT80 body tube and the outside of the cone I'll put a mylar streamer to slow the booster's decent. When the booster separates the streamer will come out.

So how does that plan sound?

John

 

[sandman]

A simpler...or more complex...rebuild might be a 3 x 24mm to a 3 x 18mm cluster.

Go nuts!

 

[OKTurbo]

I thought about doing that Gordon, but if one of the 18mm's lights off first, the booster will separate without the other 18's lighting. I've never attempted anything like this before, so I can't speak with any experience. I'd rather not mess with stuffing the 3x18's with fuses, but the fuses would give a better chance of all 3 18's lighting before (or even after) the booster separates.

I figure that I have a better chance of the 3x24's lighting one motor than 3 lighting 3 more in the sustainer. ?!?!

BTW...I'm already nuts!

John

 

[flying_silverad]

Hey John, sorry about the oooppps. PM me if you need some parts. I'd be happy to sponser the mod.

 

[rbeckey]

How about the recovery fouling problem? Any ideas on how to fix that?

 

[OKTurbo]

rbeckey,

I don't want to speak for John (flying_silverad), but the chute fouling may just be my laziness when packing the chute. It's such a large rocket that I tend to just loosely z-fold the shock cord (about 6 feet long) then do a quick fold/fold/fold/wrap on the chute. I do pack it with a bunch of dog barf before all this goes in and there are no signs of ejection burns on any of the shock cord or parachute. In all actuality, it may be better to pack the chute up a bit tighter to delay it's opening....this may help some of the problem.

(Note: the chute fouling has only happened on 3 flights)

I've flow this rocket too many times to count now. I cringe to think how many 3-packs of D12's I've used on it. It flies nice on 2 E9-6's BTW The aft fins are burnt up do to all the fire it's belched. (kind cool actually) The Mike IX has flown at least once every time I've gone to the field. This is probably the closest I've gotten to actually "wearing out" a rocket.

I've notice on several of the D12-5 launches that the rocket flies straight up....and just as it starts to slow...even before it noses over at apogee...the chute will come out. This is what happened at NSL on it's maiden launch. Straight up.....slows to almost a stop...then it sorta levitates while the nose cone pops and the the chute comes out with the rocket (still vertical) falling out from the chute.

Saying that...it may need a bit more delay. Perhaps D12-7's would work better. The longer delay may allow for the rocket to nose over more at apogee. It may be also that every once in a while one of the three D12-5's has a little quicker burn and it pops the chute before the other two.

I'm not exactly sure. But I wouldn't really call it a "problem". The rocket flies great, and every time I've launched it, I get tons of compliments.

 

[flying_silverad]

I always wanted to try it with the 7 second delay but hesitated because the simm showed about 40 feet per second at deployment (versus 8 feet/sec). That does seem a little high so it might be worth a shot. Don't you do it though, I have a meet coming up in 2 weeks and I'll see what she'll do and report back.

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
So here's what I'm thinking. The dent in the body tube concerns me. So I'll just cut the body tube about 1" aft of the center fin set. Rebuild the lower section completely. BUT...wasn't it Eugene that's been toying with the idea of a 2-stage Mike IX?!?!

Here's the perfect opportunity. A couple of centering rings. A BT-50 tube for the sustainer MMT. A BT-80 coupler. Some glue and a couple of prayers and VIOLA! A gap staged, 3x24 to 1x24 Mike IX. I think I even have all the parts required in my stash.

Now to find some D12-0's

>>>>>Excellant Idea John, great looking model also

 

[OKTurbo]

....and so the surgery begins....

 

[OKTurbo]

The new upper stage / sustainer.

 

[flying_silverad]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
The new upper stage / sustainer.

You know, that rockets pretty cool looking just by itself. maybe I'll have to come up with a smaller version Mike 4.5. What did you use to cut the tube and don't tell me one those electric knives that you carve the turkey with.

 

[OKTurbo]

The "scapel" is shown on the second picture...masking tape wrapped around the handle. Nothing more than your standard hobby knife. Deftly handled by a trained professional...of course!

(I put a wrap of tape around my current "good" knife. As it looses it's edge, it will be relegated to standard hacking duty, and 'de-taped')

 

[OKTurbo]

Yeah...it does look pretty cool by itself...

My "design on the fly" continues.

Here is the internal "funnel" transition. I will coat this with thin epoxy and line it with aluminum foil. The idea is to funnel the 3x24mm D12-0's booster charge up to the single 24mm in the upper stage.

I plan on leaving a 1" gap between the top of this transition and the upper stage motor nozzle. Then cut some holes in the booster stage near the top to vent any extra pressure.

But what size holes do you guys think? How many? I don't want the booster to separate before the upper stage lights...but I also don't want it to light and NOT separate!?!

A pic of the transition.

 

[OKTurbo]

In the booster's body tube looking from the aft end.

 

[OKTurbo]

From the forward end...

 

[OKTurbo]

Work continues...

Here is the internal funnel coated with aluminum tape.

 

[OKTurbo]

The fins are glued onto the new booster body tube.

(high tech fin alignment jig)

 

[OKTurbo]

The new booster section next to the sustainer...

 

[OKTurbo]

Stacked together...

I still need to glue in the "funnel", cut the vent holes in the booster, and add some fillets to the fins. I'll probably add a parachute for the booster recovery also.

 

[flying_silverad]

Looks good John. The funnel looks perfect.

 

[OKTurbo]

It's ready to fly now. I just need to round up some D12-0 or C11-0 booster engines. I'm a bit nervous whether or not this will actually work....but, nothing ventured....nothing gained....

Here's a pic of the booster with mylar chute attached.

 

[OKTurbo]

Booster chute packed and ready.

 

[OKTurbo]

The booster and sustainer...

 

[OKTurbo]

Ready for action....