My Finished L1/L2 Rocket

[edwardw]

Here in the forums over the past month I have asked your opinions on different subjects on a scratch built rocket. I took them all into consideration and built my dual use L1/L2 bird.

Her name is Schlockhumbachum's Revenge

She is a 3" diameter mailing tube airframe with a 38mm motor mount. Designed to fly on Pro38 2 grain and 5 grain motors for my certification. She stands 58.5" tall. The nosecone is a doll makers cone modified to fit a 3" tube. She has a Perfectflite MAWD and is set up in dual deploy mode - droge at apogee and main at 500'. She weighs 4 lbs without a motor. The drogue chute is a 36" military flare chute and the main is a 60" military flare chute. For guidance there are 3 fins, 30,60,90 triangles that measure 3" x 18" long. She also has three railbuttons down one side. The finish is Insignia Blue Monokote. The stuff worked like a dream and the finish is nice over the tubing.

I'm planing on flying my certification flights on the 6th of March.

I have attached a picture of her.

Edward

P.S. Thanks for all the tips and input you all gave me - helped a ton!

 

[Justy]

My only question is that I'm having trouble imagining an H motor lifting a rocket heavy enough to need chutes as large as you're talking about. My L1 rocket used a 32" chute as its main (and only) recovery device, and it was heavy... fiberglassed tube with tons of epoxy, and nearly a pound of pine for the nose & payload bulkhead.

 

[edwardw]

I always have huge chutes, I like a nice slow descent. I don't think an H will lift something that heavy, but I think a J would. Plus, I always like to play it safe when I'm flying and coming down for a nice soft landing is always a plus. Also, I forgot to mention that the rocket splits also, the payload section comes in under the 36" chute and the fin can/motor comes in under the 66" chute. I know it's overkill but I'm okay with that.


Edward

 

[Frodo2801]

Hi, Edward I just finished my level 1 or 2 rocket last night it is a PML Quazar 57.5"and weighs 2.8lbs. I am using a 32" sky angle shoot with rail buttons also. I have ordered a MAWD alltimeter today. Thanks for the recomendations. I hope to cert in March or April. I have attached a picture also.

David

 

[Austin]

Edward...

The rocket looks great man...you have done what appears to be a good job and I like the finish! Good luck on your L1 cert and don't fret about H motors... an H123-S will fly it fine, as will any others. Keep us up to date.

Once again, nice job,

Carl

 

[edwardw]

Just a side note:

I do love rail buttons. I have built a couple rockets with launch lugs and after they had some trouble binding I went and got the rail system. The installation is simple and I always get a straight flight.

Monokote - your my friend. I hate painting. My roomate hates me painting. My apartment doesn't like it either. I have seen some really cool Monokote rockets and I thought I would try my hand. It isn't as hard as you think, I had to test a few pieces to see. But one thing is sure - a heat gun will make you a very very happy person. The iron is great but for wrinkles a heat gun is your friend.



Edward

 

[edwardw]

After talking to you all and some other friends who fly these things called 'rockets' I have heard the term drift come up. I have tested my 36" chute and rocket off my apartment (40') but have had none of this 'drift'. I know there are winds aloft so does anything think that I should just pop a streamer out at the top and then have the 60" come out at 300' instead of 500' and have the sections tethered?

Edward

 

[n3tjm]

hmm... I woulder who your friends are ... I usually like to go drougeless . Here is a video of my Magnum and its orignial chute, drougeless Dual Deployment.

 

[mark.simpson]

Originally posted by edwardw
After talking to you all and some other friends who fly these things called 'rockets' I have heard the term drift come up. I have tested my 36" chute and rocket off my apartment (40') but have had none of this 'drift'. I know there are winds aloft so does anything think that I should just pop a streamer out at the top and then have the 60" come out at 300' instead of 500' and have the sections tethered?

Edward

Your rocket's almost 60" long and weighs ~4 pounds? IMHO, you don't need a drogue OR a 60" chute. I use 60" chutes on 10 pound rockets, not 4 pounders. A 3' chute should be plenty big enough. I brought down a 7 pound 4" diameter Wasserfall down on one a dozen times with no problems.