foose4string
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- Jan 17, 2009
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Seems like the TLP rockets are always caught somewhere between low power and mid power and will generally cause debate of it's true identity. Since I don't plan on flying this on anything lower than an E18, I will put it here.
After seeing the rebirth of Stymye's Seawolf after his ill fated launch, I became interested in this kit and began building one of my own. As with most of my rocketry projects, I go like gangbusters for about 2/3 of the way and then move on to something else. It's usually about the time some sanding is involved.
This rocket was no exception. Finally, a year later, I have it finished.
I did some minor mods, but nothing too extravagant or anything that added substantial weight. The balsa fins were laminated with full sheet label paper and the edges sealed with CA. I scrapped the included 3/16" lug and added 1/4" lugs. Kevlar leader.
The instructions will have you install the motor mount so that it is recessed quite a bit (to help with stability, I assume). The tail end has a coupler that reinforces the main body tube below the mount, seemingly to beef up that area for motor exhaust and recovery impact. I used an idea from Stymye about lining that coupler with aluminum to help reflect some of that motor heat an hopefully avoid some charring. Where he used aluminum shim stock(flashing), I cut an aluminum soda can to size and epoxied it in place. This added almost no weight compared to the aluminum flashing that I had installed first.
There would have been a 1/4 inch gap between the lower motor mount ring and the reinforcement coupler if I had installed the motor mount according to the instructions. I slid the mount rearward so it was flush with the coupler. I planned on adjusting the nose weight anyway, and I once checked the position in Rocksim, it really didn't make a huge impact on stability.
It's obvious from the start that this bird needed nose weight and the dried up clay that came with the kit was also a good indicator. Folks who have built this with the stock nose weight have noted the marginal stability of the rocket. It obviously needed more weight, and trying to soften up the potter's clay that came with the kit was more trouble than it was worth. It became a sloppy mess. BB's and Gorilla glue to the rescue. According the the Rocksim file I made and Stymye's experience, it needed at least 1 1/2 ounces to be comfortably in the green. I added that much.
The finishing and details took a while, but I feel the end result was worth it. Stymye was kind enough to send me the artwork he made in Adobe Illustrator for the BAC insignia and I made decals from that file. I enlarged them a little and also printed the little circles on the same sheet. Yellow stripe is trim monokote and the black stripes are automotive pin striping.
After seeing the rebirth of Stymye's Seawolf after his ill fated launch, I became interested in this kit and began building one of my own. As with most of my rocketry projects, I go like gangbusters for about 2/3 of the way and then move on to something else. It's usually about the time some sanding is involved.
This rocket was no exception. Finally, a year later, I have it finished.I did some minor mods, but nothing too extravagant or anything that added substantial weight. The balsa fins were laminated with full sheet label paper and the edges sealed with CA. I scrapped the included 3/16" lug and added 1/4" lugs. Kevlar leader.
The instructions will have you install the motor mount so that it is recessed quite a bit (to help with stability, I assume). The tail end has a coupler that reinforces the main body tube below the mount, seemingly to beef up that area for motor exhaust and recovery impact. I used an idea from Stymye about lining that coupler with aluminum to help reflect some of that motor heat an hopefully avoid some charring. Where he used aluminum shim stock(flashing), I cut an aluminum soda can to size and epoxied it in place. This added almost no weight compared to the aluminum flashing that I had installed first.
There would have been a 1/4 inch gap between the lower motor mount ring and the reinforcement coupler if I had installed the motor mount according to the instructions. I slid the mount rearward so it was flush with the coupler. I planned on adjusting the nose weight anyway, and I once checked the position in Rocksim, it really didn't make a huge impact on stability.
It's obvious from the start that this bird needed nose weight and the dried up clay that came with the kit was also a good indicator. Folks who have built this with the stock nose weight have noted the marginal stability of the rocket. It obviously needed more weight, and trying to soften up the potter's clay that came with the kit was more trouble than it was worth. It became a sloppy mess. BB's and Gorilla glue to the rescue. According the the Rocksim file I made and Stymye's experience, it needed at least 1 1/2 ounces to be comfortably in the green. I added that much.
The finishing and details took a while, but I feel the end result was worth it. Stymye was kind enough to send me the artwork he made in Adobe Illustrator for the BAC insignia and I made decals from that file. I enlarged them a little and also printed the little circles on the same sheet. Yellow stripe is trim monokote and the black stripes are automotive pin striping.
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