Modified Mach 2 Kit

[briewillcox]

I'm going to order the parts today. The plans are:

• Wildman Mach 2 kit
• 8" coupler and 3-foot airframe in place of the stock parts
• Drogueless head-end dual deploy w/ 36" Top Flight thin-mill main
• Eggtimer Quantum altimeter
• Eggfinder TX or Mini GPS

It will be able to fly on anything from an H100 to an L1000, and as long as a K455 DMS.
I plan to get my L2 with it at Midwest Power this year, motor TBD. Trying to decide between a baby J and just sending it on something bigger.

I plan to put a 25' 1/4" tubular kevlar recovery harness and the aforementioned parachute in the nosecone and I'm not sure it will fit. Thoughts?

Also, it needs a name, so I'm open to suggestions.

 

[David Schwantz]

36" will pack very small, I got a couple .
I have had tubular nylon burn through before. Protect it with a sleeve.
Eggtimer, good stuff. But you need to build them. Eric in CA does a good job, if you can't.
Small motor for cert flight.
Name....Rocket.
Good luck.

 

[NTP2]

Call it handyman because it can fly on so many motors.

 

[waltr]

A 36" chute sounds too small for the rocket weight...
Have you done a sim and checked descent rate?

 

[Buckeye]

See here:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/wildman-mach2-hed-recovery-gear.165178/

 

[waltr]

Thanks for the link to the Mach 2 chute thread.

 

[mrwalsh85]

I plan to fly my Mach2 on a Loki L1040R... I think I've figured out how to make it work.

 

[rfjustin]

I'm going to order the parts today. The plans are:

• Wildman Mach 2 kit
• 8" coupler and 3-foot airframe in place of the stock parts
• Drogueless head-end dual deploy w/ 36" Top Flight thin-mill main
• Eggtimer Quantum altimeter
• Eggfinder TX or Mini GPS

It will be able to fly on anything from an H100 to an L1000, and as long as a K455 DMS.
I plan to get my L2 with it at Midwest Power this year, motor TBD. Trying to decide between a baby J and just sending it on something bigger.

I plan to put a 25' 1/4" tubular kevlar recovery harness and the aforementioned parachute in the nosecone and I'm not sure it will fit. Thoughts?

Also, it needs a name, so I'm open to suggestions.

Have fun with the build, make sure to get the fins straight on the airframe (and square to the airframe).

Food for thought when it comes to techniques: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/wildman-mach-3.158888/


Here as well:

 

[briewillcox]

Motor update, I'm borrowing a case and flying it on a K2050 at Midwest Power provided it's done in time. Should go to around mach 1.5 and 13k ft, pulling 80 g on the way up

 

[rfjustin]

Motor update, I'm borrowing a case and flying it on a K2050 at Midwest Power provided it's done in time. Should go to around mach 1.5 and 13k ft, pulling 80 g on the way up

Very nice. Make sure to bond those grains into the liner for the K-2050.

Tower launch, conformal rail guides, or fly-away?

 

[briewillcox]

I've heard flyaway rail guides go with the rocket and can be single-use, and I'm using a Slimline retainer so tower launches could be funky. The plan is to 3D print some glue-on rail guides.

 

[rfjustin]

I've heard flyaway rail guides go with the rocket and can be single-use, and I'm using a Slimline retainer so tower launches could be funky. The plan is to 3D print some glue-on rail guides.

Don't use a slimline for a Mach 2. You are increasing base drag and diameter for no "good" reason.

Use a plugged and threaded forward 54mm closure and then get a fully threaded solid rod end or forged eye hook and tie the recovery cord directly to the motor. This is a common practice for minimum diameter rockets.

 

[briewillcox]

I would, but I'll end up flying some motors without threaded forward closures and I want to keep this thing somewhere in the middle of high-performance and versatile.

 

[briewillcox]

Also, if I put the shock cord straight on the motor with no other way to retain it I'd be concerned about it falling out. Maybe I'm just not understanding how it works?

 

[rfjustin]

Also, if I put the shock cord straight on the motor with no other way to retain it I'd be concerned about it falling out. Maybe I'm just not understanding how it works?

Aft end (nozzle end) gets a couple wraps of tape around the OD of the motor case to friction fit the motor inside the rocket. That prevents the case from being ejected at drogue deployment.

Considering you just got your L1 this last weekend, perhaps this is a good time to slow down a little bit and research a bit more? Minimum diameter rockets are good fun, but there is a lot to learn. Did you pick up anything useful in the Mach 3 build thread linked above in prior posts?

 

[QFactor]

I've heard flyaway rail guides go with the rocket and can be single-use, and I'm using a Slimline retainer so tower launches could be funky. The plan is to 3D print some glue-on rail guides.

Here are pictures of the 54mm Slimline retainer that you are probably talking about for your Minimum Diameter application.

I have one sitting here for a future build.

You can see the shoulder that the mount creates on the 54mm motor/body tube.

It's not much, yes it adds drag, but you could feather the leading edge with epoxy (JB Weld?) and reduce the drag a bit.





There are two types of threaded collars to hold the motor inside the retainer. That's what you see in that last picture.

Quick note on the far-right threaded collar. When you drop a motor case in the collar does not thread tight
against the retainer. You have a small, but noticeable, gap between the retainer and collar.

I've been "experimenting" with various builds during the dry-fit process. That's how I learned about the gap.
I had purchased the inserted collar at the same time just as another option.

 

[David Schwantz]

I also like to use aluminum tape around the outside of the case at the aft end. It is very strong and so thin as to not create any extra drag. Sides, it's shiny and looks cool

 

[briewillcox]

It's not much, yes it adds drag, but you could feather the leading edge with epoxy (JB Weld?) and reduce the drag a bit.

Yeah, that was the plan. I don't mind a little extra drag for a motor retention system I have a little more faith in, lol

 

[QFactor]

Yeah, that was the plan. I don't mind a little extra drag for a motor retention system I have a little more faith in, lol

I added some more comments to my posting. Be sure to read them.

 

[tsmith1315]

Yeah, that was the plan. I don't mind a little extra drag for a motor retention system I have a little more faith in, lol

No faith in your highly experienced cohorts?

 

[QFactor]

No faith in your highly experienced cohorts?

Your avatar picture says it all . . .

 

[tsmith1315]

Your avatar picture says it all . . .

“If you do doubt your strength or your courage, come no further.”

 

[QFactor]

Here are pictures of a Loki 54mm case inserted into the Slimeline motor retainer.

You can see the gap with the one type of collar.



An AeroTech case also creates a gap - about half as much.

 

[StreuB1]

M2 flies great on the K185W; great L2 motor if you want to go high, but not punch-it-off

I flew my M2 (Eggtimer + 36" TM chute as well) on the K185W at MWP last year (went 14k) and flew it on the K270W at Airfest this year.

The M2 with motor adapters that I have made (cheap and easy) allow it to be flown on motors down to G's. Since it is also light, it can be flown at local fields without a waiver with the right motors.

The M2/3 is one of the best rockets out there. Its so simple and with simplicity, gives you challenges. Both kits are blank slates with loads of latitude to make it your own.

Make sure you buy the fine alignment guides from Tim as well. They're great to have and make your alignment stupid simple, plus you have them on hand for future builds as well.

As Justin mentioned (he's built a few of them), check his thread out as well as Bradens video. 6min JB weld is great to tack the fins in place, then GENEROUS JB Weld regular fillets is plenty strong.

Enjoy it and have fun!!!!

 

[StreuB1]

These are the motor adapters I made for my M2 that allow you to adapt 29mm and 38mm motors. Includes a recovery attachment bridle as well.

Buy the simple LOC 29-54mm and 38-54mm motor adapters, a 29mm to 2.6" 1/8" plywood centering ring and a 38mm to 2.6" 1/8" plywood centering ring, a 29mm and a 38mm Aeropack retainer, some kevlar, some #4-40 stainless screws and nuts, and some 5min epoxy.

The CR's are used as a thrust plate and will get sanded down so their OD is flush with the airframe OD.

 

[briewillcox]

What's a good size for the fillets? I was considering using a jumbo popsicle stick. Should I print some bigger fillet tools?

 

[tim cubbedge]

What's a good size for the fillets? I was considering using a jumbo popsicle stick. Should I print some bigger fillet tools?

A 1/2” piece of PVC works really well. Maybe an inch or so long. I’ve also heard some people use plastic spoons.

 

[StreuB1]

What's a good size for the fillets? I was considering using a jumbo popsicle stick. Should I print some bigger fillet tools?

This is what I used and its pretty good. A 1/2" diameter fondant wand(?) works well also. Available on Amazon in a kit of wands.

 

[briewillcox]

Make sure to bond those grains into the liner for the K-2050.

What should I use to bond them? Do the instructions include that? This will be my first reload.

 

[briewillcox]

I'm considering just buying some rail buttons and standoffs. Will they hold if I attach them with epoxy or CA glue?