pml ariel level 1 build

[S10guy]

so after a 12 year hiatus ive decided to get back into the sport. to do so I chose the pml ariel. this thread will be me documenting the build and hopefully successfully launching this thing.
please do criticize my work (within reason) if you see some rookie mistakes or things I can improve on here please let me know I haven't built a HPR in a very long time so mistakes are bound to happen. I started things off tonight by epoxying the forwared motor adapter ring to the motor tube along with the forward centering ring

 

[conwayte]

Cool! I'll be following.

 

[bclark989]

What is the forward motor adapter ring? I haven't built the Ariel, but I built the Explorer and it didn't have one of those. The instructions with the Explorer also had me epoxy the lower harness to the MMT tube through the centering ring. What is your plan for harness attachment?

Good luck! =)

 

[S10guy]

...

 

[S10guy]

What is the forward motor adapter ring? I haven't built the Ariel, but I built the Explorer and it didn't have one of those. The instructions with the Explorer also had me epoxy the lower harness to the MMT tube through the centering ring. What is your plan for harness attachment?

Good luck! =)

its the threaded adapter that for the "quick switch" motor mount system that lets the 38mm or 29mm motor tubes thread in . well my dad always put an eyebolt through the centering ring and put a little fiberglass around the bolt when he epoxyed the motor mount tube in place but since its a 3'' rocket with a 54mm main motor tube that centering ring is really thin so I think I'm stuck having to epoxy the piston strap to the main motor tube.thanks much more pics tonight when I get off work

 

[bclark989]

Oh, I see the notch in the centering ring now. Yeah, that is the same as the Explorer, and it has worked great so far (4 flights). And I forgot that they have models with that quick change MMT system. I hadn't seen what the inside of that looked like. Thanks!

 

[S10guy]

as promised I made a little progress tonight got the piston strap epoxied to the motor tube. Also I tacked the coupler bulkhead in place and put a fillet around and prepped and epoxied the coupler into the upper body tube section. I did a little experiment with my epoxy I added some epoxy pigment I got from my local plastic and composite supply store in town and I tried it out to see how it looked so far I'm happy I think it will look very good on what I have it planned for.

 

[loopy]

Looks great so far! I love my PML kits! One thing to consider...remove the piston. Mine have the piston, and they've worked great so far, but I have noticed they require a lot of maintenance to STAY working. Residue can build up on the inside of the body tube, and it's picked up by the piston and needs to be sanded off to fit properly. Also, in cold weather, the quantum tube can shrink more than the piston, and it won't fit very well.

If you decide to keep the piston, coat the inside of it with epoxy to help it stand up to repeated ejection charges.

 

[Handeman]

I don't think the piston requires that much more maintenance than any other system. You do have to clean the tube once in a while, but if you get the right size brush, it's really quick to just run it up and down once or twice.

As for cold weather, once you have the piston sanded down where it works well in cold weather, it will always work, if you brush out the tube. I don't recommend flying Quantum tube in below freezing temps without a huge chute. Mine broke in half on landing on a 23 deg day. It was a super easy fix, but still.

One of the advantages I like with the piston, you always know exactly how much BP to use and it's almost always a lot less then what comes in the reloads. Mine uses 0.5g if I'm flying Hobbyline or HPR in it. It's always consistent and I always have BP left over.

 

[S10guy]

sorry for the dely but here is an update made some progress and I'm pleased with how the first set of fin fillets came out hopefully the next sets will look as good as these but more importantly hopefully it holds up

 

[S10guy]

So unfortunately rocketry was put on hold for a year however I finished the airframe and it currently has a date with my painter from an auto body shop I used to work at he's going to lay down some silver then candy orange over the silver base. I'm planning on attempting my level 1 certification flight at LDRS 37 in two weeks in fresno CA. I've been kind of struggling on deciding what motor I should run and if I should do electronic recovery or not. Also I'm used to working with aerotech RMS (dad used them exclusively) motors however after talking on the phone with Gloria at AWMpro-x I'm thinking I might start buying cti motors any advice will be greatly appreciated

 

[qquake2k]

I went low and slow on my L1 cert flight to increase my chances of success. I flew an AT H123 in a Minie Magg. Nowadays, there are more single use motors available which makes it simpler. You don't need to worry about assembling the motor.

 

[S10guy]

I went low and slow on my L1 cert flight to increase my chances of success. I flew an AT H123 in a Minie Magg. Nowadays, there are more single use motors available which makes it simpler. You don't need to worry about assembling the motor.

Building motors doesn't really scare me, I used t assemble Aerotech reloads for my dad when I was younger haha however that was about 13 years ago. I'm sure I would pick it right back up. I've heard single use motors can be more expensive. HPR is something I'm planning on doing often and Id rather invest in a set of casings to try and save money in the long run. what are your guys opinions on CTI vs Aerotech RMS. I would love to hear your experiences with both. ​

 

[jrkennedy2]

Like the paint! [emoji3]

 

[Bat-mite]

View attachment 322157

Consider using a closed eye bolt next time. Those bent wire ones have been known to pull open if there is a lot of stress on them.

 

[afadeev]

Building motors doesn't really scare me, I used t assemble Aerotech reloads for my dad when I was younger haha however that was about 13 years ago. I'm sure I would pick it right back up. I've heard single use motors can be more expensive. HPR is something I'm planning on doing often and Id rather invest in a set of casings to try and save money in the long run. what are your guys opinions on CTI vs Aerotech RMS. I would love to hear your experiences with both.

For the first HP flight, and certification flight at that, after years out of the hobby - I would keep it simple and go with an Aerotech RMS/DMS motor.

If the HP urge persists after that, and you start building more rocket kits, THEN is a good time to asses your HP motor needs, and figure out what motor cases you want to buy.
That would also be a good time to look at the CTI, Aerotech, and Loki options, and figure out what hardware to buy. Either that, or monitor "for sale" section of this forum, and snag a set from someone exiting the hobby at a discount.

Personally, I fly Aerotech and CTI reusable motor cases in multiple diameters and sizes.
CTI hardware is cheaper, but some motors can still be hard to find as CTI is rebuilding the supply chain after fire and production stop two years ago.
AT reloads are marginally cheaper, and widely available at significant discounts:
https://www.balsamachining.com/
https://wildmanrocketry.com/collections/motors-aerotech-38mm-single-use

To avoid the above complications - just fly an AT DMS motor for you cert, and go from there.

a

 

[S10guy]

For the first HP flight, and certification flight at that, after years out of the hobby - I would keep it simple and go with an Aerotech RMS/DMS motor.

If the HP urge persists after that, and you start building more rocket kits, THEN is a good time to asses your HP motor needs, and figure out what motor cases you want to buy.
That would also be a good time to look at the CTI, Aerotech, and Loki options, and figure out what hardware to buy. Either that, or monitor "for sale" section of this forum, and snag a set from someone exiting the hobby at a discount.

Personally, I fly Aerotech and CTI reusable motor cases in multiple diameters and sizes.
CTI hardware is cheaper, but some motors can still be hard to find as CTI is rebuilding the supply chain after fire and production stop two years ago.
AT reloads are marginally cheaper, and widely available at significant discounts:
https://www.balsamachining.com/
https://wildmanrocketry.com/collections/motors-aerotech-38mm-single-use

To avoid the above complications - just fly an AT DMS motor for you cert, and go from there.

a

This was the post I was hoping for thanks a bunch afadeev. I think that's exactly what I will be doing. Are there any free or cheap alternatives to rock sim are a method I can use to calculate necessary motor impulse and delay times ?

 

[smugglervt]

This was the post I was hoping for thanks a bunch afadeev. I think that's exactly what I will be doing. Are there any free or cheap alternatives to rock sim are a method I can use to calculate necessary motor impulse and delay times ?

Openrocket is free.

 

[S10guy]

im going to check that out right now thanks

 

[FlyBy01]

Build looks really good, I'm a BA R myself.

 

[Keisling]

what are your guys opinions on CTI vs Aerotech RMS. I would love to hear your experiences with both. ​

I started out with AT RMS motors. I enjoy assembling them and most 29mm reloads can be ordered online without HASMAT charges. With larger motors, I switched to CTI simply because there are 2 CTI vendors that attend my local launches and no AT dealers attend regularly. It was better for me to go with what's easily available rather than what I prefer.

 

[afadeev]

Openrocket is free.

+1 for OpenRocket:
https://openrocket.info/

Also works on Android phones (haven't checked iPhone), incase you need to 2x check in the field!

 

[LithosphereRocketry]

+1 for OpenRocket:
https://openrocket.info/

Also works on Android phones (haven't checked iPhone), incase you need to 2x check in the field!

I've had some trouble with OR on Android- I use the Thrustcurve.org app on the field. I do use OR for more accurate sims though.

 

[atypicalguy]

Yes there is a problem with the thrustcurve link In The app. I tried to find it on github and change it to the updated link, but havent had any luck.

 

[S10guy]

Its been a few years and I forgot to upload launch pictures. yes it works. quite well. I would even go as so far to say that it hauls ass.