Descon Plotting Destruction

Scratch - Plotting Destruction {Scratch}

Contributed by Chris Kiekens

Manufacturer: Scratch
Contributed by - Chris Kiekens

Plotting Destruction

Inspiration:
I guess I'm hooked! My wife says I am addicted, everywhere I turn, I see rockets! As I was inspecting a HP 750 color plotter at work, I saw that the paper came on really nice and light plastic tubes! Hmm, MUST be a rocket!

Parts List:

Airframe - HP part # C1861A- HP Bright White Injet Paper (you'll have to pitch the paper I guess)

Motor retention - Estes D Engine mount kit.I played with toilet paper tubes, but they didn't seem safe..silly me

Shock Cord - Fibre Optic Zip cord, with the fibre being removed, leaving a rubber coated Kevlar cord(6')

Chutes - Two chutes, one made from a shoe cover(so the floor doesn't get dirty in the board room), the other from a piece of a black garbage bag

Nose Cone - A toy I scammed from the kids toy box, some space thing from McD's, as well as a bottle cover from Jake's bottle (ah, he is too old for a bottle anyway!)

Fins - Balsa off of the floor(3/32)

Keeping it all Together - Devcon 5 minute epoxy

Construction:
Secured motor mount with balsa centering rings, and epoxied it in the tube. Attached 6 fins to the airframe with epoxy. Epoxied the shock cord to the motor system, as well as to the nose cone. Tied the chutes to the shock cord. Ready to go!

Launch:
Prior to launch, I weighed the rocket with a yard stick, and two boxes of Kraft Dinner..then a box of Kraft Dinner, and some noodles. The weight was somewhere aroung 380 grams, good enough for me. Then i swung it aroung the living room on a string..flew straight, good enough for me! First launch went great, as did the second. Chutes were deployed just after apogee, landed softly within 50 feet of the launch pad. A great day with almost no wind again! Third launch went very badly, if launch is the best word for it! It never left the pad, The engine ignited, then Pop! It blew! The nose cone and the chutes, shock cord still attached shot out, and were badly burnt. So that's why we stand so far back, is it!

Recovery:
Pulled it off of the launch rod, admired the huge dent in the blast plate, swore a couple of times, and called Estes..Very friendly people..

Repaired:
I had to drill some holes in the airframe, re-attach the motor clip, install a new shock cord(nylon from disposable ear plugs), and cut up another garbage bag for a chute..but it's all fixed! First "Phoenix" launch Delayed due to sick kid : (

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