Stick Rockets

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NateB

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I came back to this type of rocketry by way of pyrotechnics where I have mostly learned how to build rockets and Italian-American style shells. I have long had a dream of building some recoverable rockets that can fly altimeters and serve as a test vehicle for different motors as well. Doing this safely and legally is a challenge, which was best served before my son was born. It is much harder to justify going away to weekend events or PGI where I could do this now and it isn't an appropriate hobby around small children. Sport/Model rocketry is much easier to do legally and these events are better suited for this time of my life.

I still want to make a fiberglass dual deploy version of my favorite style of sky rocket, but I have a few steps before getting there. I remember seeing an video of an upscale bottle rocket, but these are a little different.

The first prototype will be all cardboard and be most similar to a 3/4" or "1 pound" coreburning rocket. The picture I have here is an inert model I made years ago which was a prop in a performance of "You Can't Take it With You." This would be a typical BP rocket with a 3" heading, and a good place to start for building a sport rocket version.

PSX_20200427_120420.jpg

The parts I have laid out will include a 24mm motor mount, 29mm body tube, and a 4.5" hemi set which will become the nosecone.

PSX_20200618_203359.jpg

The first big challenge will be protecting the stick from the flame of the motor so it returns in a safe condition to fly again. My first thought was protecting the stick with sodium silicate, foil tape, or high heat paint. I have also thought about making 3D printed rings that fit around the body tube and allow the stick to be removable and held in place with set screws.
 
Yes, the 4.5 hemi set would be used to make a 5" ball shell once it was filled and layers of Kraft paper strips are pasted over to make it sturdy enough to fire out of a mortar. For this project, I will drill a hole in one hemi and glue the coupler over the hole. The coupler will have a loop of kevlar for recovery attachment. The inside will get 2 part foam to make the sphere rigid and I will paste one layer of paper strips for appearance. The next version will have a length of tubing inside the heading to house electronics. Eventually, I'll move towards my preferred truncated cone on top of the motor mount. That will be a little more complicated to fabricate, but I already have Maple formers for each cone. I think the best way would be to lay them up with Kraft paper and then reinforce with a few layers of fiberglass rather than make them purely fiberglass.

20200427_121537.jpg
 
Would replacing the stick with a carbon-fiber Rod be prohibitively expensive?
Would carbon fiber be more fire-resistant as well as obviously lighter
 
https://carbonfiberremanufacturing.com/pages/market/fire.php
Did a little research and "lifted" the following

carbon fiber is a thermally unique material. Unlike the competition, these fibers do not burn or melt when exposed to heat, they char. This self-extinguishing fiber retains its appearance, handling, and textile characteristics after open flame exposure. Additionally, PAN fibers exhibit very low toxic gas generation in fire, making them ideal for the most critical thermal applications. Improved thermal performance is also easily achieved using blends of PAN fiber with existing formulations or by incorporating heat shield layers in products.
 
I think a proper rocket for a small coyote would be a slightly different body / nosecone design for the typical ACME brand rocket. It looks like I'll have to make several designs this Summer.

A carbon fiber stick is also a good idea. I found some prices on some that look like they would work and I just might go that route for my larger ones. I'll use the Poplar sticks I have ripped for the first version.

I got the motor mount completed this evening after work with 60" of thin Kevlar cord for recovery. Once the glue is dry l, I'll mount the motor mount in the body tube and work on the nosecone.
 
Nice!

Hey @TurbulentSphere , it's the year of the Stick rocket!
Yes! The more the merrier!

The first big challenge will be protecting the stick from the flame of the motor so it returns in a safe condition to fly again. My first thought was protecting the stick with sodium silicate, foil tape, or high heat paint.
If it helps, I recently made a ~5 foot long model of a Congreve rocket. I used a 1/2" wood dowel from Lowes for the stick and have been protecting it with a single wrap of aluminum tape that extends about 10 inches behind the motor. I've flown it twice on E12s and have not seen any damage to the stick.
 
Thanks for letting me know that foil tape worked for your E motors. That gives me the perfect starting point to keep the sticks in tact.
 
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