Performance Rocketry - Intimidator 3 {Kit}

Performance Rocketry Intimidator 3

Performance Rocketry - Intimidator 3 {Kit}

Contributed by Don Bitz

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Manufacturer:

Performance Rocketry

Brief:
Level 2 all fiberglass 3" bare bones kit with 54mm motor mount.

Construction:

No instructions are provided, but it's a fairly standard build. Lets face it, by the time you are ready for this you've made a few. I wouldn't even call it a kit, simply a convenient combination of major 3FNC + MM (motor mount) from which to begin assembling a nice scratch rocket.

Bear in mind this is a mach-buster on a big K so build accordingly. Performance Rocketry's Hi-temp epoxy is recommended on the motor mount (this is magical stuff) and their Pro-line clear epoxy make beautiful fin and centering ring fillets due to its low viscosity.

Part	Material	Dimensions/Mass
Nose cone	Fiberglass	Nose shape: Hollow Ogive, Len: 15.5000 In., Dia: 3.1250 In. Wall thickness: 0.2500 In. Body insert: OD: 3.0000 In., Len: 3.7500 In. CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 10.5000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.126498 (m), 12.6498 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.00476321 (kgm^2), 47632.1 (gcm^2)
Body tube	G10 fiberglass	OD: 3.1250 In. , ID: 3.0000 In. , Len: 24.0000 In. CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 15.0000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.178314 (m), 17.8314 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.0135209 (kgm^2), 135209 (gcm^2)
Tube coupler Public Missiles Ltd.	G10 fiberglass	Tube coupler OD: 3.0000 In., Hole #1: 73.0250 In. Len: 9.0000 In. Location: 19.5000 In. From the front of Body tube CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 16.0000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0711505 (m), 7.11505 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.00229626 (kgm^2), 22962.6 (gcm^2)
Main Parachute Giant Leap - TAC-1 48 in. Parachute	Rip stop nylon	Shape: 6 sided Dia: 60.0000 In., Spill hole: 0.0000 In. CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 14.3000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0749748 (m), 7.49748 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.00227883 (kgm^2), 22788.3 (gcm^2)
Body tube	G10 fiberglass	OD: 3.1250 In., ID: 3.0000 In., Len: 48.0000 In. CG: 24.0000 In., Mass: 31.7872 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.353423 (m), 35.3423 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.112561 (kgm^2), 1.12561e+06 (gcm^2)
Fins	G10 fiberglass	CG: 7.4167 In., Mass: 9.8782 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0748845 (m), 7.48845 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.0015704 (kgm^2), 15704 (gcm^2)
Body tube	G10 fiberglass	OD: 2.2500 In., ID: 2.1260 In., Len: 16.0000 In. Location: -0.7000 In. From the base of Body tube CG: 8.0000 In., Mass: 7.5096 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.119087 (m), 11.9087 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.00301917 (kgm^2), 30191.7 (gcm^2)
Bottom Centering ring	G10 fiberglass	Centering ring OD: 3.0000 In., ID: 2.2500 In., Len: 0.0931 In. Location: 47.6248 In. From the front of Body tube CG: 0.0466 In., Mass: 0.3171 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0238491 (m), 2.38491 (cm) Moment of inertia: 5.11275e-06 (kgm^2), 51.1275 (gcm^2)
Middle Centering ring	G10 fiberglass	Centering ring OD: 3.0000 In., ID: 2.2500 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Location: 34.7500 In. From the front of Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.3167 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0238491 (m), 2.38491 (cm) Moment of inertia: 5.10725e-06 (kgm^2), 51.0725 (gcm^2)
Top Centering ring	G10 fiberglass	Centering ring OD: 3.0000 In., ID: 2.2500 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Location: 15.0000 In. From the base of Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.3167 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0238491 (m), 2.38491 (cm) Moment of inertia: 5.10725e-06 (kgm^2), 51.0725 (gcm^2)
Airframe Bulkhead	G10 fiberglass	Bulkhead OD: 3.0000 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Location: 4.6250 In. From the front of Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.7240 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0190837 (m), 1.90837 (cm) Moment of inertia: 7.47462e-06 (kgm^2), 74.7462 (gcm^2)
Coupler Bulkhead	G10 fiberglass	Bulkhead OD: 2.8750 In., Len: 0.0930 In. Location: 4.5000 In. From the front of Body tube CG: 0.0465 In., Mass: 0.6649 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0182895 (m), 1.82895 (cm) Moment of inertia: 6.30529e-06 (kgm^2), 63.0529 (gcm^2)
Drogue Parachute LOC 18 in. Parachute	Rip stop nylon	Shape: 6 sided Dia: 18.0000 In., Spill hole: 0.0000 In. CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 5.4000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.0330897 (m), 3.30897 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0.00016762 (kgm^2), 1676.2 (gcm^2)
Aero Pack Boattail Retainer	Black Anodized Aluminum	CG: 0.0000 In., Mass: 8.0000 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0 (m), 0 (cm) Moment of inertia: 0 (kgm^2), 0 (gcm^2)
Launch lug Giant Leap ACME Rail Guide	Aluminum	OD: 0.5000 In., ID: 0.4000 In., Len: 1.0000 In., Loc: 11.7500 In. CG: 0.5000 In., Mass: 0.3495 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.00839368 (m), 0.839368 (cm) Moment of inertia: 6.98072e-07 (kgm^2), 6.98072 (gcm^2)
Launch lug Giant Leap ACME Rail Guide	Aluminum	OD: 0.5000 In., ID: 0.4000 In., Len: 1.0000 In., Loc: 43.8748 In. CG: 0.5000 In., Mass: 0.3495 Oz. Radius of gyration: 0.00839368 (m), 0.839368 (cm) Moment of inertia: 6.98072e-07 (kgm^2), 6.98072 (gcm^2)

Plan on purchasing your own rail buttons or lugs, av bay components, recovery gear, etc.

Major CON, do not order from Performance Rocketry. You may never get it. Find a dealer that has one in stock.

Order an extra 6" coupler and 2 bulkheads (one ID of the coupler and one ID of the airframe), a 1/4" stainless eyebolt, 2 washers, and locknut for attaching the shock cord as follows:

Cut coupler in half.
Epoxy the bulkheads on to one end of the coupler and each other. Allow to cure.
Put one washer on eyebolt.
Insert eyebolt thru the bulhead/coupler assembly so the eye is inside the coupler (pulling eye butts bulkhead into coupler), back with washer and locknut in place.
Drill several holes in bulkhead to allow ejection gases to pass through but not too many to weaken bulkhead.
Attach Kevlar cord to eyebolt.
Epoxy this assembly approximately 22" into airframe. Be sure to leave enough room for the longest motor you anticipate flying yet deep enough for the largest chute you may use. Be sure to coat the locknut and threads with epoxy while you're at it and fillet the forward edge as the shock cord will be pulling at it.

This will provide a nice parachute stop to keep your recovery materials from sliding too deeply into the airframe during boost, provide a decent zipper-inhibitor by moving the pivot forward and minimize the wear and tear on the shock cord over the years by keeping it centered in the airframe and away from the heat of the motor as much as possible.

Finishing:
Really easy to paint and finish being all fiberglass. Prime and a couple three nice thick top coats. One of my favorite AeroTech mid-power kits is the Arreaux so I dubbed mine the Arreaux 3 and painted to match!

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
Flies beautifully on a J motor, mach-buster on a K or larger. I used it for my certification flight with a CTI J235 to around 2700 feet. I'll wait a while to burn the paint off mine as I have other supersonic birds to play with first.

Recovery:
With large Is and smaller Js, motor ejection is fine. Since these finish out so beautifully I used 30' of Kevlar® and a Tac 1 chute. Since we launch on a big sod farm, a 48" chute will be fine but I'd want to go larger on harder surfaces.

This bird flies straight and true and is one of the best values in rocketry today.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
I don't really see any cons relating to the product, just that the manufacturer has a really well-deserved reputation for very slow delivery. Purchase from a dealer and only when in stock.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

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