Truax Christmas Bell Build (and Mutilation)

[JAL3]

When the glue on the handle was dry, I slipped it back through the bell and began the process of gluing the teeth to the bulkhead a few tabs at a time. A clamp was used to hold everything in place as the glue set.

 

[JAL3]

Towards the end of the process, I found that my alignment had not always been as good as it should have been. I found myself using a larger clamp to pull thing back to where they were supposed to be and that led to its own warping.

 

[JAL3]

About this time I noticed the paper band for the thrust ring still sitting where I had forgotten about it. I never intended to roll my own. Instead, I cut a ring from a spent 18mm casing. Because my handle tube was a bit tight, I had to peel some paper off the ring.

 

[JAL3]

Some glue was then swabbed into the tube and another casing was used to push the ring into place. This helped to pull everything back into round again.

 

[JAL3]

After that, I applied some white glue fillets where there were gaps or things looked weak and the Holiday bell was ready to fly.

 

[JAL3]

I finally got to fly my bell.

At my recent makeup launch it was one of 2 rockets that HAD to be flown. For the maiden flight, I located a piece of streamer, cut it to size and tied it to the Kevlar. I then selected a B4-4. I had to strip some of the paper off but I got it in and then let Tiger hook it up. It was his first time.

 

[JAL3]

We had to wait while Todd's Ricochet took off...

 

[JAL3]

...then I got bogged down with something and had to let Andrew's Sky Dart XL take my turn.

 

[JAL3]

Of course Tiger wanted to help Andrew retrieve his Sky Dart and Andrew was generous enough to allow him to do it so that Stu's Titan III Dyna Soar slipped in ahead of me.

 

[JAL3]

Due to stability issues, retrieving the Dyna Soar was not an option so, at last, it was my turn.

 

[JAL3]

The bell actually looked pretty good under thrust and was one of the straightest flying rockets I have ever flown.

 

[JAL3]

It decelerated quickly after the thrust ended and began to tumble down.

 

[JAL3]

Then the nose cone popped and the streamer deployed and the rocket drifted safely down.

 

[JAL3]

Since Andrew had already set the example, I decided to let Tiger and Lindsey run out to retrieve the rocket...good as new!

 

[SpaceAXEplorer]

HOT DOG!:clap:
Thanks for posting the build thread! Glad the rocket worked as planned and built!

I have 2 semi unrelated questions:

Is that a made to fly version of Lars Folmann's Titan/dyna-soar model that Stu launched?
How well, or bad, did it actually fly?

Eric

 

[JAL3]

HOT DOG!:clap:
Thanks for posting the build thread! Glad the rocket worked as planned and built!

I have 2 semi unrelated questions:

Is that a made to fly version of Lars Folmann's Titan/dyna-soar model that Stu launched?
How well, or bad, did it actually fly?

Eric

I'm not finished with the flight report yet but you should be pleased. It really flies very well.

Stu is my club's paper modeler. He loves doing paper projects, large and small. The Titan III was a Zooch kit and Stu made the Dyna Soar part himself. He's always modifying things.

This flight was not successful and had stability problems right from the start. We expect that from Stu. Every flight is a heads up and we always jokingly make comments about our safety and the fact that our field is owned by Alamo Fireworks; that's their warehouse in the background. Its just a matter of time...

Stu did fly the Titan III twice more on Saturday, both times with good results using the traditional NC.

 

[SpaceAXEplorer]

I'm not finished with the flight report yet but you should be pleased. It really flies very well.

...I do tend to get a little excited seeing how my 'kids' (toys) work for people.

 

[JAL3]

The second flight of the Holiday Bell was with an Estes C6-5. It was prepped with minimal wadding and taken to the pad where it was supposed to fly right after Andrew Cooper's Extended Payload A.S.P.

 

[JAL3]

Andrew was up first and commenced his countdown and all were watching his A.S.P. All were surprised when my Bell took off instead. Andrew had activated the correct circuit but the leads had been switched out at the pad.

 

[JAL3]

I was a bit startled so I did not get many photos of the flight. I can say that it was another performance like the previous one where it flew well and straight with a quick deceleration after the boost phase. When it ejected the streamer came out and and it drifted down pretty close to the pad again.

 

[JAL3]

This rocket is a novelty, definitely an oddroc. It is made from paper and was free for the cost of printing it out and putting it together. The build was at times tedious with all the little shark's teeth to cut out but it was not difficult. The flights were definitely first rate. I did not expect a great performer and it will set no records but it certainly does well.

Anyone wishing to keep up with what is happening with this rocket is invited to check here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/collections/72157623233049554/

 

[SpaceAXEplorer]

Now I guess it's safe to go ahead and clap?
:clap::clap:

Thanks for the posting, and as always, I've taken notes abouthow you did things. Glad this rocket worked well for you.

Eric

PS- The same bell rocket as shown and built and by Jal, is now available,(only without the Christmas decorations), at my website, as shown below in my signature. (Gee...If it werent for free to y'all, I'd find, in fact I do slightly find this 'PS' a bit 'Self Serving'... But if ya want one, GRAB ONE!

 

[JAL3]

My club held a SNAP launch this past weekend and I brought the Bell out to play again. It had done well on an Estes C6-3 and I wanted to try it with the Quest version. Accordingly I loaded it up and took it to the pad.

 

[JAL3]

The Bell did well initially and took off straight.

 

[JAL3]

It was not long, though, before it began to struggle. It was still under thrust and began to arc over. This took place perpendicular to the wind. The weaker thrust of the Quest C6 could not keep it going. It was on its way down when ejection occurred. The nose cone popped off but the streamer did not come out. I figured that would not be a problem since it would be hard for this rocket to be damaged by simply falling.

 

[JAL3]

When I got to the rocket, though, I found that it was a total loss. The ejection charge had burned through the body tube and then ignited the shell.

That's a shame because it had done well. Thankfully, I still have the plans.