Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Single Staged, tube finned rocket, to be fired from a 6-foot section of 6-inch
diameter PVC Pipe which is anchored to the ground.
Construction:
Constructed of 2-inch diameter sturdy kraft type poster tubes, two 20-inch
sections with six 4-inch long tube fins cut from the same tube.
The nose cone is constructed from an Edge shaving cream cover with turned plywood disks for weight and to aid in attachment to the forward body tube.
The bulkhead is constructed of 1/2-inch plywood and a section of body tube (reduced in diameter) along with an eye-bolt.
The centering rings are made from 3/4-inch masking tape wraps.
The boat tail is constructed from the top of a bleach bottle. The Motor Mount Tube is standard 29mm LOC tubing.
I utilized Anti-Zipper construction.
Two pieces of bent Clothes Hanger along the MMT were the motor retainers.
Tube Fins were epoxied in pairs and then epoxied to the body tube.
The Edge Shaving Cream Cover had the plywood disks epoxied in the center and was then epoxied onto the forward body tube.
The coupler, bulkhead, and eye-bolt were epoxied into the aft end of the forward body tube.
The steel Shock Cord Leader is wrapped around the MMT, and up through aft body tube section then connected to the elastic shock cord.
The MMT/Boattail, utilizing masking tape rings, was slathered with epoxy and inserted.
No Launch Lugs Required on this design.
Two pieces of Styrofoam from a Zoom Lens were utilized as SABOTS and were carved to fit around the body tube.
The sabots centered the nose cone within the tube.
A section of Black Rubber Plumbing Connector epoxied over the body tube served as a rest for the sabots and provided the surface to push them out of the tube.
The tube fins centered the rocket within the launch tube with just 1/4-inch clearance all around.
The tube is supported by C-shaped conduit clamps secured by pipe straps and yellow nylon cord. The cords are staked into the ground and are adjustable.
Flight:
This was a highly challenging project, inspired by a picture of a tube launched
Arcas Rocket posted on ROL forums. This project took at least six months to
plan and execute.
This Project led to a second rebuild for a Level 1 certification flight.
The challenge was to find the right size tubes and sabot to fit within the confines of the launch tube.
There is no rail, and no launch rod.
Summary:
This project is able to be completed by any adult. As with most tube finned
rockets, the stability and trajectory were perfect. Motors like G35, G64 and
G80 provided FAST AND FURIOUS NECK SNAPPING FLIGHTS.
Motors used were G80-10, G64-10, G35, G33-7J, F20-4W, F40.
Parachute size varied according to conditions.
The rocket tends to become dirty around the fins because the exhaust gasses are concentrated within the launch tube.
The sound as it rips from the launch tube is un-forgettable and is a real crowd pleaser.
Other:
This project showed me that through persistence and creativity as well as
patience, a rocketeer can achieve anything they set their mind to.
Look for the Level 1 review of this project as well along with pictures and rocksim files.
Anyone interested in more pictures or information about this project can contact me directly, and Ill share all my information with you.
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