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During a boring lull in training, I got bored and sketched some '70s-ish looking model rocket designs. Imagine that. Then I started sketching the beginnings of a 3D printable nosecone with hinges in it to unfurl Rogallo recovery.
 
SierraDrinker said:
Rebuilt a sled for my 2" fiberglass Frenzy XL. First one couldn't fit a 9v battery. Lesson learned: use smaller batteries. Also lesson learned: 2" rockets are a pain to build if you're trying dual deploy for the first time.
Click to expand...

On my 2.2" Frenzy XL, finished the avionics bay, mounted my switch, fit everything into their snug positions.

Added rail buttons.

I found that the main section of the dual deploy is a little tight so I cut off about 1.5" inches of the nosecone coupler and made a new bulk plate out of 1/4" plywood. I'm hoping that will be enough space. I've already had to cut down the shock cord to a shorter length as I couldn't fit the cord, chute, and dog barf in the small space. Unfortunately the payload section on the 2.2" Frenzy is only 12". With ~ 3" being taken up by the av bay and another 2" being taken by the nosecone coupler, I've got about 7" by 2" of space to work with. It's gonna be tight.

My 10 year old painted her Madcow Mozzie as well.
 
Ordered some stuff.
2 x Removable Plastic Rivets (10 pack)
1 x Altimeter Mount Jollylogic
1 x Rocket CP/CG Sticker Set
1 x 4way Chuck key
1 x Heat Shrink kit

Also need to pick up:
1 x Tap & Drill Set
1 x Tee Nut
1 x 5/32 Drill bit

And last night, we 'repurposed' a plethora of wire from a crapped out PC PSU - who's up for a rainbow avionics bay...
 
Also, this arrived today...

5aqwxwvy.q3o.jpg


Spot a theme ? <evil laugh>
 
I made a what was probably a false start on sketching out a "Mission Controller" circuit for the Shoebox. It would have had a comparator and red-green LED. The LED is supposed to turn red with a shorted ignitor, green with a good one, and and yellow with a open one. It's on hold until I can get back to a source book to crib schematics.

Otherwise, I've only been doing something as wimpy as getting nostalgic for model rocketry back in the day, in my early teens in the middle '70s. I seemed to have some youthful optimism then. Estes, Centuri, and the last gasps of AVI Astroport had cool catalogs with cool kits. Even if this was the frustrating lull in manned flight between Skylab and the Space Shuttle, there was an amazing space renaissance predicted once the Shuttle starts flying. Also the hopes of doing wondrous things once I got out of stupid ol' school.

OTOH, I wouldn't necessarily go back and do it again. Having my profane posterior ran off too much and doing too much dirty work on the farm is a borderline deal breaker. The awfulness of my old school (awful enough to fail enough to end up going through dissolution) is the big deal breaker.
 
BeerorKid said:

IMAG3059 by beerorkid, on Flickr

A 4 foot rail showed up at lunch. The Rockwell Jaw Stand will be here Friday. PML rail lugs and other toys showed up. I built up quite the build queue it seems. The wife is very supportive and assists often, but pointed out how many unbuilt kits I have. I thanked her (because now I am hardware hunting).


IMAG3054 by beerorkid, on Flickr

This poor Xarconian Cruiser has been half built for weeks now. Almost done, but there will be much filler and sanding.


IMAG3018 by beerorkid, on Flickr


IMAG3020 by beerorkid, on Flickr

How short can a Bertha go until it is unstable? She has lost about 7 inches. I do have BT-60 and couplers though.
Click to expand...
Loss another 5" and it will be Baby Bertha size.
 
Toothless said:
Went to HL today too for a pack of e12-4's...forgot my coupon....so pissed... I'll use it next week for some e16's
Click to expand...
I've done that in the past but now I just pull the coupon up on my cell phone. So much easier. Never without now.
 
Second set of internal fillets on the Mach 1 Black Hole. West+carbon fiber. I'm getting neater (?). 3" Darkstar kit on the way, so more practice to come.
 
Doug Holverson said:
I made a what was probably a false start on sketching out a "Mission Controller" circuit for the Shoebox. It would have had a comparator and red-green LED. The LED is supposed to turn red with a shorted ignitor, green with a good one, and and yellow with a open one. It's on hold until I can get back to a source book to crib schematics.
Click to expand...
Two comparitors, one with a very low threshold (zero or close to it) to detect a short, and the other with a middling threshold to detect opens. The thresholds can be established either by voltage dividers or zeners.

Two logic gates and some additional inverters to get drive signals for the red and green junctions, both are on for yellow. The gate and inverter selection depends on the polarities you pick for the comparitors and whether you're driving the LEDs' anodes or cathodes; the truth table and resultant logic shouldn't be hard to work out.

Transistor drivers for the LEDs may or may not be necessary, depending on the logic chips used.
 
Almost a weeks worth of work. A couple of prototypes to refine things. Two printers went South on the same day. Put them back on track yesterday. Finally, success! And this is what I do for fun?
#ModelRocketry #FPV

https://flic.kr/s/aHsmEzGort
 
Called 6 nearest Hobby Lobby stores to see if they started marking down their rocket stuff since they are no longer going to carry rockets.
 
Picked up a big daddy, mean machine and an E powered starship one all for 25 bucks on Craigslist. Excitedly told my wife and got an eye roll. Excitedly told my kids and got sighs before they went back to iPhone land. Only you folks can relate. We are a strange and rare species, but I love it.
 
Continued to daydream about them. And doodle some '70s inspired MR ideas.

BTW, an old college buddy that went on to be Rolling Stone's Hot Cartoonist of 1996, Golden Toonie winner, and giant of alternative media, posted a 1992 video of Fantagraphics. That got me thinking too much about my turbulent life '86-'93, and just not catching a break that didn't go south until I was 44. I did show a lot of resiliency for somebody with a lot depression and low self esteem issues.
 
Finishing up some stuff for July launch...

Rockets from last month:
304125-a9ce9a6641250087230a09ce36b8294e.jpg


Yard rockets (stuff I launch in the yard, duh)
304124-1855ccd0ecb133a654c767bcc8c6a11a.jpg

MMX
304121-c8a2434b5c3a0962bef6c2040f06a6db.jpg


Single stage--Blackbird is 24mm, Star Orbiter is 29
304120-a300057407fd2c1d73236383df1ca85b.jpg


Two Stages... Superchief is D booster with a C sustainer. Daedalus is a D/E booster with a D/E sustainer. Gonna need some binoculars.

304123-958607cf3a6553b800f67cc9c272681f.jpg
 

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