Payloader Nose Cone Retention

[JRThro]

Short of gluing it on, how do you keep the nosecone from popping off a payloader when the ejection charge goes off?

I've got a Quest Super Bird and a Zenith II, and if I use them as payloaders, I don't want to lose the nosecones. I've also got a Quest Mirage, but I just glued the nose cone onto it.

Thanks.

 

[BobH48]

You can make sure you have a tight fit on the nose cone and if not, wrap some masking tape on the shoulder of the nose cone until it's tight.

You can also just attach a cord to the inside of the payload tube and tie it to a screw eye in the nose cone so that if it pops off, it will stay with the rocket.

The second method assumes you're not using a clear payload section.

 

[JRThro]

Originally posted by BobH48
You can make sure you have a tight fit on the nose cone and if not, wrap some masking tape on the shoulder of the nose cone until it's tight.

You can also just attach a cord to the inside of the payload tube and tie it to a screw eye in the nose cone so that if it pops off, it will stay with the rocket.

The second method assumes you're not using a clear payload section.

Thanks, Bob. The second method is the one that I had pretty much planned to use, but getting input from others is usually a good idea anyway. The first method still leaves too much to chance, as far as I'm concerned.

And no, I'm not using a clear payload section.

 

[Mad Rocketeer]

I built a Quest Zenith II not too long ago. Flew it the first and last times at NAR this year. It was a bit windy for a fine-flying two stager like this one, and on the third flight, it sailed off to Never Land. After I built it, I had essentially the same idea stated by BobH48, but with a twist. I did put a really tight fit of tape on the nosecone shoulder (and would have added a strip around the outside of the join if I'd added a payload). My thought was to fasten a line in a small loop to the inside of the nose, using epoxy. That way I could do any of the following:

(1.) Fly the model with an empty payload section, just using a taped shoulder to hold the nosecone on and hooking the shock cord via swivel hook to the loop at the bottom of the payload section. The nose is light, so tape around the outside of the seam isn't needed (as long as the shoulder is tight), but it could be added easily enough.

(2.) Fly the model with no payload section, hooking the shock cord to the added loop on the nosecone. The shoulder would need to be adjusted to mere normal tightness in this case, lest the chute not deploy.

(3.) [The more innovative option] Fly the model with a payload. Run a piece of nylon or kevlar twine from the added nose cone loop down through the payload section and out the bottom, pulling it taut and securing it there with a knot, perhaps tying a small piece of dowel in the knot to make it less likely to pull through. It could be tied around the loop at the bottom of the payload section as an alternative. The Zenith II's payload section is dark, and a cord (especially a dark colored one) wouldn't show much. The hole (for the added twine) at the bottom of the payload section would be placed to the side rather than the center, so with the nosecone turned to place the added loop on the same side, the cord securing the nosecone would run down the inside wall of the payload section, leaving most of the space unobstructed. Of course the shock cord would be attached to the bottom of the paylad section as before, and tape on the outside of the nose-payload join would be optional.

Hmmm. Had another thought. If the added twine had a tied loop in one end and a swivel hook type attachment on the other then the attachment would be very easy. Pass the tied loop through the bottom of the payload section, then pull the payload section's loop through it, fastening on the shock cord. Then the other end of the twine could just be clipped to the added loop on the nose. Better still, the clip on the shock cord could be fastened to both the added twine's loop and the playload section's loop. This doesn't have to be all that taut - just enough that the nosecone's shoulder won't clear the tube if it is pulled upward. As you can see, there are lots of ways to approach this, and brainstorming them is fun.

Just my 2¢ worth.

My next Zenith II will receive this treatment.

 

[Micromeister]

Good grief guys!
The easiest way to keep your payload section together is with mylar tape. I usually epoxy the nose plug or transition to the bottom of the clear payload section then run a piece of silver or gold mylar tape around the seam. Insert whatever payload your flying from the top then secure the top to the payload clear tube with another piece of the same mylar tape. Adhesive backed MonoKote film or any of the adhesive backed vinyls work fine. In a pinch I've seen folks use electricians black or colored wire marking tapes for the same purpose. I've never lost a payload or Egg with the 1/2" wide silver mylar tape that ASP sells. Take a look at the 1/2" tape on the egg capsule in the pic below and the strips on the model body as well.
Hope this helps.

 

[Mad Rocketeer]

Oh sure. Do it the easy way.

The mylar tape does look good. I plan to use some for decoration, just part of the paint scheme, so to speak, on another rocket soon, probably at a color transition. What's the best way to go about it? Just paint as usual for each side of the line, apply the mylar tape to overlap both colors, then clear coat everything? Will Krylon clear coat dull the mylar? Is a purchase of a bottle of Future in my future?

 

[JStarStar]

Mylar tape would probably work fine. In the past I have used colored vinyl tape to seal payload sections. It usually strips paint off when you peel it off, but that's not the end of the world.