What did you do rocket wise today?

[Funkworks]

(Overlapping square holes do look pretty fun: )

Also, I think some cluster mounts have their holes close enough to each other that using a Forstner bit would be a wise choice.

 

[lakeroadster]

Turned some wooden spheres on the wood lathe for the Red Columbine.

 

[o1d_dude]

Put the finishing touches on the SBR L’il Thor.

My first experience doing full body wrap. Not perfect but looks good from 5’ or more. The iTunes card squeegee is key in the process.

All up weight was 3.5 oz so C5-3 will be the minimum motor on a 4’ long 20mm x 20mm rail.

Here it is posed on my good ol’ Grateful Dead bandana.

As a reference, I’ve enclosed a photo of my phone.

 

[Old School Doug]

Went to the dedicated launch field for some initial tests of new builds but I forgot to bring my hip waders and machete. Way soggy due to a good sized storm early in the week that must have turbo charged the field growth. But I did manage to get a successful try out of my new JLCR. It worked perfectly but the bird landed hard on the parking gravel and popped a fin. Repair already in progress. The main stage of the DC Express flew perfectly on a C6-5 with recovery just outside the parking area in 5 foot tall weeds.

That's when things went sideways. I build the LBR II to fly on the Apogee E6 long burn motor so the mmt has a 3" motor hook. I loaded up a 1/4' thick centering ring as a engine spacer and a D12-5 for it's test launch. Great flight for about 50' when it went totally unstable and pinwheeled into the weeds. No damage so I thought I'd give it another go. I removed the JLCR and changed over to a vented 12" chute to hopefully keep the recovery trek reasonable. Pulled the engine spacer and dropped in a new one with another D12-5. Checked the actual CG against the computed value in open rocket. All good. Did a sim with the spacer and motor. Also all good. Popped it on the pad, pushed the button, at about the same distance off the pad it pinwheeled in the opposite direction and promptly plopped into the pond next to the launch area. By the time I waded knee deep to retrieve it (in hiking boots and jeans of course) the damage was done and so was my morning. At least I had the good fortune/luck/karmic intervention to pull the JLCR for this launch.

I'm now almost convinced that the motor spacer is the problem as this is the 2nd model that has experienced virtually the same exact instability. I may just epoxy a thrust ring on to one of the Apogee motors I have and drop it into a model with a retainer that I've already successfully flown. Or I can stubbornly build a LBR-III using a retainer instead of a hook. Knowing me, I'll probably be working on the LBR-III by morning.

 

[prfesser]

Still need to clearcoat and add railbuttons, but otherwise the Interceptor E is finished.


Papa bear, Mama bear, and Baby bear. Sometime down the road I'm thinking of an Interceptor H-K (stands for either Hunter-Killer or impulse level)

 

[Flyfalcons]

Closing in with paint on the LOC 5.5 Patriot. Just down to avbay, balancing and nose weight, and vinyl.

 

[XrayLizard]

Bought a SainSmart Genmitsu CNC Router 3018. With the 20K rpm spindle motor. I see a Love/Hate relationship soon lol.

 

[Leo]

Mystery rocket is ready for the main section to be painted. Nose cone paint is complete.

 

[user 31732]

Built an auto launcher of sorts. I wanted the ability of the original saturn V chatter and timing that with a launch sequence. I'm working on a gantry project for the Saturn V. This has the capability for control and timing accessory functions. I lost my first saturn five years ago. This project was on my mind for awhile and everybody should have at least one of the scale saturn models. Bob

 

[Joekeyo]

Built MM for Big Daddy. I wasn't sure what the slot was for on the centering ring. I used it as a start to run a kevlar line conduit. I didn't have a LL long enough to make the span. I improvised by sleeving a smaller LL into a larger one; using tape to make up the difference.

 

[lakeroadster]

Swing test...

 

[tOD]

Flew rockets with PSC473. Recovered everything intact. No pictures.
The Mach1 Alien Interceptor earns it's paint.

 

[Cl(VII)]

Swing test...

Looks like you’re good. Congrats on a unique build.

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Marry her.

She builds rockets.

Just be sure to label your rockets.

 

[GalantVR41062]

I was able to go fly at the high power launch Saturday. I started the day with a lpr "Golfie" as my daughter calls it but I say its name is TopFlite as the nose cone is a golf tee with a 18mm cr glued to the bottom, top, idk.

It flew nice, the 7sec delay was a little long but the red chalk made a nice cloud. I painted it silver in hope if seeing a glint or 2 on decent but I saw nothing. I had an idea of the LZ based on the trajectory and ejection event, Brian saw a glint on the way down and I walked in that direction finding it 800' from the lp pad. I will bring a golf ball next time to setup as the golf tee stuck in the ground almost perfect.


I had 3 other flights and good recoveries.
"Spiralized Blue Tip" (MC Torrent) on a Loki H100sf to 1,489'.
"Lowtech 4s" on a AT F51nt-10 to 2200'
"Lowtech 5" on a AT G77r-10 to 2600'

I brought my 1/4 scale Viking 7 rocket project to the launch and talked with Gary about it and I hope to fly this by the end of the season here. Someone had a 1:24th scale Viking 7 so we took a side by side photo.


~John

 

[boatgeek]

Finally finished out the Spruce Goose. No metal parts at all, not even the rail buttons!

 

[RocketTree]

Practiced some staging.

 

[NateB]

I sprayed the final layer on my Trivecta 318. I'm very happy with how this one has turned out so far. There are some nooks and crannies that need touched up with a brush, but once the paint has time the cure I can put the vinyl on.

 

[Wally Ferrer]

Started another project...

 

[Joshua F Thomas]

I sprayed the final layer on my Trivecta 318. I'm very happy with how this one has turned out so far. There are some nooks and crannies that need touched up with a brush, but once the paint has time the cure I can put the vinyl on.

View attachment 428608

Nice paintjob!

 

[artgsc]

.I assembled an Estes D-Region Tomahawk kit but successfully modified it to accept a 29mm motor mount assembly.....

 

[o1d_dude]

No day below 100 degrees since early last week.

110 degrees today.

I haven’t left the house at all.

All rocketry activities have involved mail order and credit card.

 

[jqavins]

I don't know where you live, but you've just given the reason that I quit a perfectly good job in Palmdale, California to move back east to upstate New York. (OK, one of the reasons. Also because everyone I know lives in the east.)

 

[prfesser]

No day below 100 degrees since early last week.

110 degrees today.

I haven’t left the house at all.

All rocketry activities have involved mail order and credit card.

Sorry to hear about it. I feel for you. July was awful here, but temps in this end of KY have been lower than I expected---- mid to upper 80s, and 70 in the AM. I can actually take my walks in the morning if I do it before the sun gets up there.

Best -- Terry

 

[Wally Ferrer]

I love this little rocket. Fun, maybe a little hard to build if only because my fingers get in their own way with tiny parts...

 

[Cape Byron]

Found some cool drone footage:

 

[Cape Byron]

Then I did some work on the Spacemonkey V-2 fins. The last plastic model I built was when my eldest was 14. He's now 27...

 

[XrayLizard]

I ruined the paint job on the GF's rocket build.....

 

[Cape Byron]

I ruined the paint job on the GF's rocket build.....

I hope your couch is comfortable...

 

[125cc]

After a break for several weeks due to being horrendously busy at work and home, finally painted Little Joe & Tazz with Primer last night. Tonight's job is to sand both down (assuming no 2nd coat required). Hopefully will get Tazz painted tonight followed by decals tomorrow. Not going for the standard paint job, doing something more outlandish and loud. Pics when done.

If I get the chance I'll paint & decal LJ this weekend. Poor weather here so no chance of 1st flights this week however keeping an eye on the Wx for the next couple of weekends.