Brief:
I want to share my experiences with Performance Rocketry's 54mm (2.250” OD) carbon fiber tubing. Last winter I wanted to construct a high performance minimum diameter 54mm rocket, and I did not want to hand lay the tubes. I wanted this rocket to be as light as possible, high performance, swallow a 28” 54mm motor, and utilize dual deployment.

Construction:
I ordered:

• 48” 54mm carbon fiber airframe
• 6” carbon fiber coupler
• 2 54mm 1/8” thick carbon fiber bulkhead plates
• 2 54mm 1/8” thick carbon fiber coupler bulkhead plates
• 6:1 conical fiberglass nose cone (fiberglass nose cone as it would house the radio tracker and be RF transparent)

Needless to say, my initial reaction to the carbon fiber order was a big smile on my face! The 48” 54mm carbon fiber tube was awesome looking, extremely strong, and only weighed 14.0 ounces. The ends of the airframe were cut very square and required no modification. I cut the airframe into a 36” piece for the lower airframe, and 12” for the upper airframe. A Delta chop saw made quick work of cutting the airframe. I was a little surprised to see that the carbon seemed to easier on the chop saw that fiberglass tubing does! Don't get me wrong, PR fiberglass airframes cut great on a chop saw. The carbon is just that much better. Scuffing the carbon fiber airframe for surface mounted fins is straightforward with 60 or 80 grit sandpaper. The fins bonded easily to the airframe, and they are rocket solid with tip-to-tip standard weave 6.0 ounce carbon fiber cloth lamination.

Finishing:
Finishing carbon tubing is about as easy as it gets! OK, I have to admit I intended to brush a layer of epoxy over the CF lower airframe (minus the fins) and simply clear coat over it. Clear coated carbon fiber looks fantastic! I haven't fully developed the composite aesthetic finesse skills when it comes to carbon fin tip-to-tip laminations. I wasn't planning on clear coating over the reinforcement areas. The rocket affectionately named “Pull the Trigger” finished beautifully. Unfortunately after three flights, I am in the process of repainting the speed demon as is has taken some tower and recovery rash.

Construction Rating: 5 out of 5

Flight:
Using carbon fiber tubing and light and strong building techniques, you can get very respectable altitude out of mid-range "K" motors. I flew this rocket on a K-550 at achieved 14,400' and change.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
Put simply, Performance Rocketry carbon tubing is fantastic. With a product of this caliber, understand that it comes at a price (all be it a reasonable one). Currently, PR 54mm carbon fiber tubing goes for $28.00 per foot, and a 6.0” long carbon fiber coupler for 54mm goes for $20.00. When I completed Pull the Trigger this year, I was ecstatic to throw the rocket on an accurate scale and have it report back 2.68 lbs FULL LOADED DRY WEIGHT! If you have an extreme rocket that you want to keep very lightweight but still use high quality materials to get started, carbon tubing is the way to go!

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5