What did you do rocket wise today?

[dmaaero]

Got the Estes sidewinder finished.

 

[gdjsky01]

Launched nine rockets today in near perfect conditions at the park with my buds.

Mars Leaper, A3-2T
View attachment 571268

Hi-Flyer, A8-3
View attachment 571269

Emma's Dilemma, B6-4 Quest C6-0
View attachment 571270

Xtreme, A8-3
View attachment 571271

Blue Chiller, B4-2
View attachment 571272

Firehawk, A3-2T
View attachment 571274

Vortico, Quest C6-0 Estes B6-4
View attachment 571275

PemTech Screamin' Green Meanie, D12-3
View attachment 571278

Quest Li'l Grunt, D12-3
View attachment 571279
All rockets recovered.
Life is good.

Gary the Meanie flight was epic.
But how did @Ronz Rocketz make the camera tracking platform that imaged the Bounty Hunter's flight?
He needs to open source the code and electronics!

No CATOS! Nothing lost... Looks like a great time!

 

[gdjsky01]

What do you think of that exchangeable motor mount system? And do you have experience with any others to compare it too?

That is an interesting question.

Number one issue with it is it is too short. Well the 2x29 is specifically. But Tim knows his real audience is not the 'Wildman Rocketry people'. They are mostly LPRish. And he is serving them well, if not inexpensively. Being lightweight non-HPR (heck almost non MPR) materials, I suppose the QuickDraw was never meant to have two G64s in the 2x29mm mount (good thing because they stick out several centimeters and can not be retained by the system he provides. And the Estes 29mm are too long as well (but both, silly as they might look, can be friction fitted).








EconoJets and their ilk (size) do fit the 2x29.




It remains to be seen if ejection gunk will eventually (or immediately) make locking the mounts in difficult.

The PML quick switch was great. But it was more an adaptor system. Same with Aeropack.

Years ago I made a Big Bertha with my own 1x18, 1x24, and 2x18 mounts. I used a coupler between the CRs and two plastic push rivets. You inserted the mount until the holes lined up with the matching ones in the body tube and pushed in the rivets. It worked just fine.





The 3x24mm and 4x24 mounts, of course, will not accommodate most CTI loads. The 3 grain casing IIRC is too long.
The mounts are 'Estes E12' (95mm?) long. But that still lets me use a lot of combos. Especially now that I can use 3x24 AT 24/40 loads.

So I can not say anything good about it, but nothing bad yet either. I have built three of the four mounts. Gonna build the 4x24 soon,

 

[kuririn]

But how did @Ronz Rocketz make the camera tracking platform that imaged the Bounty Hunter's flight?

A very expensive proprietary tracking program.
Actually he closes the legs together and the exhaust pushes the tripod over when launched.
Genius.

 

[gdjsky01]

A very expensive proprietary tracking program.
Actually he closes the legs together and the exhaust pushes the tripod over when launched.
Genius.

But he must have a formula to know how close to the rocket, how closed the legs must be... etc. Sure Sure - File for the patent first! I get it!

 

[kuririn]

But he must have a formula to know how close to the rocket, how closed the legs must be... etc. Sure Sure - File for the patent first! I get it!

All done in his mind.
Like I said.......Genius.

 

[TheTank]

Finished adding the paint and trim to my newest project. 6”x130”. Not sure if the graphics will come in on time but it is scheduled to fly this weekend on an M1419W to 8000 or so. Flew last month in primer to 4800’ on an L1365N.

 

[McTschegsn]

primed my Estes Saturn 1b

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Gary the Meanie flight was epic.
But how did @Ronz Rocketz make the camera tracking platform that imaged the Bounty Hunter's flight?
He needs to open source the code and electronics!

No CATOS! Nothing lost... Looks like a great time!

It's rocket science.

So far, I've had two successful events. My son suggested I add a cardstock to the tripod to act as wings to help push it over.

 

[teepot]

I started an OddRoc. I'm using a large Christmas ornament as a nose cone. I think almost all nose cones the vendors sell are vanilla. Different designs would be nice. Something that is unusual. I'm always looking for things to make nose cones out of. If it's round and a little pointy I'll try it.

 

[jqavins]

That is an interesting question...
[very large snip]
So I can not say anything good about it, but nothing bad yet either. I have built three of the four mounts. Gonna build the 4x24 soon,

Thanks. Good to know.

It's rocket science.

So far, I've had two successful events. My son suggested I add a cardstock to the tripod to act as wings to help push it over.

Up till now I couldn't tell if @kuririn was kidding. That truly is brilliant. Do you have some sort of shield to protect the camera and tripod from the corrosive exhaust gas?

 

[Back_at_it]

Finally finished the rebuild of my Solar Explorer. It's not often that I get a rocket that fights me on every flight but this was one of those rockets. First flight was a B6-4 with a perfect deployment and what looked like a soft landing. Picking the rocket up I saw the body tube creased just above the fins. No problem, cut it open, slide in a thick coupler to push out the dent and put it back together.

Fast forward to the second launch. Another B6-4 and another perfect deployment. Came down on a 14" chute to a "soft" landing. Looked at the body tube and it creased right where the coupler I inserted ended. Cut it open again and added another coupler and glued it back together.

Third flight the parachute tangled and it came down quick. Thankfully it didn't bend the tube but it crunched the top couple if inches of the body tube. That was three for three. I was done.

Fast forward 6 months. I finally decide to repair this one. I carefully cut the body tube out of the fin unit and replaced the main body tube with a heavier BT-50H tube. The motor mount is extended to a length of 10 inches to give some additional strength to the lower portion of the body tube. After its first flight I decided to paint and replace the decals. I cut new vinyl that was similar to the original stuff. It's not an exact copy but has the look and feel.

 

[hobie1dog]

Finally finished the rebuild of my Solar Explorer. It's not often that I get a rocket that fights me on every flight but this was one of those rockets. First flight was a B6-4 with a perfect deployment and what looked like a soft landing. Picking the rocket up I saw the body tube creased just above the fins. No problem, cut it open, slide in a thick coupler to push out the dent and put it back together.

Fast forward to the second launch. Another B6-4 and another perfect deployment. Came down on a 14" chute to a "soft" landing. Looked at the body tube and it creased right where the coupler I inserted ended. Cut it open again and added another coupler and glued it back together.

Third flight the parachute tangled and it came down quick. Thankfully it didn't bend the tube but it crunched the top couple if inches of the body tube. That was three for three. I was done.

Fast forward 6 months. I finally decide to repair this one. I carefully cut the body tube out of the fin unit and replaced the main body tube with a heavier BT-50H tube. The motor mount is extended to a length of 10 inches to give some additional strength to the lower portion of the body tube. After its first flight I decided to paint and replace the decals. I cut new vinyl that was similar to the original stuff. It's not an exact copy but has the look and feel.

Good repair, and nice paint/decals

 

[hobie1dog]

so far, looked for the sections of dowel rod I cut to use for the rocket stand/board to go across the top of my IKEA unit, which is about 57" wide. It's going to have 12 dowels, so now I have to draw up which rockets are going from left to right so that I install the right size dowels.

 

[billeblurzz]

Assembled Black Brant IV mod. 1….to go with Aster 15!

 

[jqavins]

so far, looked for the sections of dowel rod I cut to use for the rocket stand/board to go across the top of my IKEA unit, which is about 57" wide. It's going to have 12 dowels, so now I have to draw up which rockets are going from left to right so that I install the right size dowels.

What's the depth of the board? I wonder if more dowels could be included by making two rows of staggered rockets.

 

[RokitFlyr]

Became a "Supporting Member"

 

[hobie1dog]

What's the depth of the board? I wonder if more dowels could be included by making two rows of staggered rockets.
View attachment 571535

Depth is 16", but I'm going to put the inherited/buy-out rockets on one row in the back, and leaving room across the front for my 6 foot level-2 Apogee rocket on its stand. My current stand going across the top of my desk is going to be for the ones I've built, and/or restored. aka Show Queens I have about 26 rockets now and really don't want more than 5 or 6 more. I have 3 that I'd offer to the tree gods.

 

[jqavins]

Depth is 16", but I'm going to put the inherited/buy-out rockets on one row in the back, and leaving room across the front for my 6 foot level-2 Apogee rocket on its stand. My current stand going across the top of my desk is going to be for the ones I've built, and/or restored. aka Show Queens I have about 26 rockets now and really don't want more than 5 or 6 more. I have 3 that I'd offer to the tree gods.

Pictures once you've got it all set up please.

 

[John Kemker]

Found the exact livery I wanted for a new kit.

Now I have to paint it...

View attachment 571339

My first rocket was assembled by me, but painted by my Dad. He worked for GORAM (Gulf Oil Refining and Marketing) and painted it in the Gulf livery.


Only blue and orange WAC Corporal I've ever seen.

 

[hobie1dog]

moved rockets around and cleared off the top of the IKEA unit to make room for the new display board.

 

[bunkermonkey9]

Started work on my Dragon Rocketry 4" Fat Boy XL and my LOC 4" Cyclotron. Got both motor mounts built and hope to have them both finished this weekend.

 

[Wayco]

Opened up a package we brought back from Kansas. Our Wildman "Black Saturday" order, minus the CTI motors that have not arrived yet:

 

[tsmith1315]

Got my Waiver/COA for 2023.

I'm not sure I can find a practical launch location to support the max altitude, 4k' is more likely a full-up flight. But hope springs eternal...

 

[Cape Byron]

Cool. My Meng Nuts arrived.

 

[gdjsky01]

Cool. My Meng Nuts arrived.

Ok I give... what?

 

[Cape Byron]

Ok I give... what?

Meng Nuts. Little plastic nuts for detailing. Bottom left of the pic.

I might have padded the order a little…

 

[Sandy H.]

Finally finished the rebuild of my Solar Explorer. It's not often that I get a rocket that fights me on every flight but this was one of those rockets. First flight was a B6-4 with a perfect deployment and what looked like a soft landing. Picking the rocket up I saw the body tube creased just above the fins. No problem, cut it open, slide in a thick coupler to push out the dent and put it back together.

Fast forward to the second launch. Another B6-4 and another perfect deployment. Came down on a 14" chute to a "soft" landing. Looked at the body tube and it creased right where the coupler I inserted ended. Cut it open again and added another coupler and glued it back together.

Third flight the parachute tangled and it came down quick. Thankfully it didn't bend the tube but it crunched the top couple if inches of the body tube. That was three for three. I was done.

Fast forward 6 months. I finally decide to repair this one. I carefully cut the body tube out of the fin unit and replaced the main body tube with a heavier BT-50H tube. The motor mount is extended to a length of 10 inches to give some additional strength to the lower portion of the body tube. After its first flight I decided to paint and replace the decals. I cut new vinyl that was similar to the original stuff. It's not an exact copy but has the look and feel.

View attachment 571525 View attachment 571526 View attachment 571527

I know the problem.

It reminds me of an old joke:

I went out last week and drank rum and coke all night. Had a terrible hangover.
I went out a few days later and drank jack and coke all night. Another terrible hangover.
I went out last night and drank crown and coke all night. Yep another hangover.
I'm switching to Pepsi.

So, given the variable data, I'd blame the B6-4 and switch to a C6-5!

Cool rebuild and that blue paint is great. I had a BBZ that we did metallic blue and silver vs the typical light blue and white. Great combination and great execution!

 

[jmasterj]

Bonded grains into a liner for the first time:



Followed the Loki bonding instructions for a Gorilla K980 Black Lightning that required "at least the bottom two grains" to be bonded into the liner. Turned out easier than I expected!

Should fly Friday at Red Glare.

 

[gdjsky01]

Gloss white on the @Cape Byron Yalga
Tan on the QuickDraw

BOTH with slight runs. Call it 3 meter finishes. I think you all know what that means

Tried to 3D print a test part from a person and failed. Failed to bond at the one seam.

Trying again to print that 3D print test part and might be good! Increased the Extruder Flow Rate to 106%