Wildman Drago 4"

[dhkaiser]

Just ordered the Wildman Drago 4" Black Saturday sale.

https://wildmanrocketry.com/collections/wildman-classic/products/drago-4

Anyone have experience with this rocket? How about a Open Rocket file?

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

I think I got this from the old site. You may wanna check the weights, 66 oz looks a little light to me. Especially since my 2.6" bird was 64.

But no experience with it. Almost pulled the trigger on the original Drago a few time, and this is the second year I have closed my eyes and quietly walked away from the big one. Figuring it is too expensive (heavy) for me to afford motors. Maybe someone will chime in with the weight of a built one. I would GUESS around 10 lbs or so.

View attachment drago_4.rkt

 

[Wayco]

Picked up this rocket from Wildman last month for a drag race at ROCstock two weeks ago. Had to build it fast, so no build thread. Pretty straight forward head in deployment build, much like the Punisher. I did have to cut about a half an inch off the fin root to make the beveled edge line up on the body tube. The 4" avbay has plenty of room, so I added an SLCF, an RRC-3 and an Eggfinder with the antenna attached to the bottom avbay lid. Final weight on mine was 8.75 lbs.

Flew it twice at ROCstock, first flight on a K456 DM to 5450 ft. Main chute, a 56" Conical, came out at apogee, despite the two 2/56 shear pins. Second flight was the drag race on a K850 Dark matter single use, almost a spiritual experience.

Cris E. (Eggtimer owner) beat me off the pad, but the race was to highest altitude. Dr. David Reese (I think his doctorate is in Pyrotechnics) beat my altitude of 7614 ft. with a 7660 ft. flight, but since the race was sponsored by his Wildman West, the $50 prize went to me! The picture on Wildman's website is of David at that race, I'm standing to his left. Most people wouldn't notice that he had to use a N/C off a 4" Demon, I know I didn't until he mentioned it after the race. I think it's a 5 to 1 Von Karmen, versus the 4 to 1 on mine.
This rocket is a great flier, and will take anything you can shove up the pipe, like most Wildman rockets.

 

[MikeyDSlagle]

Awesome picture. That's about the same weight as my Tyrannosaur turned out. Doubt I could build it that light.

 

[dhkaiser]

Cool launch photo. Sounds like I will have fun with this one. It will be my first head end deploy rocket.

 

[dhkaiser]

Looks like I need to cut off 3/4" from the fin root. I don't have a band or table saw. Any ideas?

 

[tim cubbedge]

Looks like I need to cut off 3/4" from the fin root. I don't have a band or table saw. Any ideas?

Why? If they were shipped wrong size, contact Wildman & he'll make it right!

 

[jd2cylman]

The fins are an odd shape. The leading edge doesn't start at the fin to body tube surface. It sticks up about that much on a 4" kit.

 

[dhkaiser]

This is normal?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhkaiser/27368489068

 

[jeff2space]

I used a straight edge and dremel. Not cleanest method so some sanding was needed.

 

[tim cubbedge]

This is normal?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhkaiser/27368489068

No!
This is normal:

 

[markkoelsch]

If they are that far off did you get a set cut for a Drago 5”?


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[Wayco]

I think there were several of us that had that problem when we built these for the Drago drag race last year at ROCstock. Cris Erving just built his with them sticking up. I have a wet tile saw that makes quick work of this, and have used it on a couple of Wildman kits that were cut wrong. You could cut them down with a Dremel, (might be a bit of work) or contact Wildman, he will make it right.

 

[cerving]

I think there were several of us that had that problem when we built these for the Drago drag race last year at ROCstock. Cris Erving just built his with them sticking up. I have a wet tile saw that makes quick work of this, and have used it on a couple of Wildman kits that were cut wrong. You could cut them down with a Dremel, (might be a bit of work) or contact Wildman, he will make it right.

That's probably why you beat me... I'm just too lazy.

 

[jd2cylman]

This is normal?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/dhkaiser/27368489068

Yes. That is how he designed the fin. If in doubt, send him an email and ask him.

No!
This is normal:
View attachment 342164

Normal is in the eye of the beholder. That is NOT how Tim designed the fin, but if you must color within the lines...

 

[tim cubbedge]

Yes. That is how he designed the fin. If in doubt, send him an email and ask him.



Normal is in the eye of the beholder. That is NOT how Tim designed the fin, but if you must color within the lines...

So he sold multiple variations of the kit? Don’t get your comment!

 

[jd2cylman]

So he sold multiple variations of the kit? Don’t get your comment!

My reply was underneath each post.

 

[tim cubbedge]

My reply was underneath each post.

I know that. What you say in each doesn’t make sense.

 

[jd2cylman]

An email to Tim will settle this. Good luck and build it how you want it to look. Have fun.

 

[jd2cylman]

I know that. What you say in each doesn’t make sense.

It made sense inside my head... Not that much else does :wink:

 

[tim cubbedge]

It made sense inside my head... Not that much else does :wink:

[emoji736]

 

[jd2cylman]

OK,

Here's the dealio on the fins. Both are correct. :eyeroll:
Tim got tired of the emails and calls complaining about the fin sticking up in the front and they must be cut wrong, so he changed it to a normal profile. Now he gets calls asking why the fins don't match people's older Drago's...
How's that? Make sense?

 

[tim cubbedge]

Weird. I got one of the first ones he sold when first introduced and the fins were as you see in my photo. Anyhow looks like 2 variants of the kit.

 

[WILDMANRS]

The original Drago had the squat edges on the front away from the body tube during the rush of that years sale and multiple drago. Releases one profile was. Actually wrong and like a standard looking fin.
As Adrian said
I kept getting calls about the fins sticking out to far and have been changing them on all of the bigger stuff.
If you want to see the original ones it's the picture of the little girl holding it on the website


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[Wayco]

I went in search of the little girl with a drago and found this:

She's a real cutie, and I can kinda see a little step at the leading edge of the fin, but not very well.
Then I looked up the picture of the 4" Drago with David Reese posing:

This picture was taken at ROCstock, where David (Wildman West) sponsored a drag race with 4" Drago's flying on K850's.
The shadow shows that there is no step on his fins, so I'm thinking he might have cut his down like I did mine. It also reminded me about something else not quite "Drago-ish" with his rocket. He told me about it after the drag race, or I would have never noticed it. Anybody pick it out?

 

[WILDMANRS]

I know


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[crossfire]

I went in search of the little girl with a drago and found this:

She's a real cutie, and I can kinda see a little step at the leading edge of the fin, but not very well.
Then I looked up the picture of the 4" Drago with David Reese posing:

This picture was taken at ROCstock, where David (Wildman West) sponsored a drag race with 4" Drago's flying on K850's.
The shadow shows that there is no step on his fins, so I'm thinking he might have cut his down like I did mine. It also reminded me about something else not quite "Drago-ish" with his rocket. He told me about it after the drag race, or I would have never noticed it. Anybody pick it out?

Not the right Nose cone. He cheated he DQed.

 

[Wayco]

Not the right Nose cone. He cheated he DQed.

Had to give his N/C to a customer, and since he sponsored the race, he withdrew from the competition. Cris beat me off the pad, and David beat my altitude by about 40 ft. but I got the $50 prize. I felt kinda bad about it, but spent it on another motor anyway.