Rocketguts.com's FIRST kit!

[rocketsonly]

Greetings.

Well, here are some pictures of our first kit that we will be test launching tomorrow morning at 8! We plan on selling these to fundraise for out '04-'05 TARC project.

Here's some information about the kit:

Diameter: 3.9" (PML phenolic)

Height: 32"

Fin mount type: fin can

Fin material: aircraft 5ply birch plywood (very strong!)

Motor mounts: 2x 24mm, 3x 29mm

Recommended motor configurations:
1x 29mm (1x G40 or 1x G80)
2x 29mm (2x G40 or 2x G80)
3x 24mm (2x D12 and 1x E9)
5x 24mm (4x D12 and 1x E9)

Obviously there are many more possible configurations that you may try on your own.

Motor plugs and adapters will be included so that the rocketeer can launch multiple times on different motor configurations.

We'll be finishing the kit after we test launch it! More pictures to come when it's finished. We'll also try and get some pictures of the test launch.

Please leave any comments. We do realize the fins seem very fragile! We'll see if they break or not upon landing tomorrow.

Thanks,
Matthew

 

[rocketsonly]

Detail picture of fin.

 

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Another detailed picture of fin.
NB: slots in fin.

 

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Picture of fin can.

 

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Another picture of fin can.
NB: motors!

 

[rocketsonly]

Picture of fin removed from centering ring.
NB: slots on fins AND centering ring

 

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Picture of fin inserting into centering ring.
NB: perfect fit!

 

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Another view of the fin can!

 

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Picture of fin slots.
NB: PML phenolic tube

 

[brianc]

OOOooo!! NICE!


Those fins are just calling out for red-orange-yellow and
maybe a touch of blue paint!

How thick is the 5-ply?

Good luck and DON'T break a fin!

 

[rocketsonly]

Picture of fin can being inserted to the body tube.
NB: again, perfect fit

 

[rocketsonly]

Another view of fully mounted fin can.

 

[rocket trike]

I have not personally seen this kit but I do know the work that they have put into this kit. I have had them do allot of fins and centering rings cutting for me and by the way if you need fins or centering rings cut these are the people that you need to see YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED. Ok back to the rocket by the work that I have seen them do I know this will be a top quaility kit that you will not want to miss out on.

Tom

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by brianc
OOOooo!! NICE!


Those fins are just calling out for red-orange-yellow and
maybe a touch of blue paint!

How thick is the 5-ply?

Good luck and DON'T break a fin!

Fins are 1/8" thick.

 

[jetra2]

It looks really cool. Very unique, and you can be pretty confident that it'll be the only one out there that day!

I would probably glass the flames of the fins or do *something* to them to make them less prone to breaking. I guess your only alternative to this would be using a big parachute to keep the descent very very slow.

Any ideas at the cost of this kit?

Jason

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by jetra2
It looks really cool. Very unique, and you can be pretty confident that it'll be the only one out there that day!

I would probably glass the flames of the fins or do *something* to them to make them less prone to breaking. I guess your only alternative to this would be using a big parachute to keep the descent very very slow.

Any ideas at the cost of this kit?

Jason

We're still discussing about the prices, but most likely around $70 with out parachute, or $80 with parachute (30" ripstop nylon). Again, these are just estimates, prices may be higher or lower. Kits will be limited to about 20 and preorders will be taken once we successfully test launch the rocket.

 

[eugenefl]

Not to be a buzzkill, but I just don't see how those fins will stay intact whether in flight or upon landing. If the fins were somehow laminated in a clear epoxy so that the gaps inbetween the flames made them complete fins, then I'd say they would withstand anything. I suppose the kit is still in BETA so no one really knows, but I'd bet something will happen to those fins. Otherwise, I give an A for creativity. Best of luck.

 

[Stymye]

hey,can you show a pic of the fin can? > J/K



can you guys cut G-10? that might hold up better

 

[Justin Horne]

Will it? I mean, it's kinda flexable.. I suppose lots stronger than ply though in terms of bending....
Quite nice design.

But 70-80 dollars? Too much for me... That's nosecone, phenolic tube, rings, fins ( i see the time cost here) , and motor tubes. plus your profitit... I dunno...

Oh well, While it's too much for me, i'm sure many will buy it. Quite nice design.

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by Justin Horne
Will it? I mean, it's kinda flexable.. I suppose lots stronger than ply though in terms of bending....
Quite nice design.

But 70-80 dollars? Too much for me... That's nosecone, phenolic tube, rings, fins ( i see the time cost here) , and motor tubes. plus your profitit... I dunno...

Oh well, While it's too much for me, i'm sure many will buy it. Quite nice design.

We still havn't posted pictures of the vinyl that will be included. Also, there's a very similiar kit (short and stubby) made by Aerotech, the Sumo, which sells for around $80-120 depending on where you buy it.

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by stymye
hey,can you show a pic of the fin can? > J/K



can you guys cut G-10? that might hold up better

The CNC router we have is able to cut aluminum plates, so I wouldn't see why it couldn't cut G-10. We're currently looking for a local supplier of G-10. We'll see this morning (more like 45 minutes) how the 5ply birch fins hold up!

 

[rocketsonly]

So we test launched the rocket today to a major disappointment. We planned on using 2x G40's, of which only one ignited, and add that to our launch rod, which was already binding to the rocket, equaled a rocket that was stuck on the pad.

We're pretty bummed at the moment, but it's nothing big. We'll launch again next weekend! We were very pleased with the roar of a G . Before then, our largest motor that we launched was a D12.

We'll be sure to keep you all updated!

Thanks for all the comments!

 

[phaar]

Just a question or two. What does your pad look like after sustaining a G through its peak thrust? I launched a C-11 and it stayed on the pad and almost burned a hole in my .25 inch phenolic.

Also, how did it not get off with a G? Sounds odd.

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by phaar
Just a question or two. What does your pad look like after sustaining a G through its peak thrust? I launched a C-11 and it stayed on the pad and almost burned a hole in my .25 inch phenolic.

Also, how did it not get off with a G? Sounds odd.

Our pad at the moment is just a concrete block (the grey ones with large square holes) with a 1/4" rod sticking out. Nothing fancy. We plan on purchasing a rail soon and making a spiffy pad!

As for the rocket not being able to leave the pad. To start off, the rocket had trouble sliding off and on the rod. And to make matters worse, only one of the motors ignited causing the rocket to attept liftoff at an angle off of the rod, which therefore caused the rocket to bind even more. You know what I'm talking about?

 

[phaar]

Ohh I see. Maybe the launch lug is not on straight. That has happened to us a lot.

 

[rocketkid88]

You say that only one engine ignited... I’m assuming that you didn't use crapper heads for this, did you? if you did, you may want to re-evaluate your igniter choice

Very cool rocket, but I hope those fins hold!

 

[Justin Horne]

Yeah.. If the rocket didn't moce, they both should have lit... Either way, good ambition... Hope it works out for you!

Actually, not to be a killjoy, but-


Don't you need to be l1 to fly that?

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by rocketkid88
You say that only one engine ignited... I’m assuming that you didn't use crapper heads for this, did you? if you did, you may want to re-evaluate your igniter choice

Very cool rocket, but I hope those fins hold!

Nope, I've read enough about crapper heads, we used some homemade igniters with a pyrogen kit. Both of the ignitors ignited, however only one of the motors lit. We're not sure if it was the motor due to a cracked propellant (I accidently dropped one of them earlier) or the ignitor which wasn't all the way up in the core (we have to make smaller ignitors, ours were too large and was very difficult to fit).

We're very confident these fins will hold, you have to see them to understand what I'm talking about! They're really strong!

 

[rocketsonly]

Originally posted by Justin Horne
Yeah.. If the rocket didn't moce, they both should have lit... Either way, good ambition... Hope it works out for you!

Actually, not to be a killjoy, but-


Don't you need to be l1 to fly that?

I don't think so. If I understand correctly, the total mass of propellant can't be greater than 125 grams. A G40 has 55.1 grams of propellant. Two of them will only make 110.2 grams. Is this correct? I also remember a DARS member telling me 2 G's were okay with out L1.

 

[xenon]

Originally posted by rocketsonly
I don't think so. If I understand correctly, the total mass of propellant can't be greater than 125 grams. A G40 has 55.1 grams of propellant. Two of them will only make 110.2 grams. Is this correct? I also remember a DARS member telling me 2 G's were okay with out L1.

Correct, but it is more about total impulse, not propelant weight(I think). You can cluster up to 320ns without L1 as long as none of the motors are greater than G. With a L1 you can cluster up to 1280ns as long as they are I class motors and below, same goes for L2.

It looks very cool. If the fins stay on and I could cough up $80, I'd get one