Sheri's Mercury Redstone

[JAL3]

And everybody thinks we Canucks are all polite and nice and such.

I`ll try the soldering with a micro-torch and iron on a test piece ,and see how things go from there.This will be a winter project ,so i have time to compose myself and get a plan "B" and "C" in order

Are you going to fly the redstone with the tower on (although I hear it`s sacrilege to fly without it ,and could lead to name calling )

Paul

Though I swore I wouldn't, the second flight went without the tower. That will not happen again. It either goes out properly dressed or not at all.

 

[JAL3]

In the previous work on the LES tower, I had completely forgotten about the struts that support it.

 

[JAL3]

I placed the struts on a piece of paper and shot them with gray primer. When dry to the touch, I rolled them over and got the other side.

 

[JAL3]

The struts were then sprayed orange in the same way.

 

[JAL3]

When the paint was dry, the struts were test fitted in their hole and a drill was used to adjust the slopes as needed.

 

[JAL3]

The tower was then test fitted into place once more just to make sure.

 

[JAL3]

The pieces were then removed and sanded where they would be touching each other to promote better epoxy joints.

 

[JAL3]

A bit of 5 min epoxy was then mixed and used to secure the struts in their holes.

 

[JAL3]

When the epoxy had set, some JB Weld was used to secure the tower in place between the struts. One of the problems with using the copper instead of styrene is that flexibility for adjustments is lost. The result is less than perfect but after all these months, I'm glad to have gotten here.

 

[JAL3]

I set the tower aside to set up and began cutting gusset plates from a sheet of brass. These were eyeballed, not measured.

 

[Daddyisabar]

The third flight on my Sheri's Hot Rockets Redstone was at last a success! Not a scratch and the styrene tower in tact. Used a 40' chute with a spill hole and the harness worked to perfection. After two repairs the tower was a tiny bit crooked which cause a little wobble on the way up on a G64-4 but was still a crowd pleaser.

 

[JAL3]

The third flight on my Sheri's Hot Rockets Redstone was at last a success! Not a scratch and the styrene tower in tact. Used a 40' chute with a spill hole and the harness worked to perfection. After two repairs the tower was a tiny bit crooked which cause a little wobble on the way up on a G64-4 but was still a crowd pleaser.

Congrats on the successful flight AND the undamaged recovery.

THat should be a special category of rocketry along with people who launch and recover mosquitos, fly Commanche 3s with full power and get them back, and other strange achievements.

 

[JAL3]

After the JB Weld on the tower and struts had set up enough, about a day, I applied a spot of JB where the struts meet the verticals and applied the gussets.

 

[JAL3]

I next turned my attention to the can which had been damaged earlier in this refurbishment process. To begin with, I drilled out the hole for mounting the spike.

 

[JAL3]

Some gap filling CA was then used to secure the spike in place.

 

[JAL3]

A bit of epoxy was then mixed and the can was secured to the top of the tower. The end is in sight!

 

[JAL3]

I sprayed some Testors primer on a sheet of paper and used it to brush on to the gusset plates.

 

[JAL3]

The top of the can needed some touching up as well.

 

[JAL3]

I used the same method to retouch the orange.

 

[JAL3]

Of course there was plenty more that needed touching up.

 

[JAL3]

The black needed touching up as well and I used acrylic this time.

 

[JAL3]

It did improve things.

 

[JAL3]

I cut an undetermined length of Kevlar chord to fashion a recovery harness for the capsule.

 

[JAL3]

I hung the Kevlar in the booth and sprayed it with black.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Congrats on the successful flight AND the undamaged recovery.

THat should be a special category of rocketry along with people who launch and recover mosquitos, fly Commanche 3s with full power and get them back, and other strange achievements.

Thanks, you have given me an idea of how to use the rest of my orange spray paint, I have just enough for a mosquito. Having successfully launched a Comanche 3 all I need is the mosquito for the strange achievement trifecta.

 

[JAL3]

Thanks, you have given me an idea of how to use the rest of my orange spray paint, I have just enough for a mosquito. Having successfully launched a Comanche 3 all I need is the mosquito for the strange achievement trifecta.

Careful there, you're straining your credibility. I could believe any of those claims but all from one person?

Pics or it didn't happen!:neener:

 

[Daddyisabar]

Careful there, you're straining your credibility. I could believe any of those claims but all from one person?

Pics or it didn't happen!:neener:

All you need to know on recovering these rockets are the ancient Chinese Secrets - not including Calgon!

Sheri's Hot Rockets Redstone - Kevlar lanyard or harness to a swivel, to a 40 inch nylon chute with spill hole and with nice long shroud lines and a long Kevlar shock cord, nomex blanket a little oversized, careful packing in small recovery space. That’s how I did mine.

Comanche 3 - Paint it neon orange, have a three person recovery team, the one with the best eyes on the second stage, put pieces of Mylar tape on the fins, launch on a calm, clear winter's day with snow on the ground, tracking powder or Mylar streamer optional. Once had a group successfully recover 3 full power flights in a row using this technique.

Mosquito - Paint it neon orange, have a multi person recovery team all with good eyes, cant the fins so it spins a bit, put pieces of Mylar tape on the fins, launch on a clear winter's day with snow on the ground, schedule some time to look around. This is the only way I would launch a Mosquito like rocket.

 

[JAL3]

All you need to know on recovering these rockets are the ancient Chinese Secrets - not including Calgon!

Sheri's Hot Rockets Redstone - Kevlar lanyard or harness to a swivel, to a 40 inch nylon chute with spill hole and with nice long shroud lines and a long Kevlar shock cord, nomex blanket a little oversized, careful packing in small recovery space. That’s how I did mine.

Comanche 3 - Paint it neon orange, have a three person recovery team, the one with the best eyes on the second stage, put pieces of Mylar tape on the fins, launch on a calm, clear winter's day with snow on the ground, tracking powder or Mylar streamer optional. Once had a group successfully recover 3 full power flights in a row using this technique.

Mosquito - Paint it neon orange, have a multi person recovery team all with good eyes, cant the fins so it spins a bit, put pieces of Mylar tape on the fins, launch on a clear winter's day with snow on the ground, schedule some time to look around. This is the only way I would launch a Mosquito like rocket.

I think 85 was the last time it snowed here enough to accumulate...

 

[Daddyisabar]

I think 85 was the last time it snowed here enough to accumulate...

Then it is truly impossible below the Mason Dixon line!

I did recover all the pieces to my first and only full power Comanche 3 flight, but the true story is much more horrible than anything one could dream up. The first stage was actually caught by the LCO as it fluttered right down in to his hand. The second stage ignited and everything was fine, the third stage ignited and something was wrong, the rocket arced over and cam in ballistic. To my horror I found the burned remains of the second stage still attached to the third. I guess the clear tape I used to connect the motors was too strong. But I can honestly say I recovered all three stages on a full power flight. From then on it was a shortened Comanche 2.5 with an extra set of second stage fins to boot.

 

[JAL3]

Then it is truly impossible below the Mason Dixon line!

I did recover all the pieces to my first and only full power Comanche 3 flight, but the true story is much more horrible than anything one could dream up. The first stage was actually caught by the LCO as it fluttered right down in to his hand. The second stage ignited and everything was fine, the third stage ignited and something was wrong, the rocket arced over and cam in ballistic. To my horror I found the burned remains of the second stage still attached to the third. I guess the clear tape I used to connect the motors was too strong. But I can honestly say I recovered all three stages on a full power flight. From then on it was a shortened Comanche 2.5 with an extra set of second stage fins to boot.

That's cheating!

Still, its better than I ever managed with a 3 stager.