Upgrading the Renegade

[tmacklin]

Today was just about as predicted, although the clouds lingered until about 3:00PM. I met my friend Brian and his five year old son David at the Gunter launch site and flew just one rocket, the rebuilt Renegade on a C11-0 booster to a
B6-4 sustainer. The flight was seamless! I concentrated on where the booster fell while Brian followed the upper stage to apogee and David lit the candle. The booster received a small nick in the leading edge of one fin which can be fixed with a dab of touch up paint applied with a brush.

I did not see apogee or chute deployment but Brian said the flight was straight vertical to an estimated 800 +- feet. Winds were from the SE and S, variable from 5 to 10 MPH. Next flight will be on a D12-0 to a C6-5 (or C6-7). I'm glad I rebuilt this bird.

IMG_1432.jpg (549.1 KiB) Viewed 243372 times

IMG_1431.jpg (451.72 KiB) Viewed 243372 times

[bernomatic]

Mine is still sitting in the shop waiting on the finishing touches to the repair.

I was going to pick up some D12-0's today and stopped at the Local Hobby Shop, to find out it wasn't there anymore. The shelves had been cleared and the store front was empty. I just looked at their website and it said they started the sell-off July 5. I can't believe I haven't stopped by since then.

[bernomatic]

I made a mold for the Renegade cockpit, but was trying a new technique and it didn't turn out well. There was a thin spot at the very top of the cockpit and while seeing if it was strong enough, the mold split. I think I played with the material too long and it was setting when I pressed the nose cone into the material. Definitely a learning experience. Next will be creating the cockpit from the mold. I don't want to use the Aluminite material, as I think it woulds be too heavy and awkward. I am leaning to vacuforming but haven't done that in a long, long time.

Hang in there Ted! well get ya something.

[bernomatic]

Try number two went a little better, but.... still no cigar.

At least this time I have some pictures to memorialize my failure. I think I am rushing this a bit, but then again I am gaining experience. One thing I probably should do is start running a timer to see on long I have till the mold sets. Another is to make a mold box. Leggos are great for creating the box, but we are long past the Leggo age for our children and I believe the Mrs. got rid of the huge containers we once had.

PC010016.JPG (150.05 KiB) Viewed 243343 times

Mold material wrapped around Renegade nose cone

PC010019.JPG (150.99 KiB) Viewed 243343 times

The sperated pieces

PC010024.JPG (142.03 KiB) Viewed 243343 times

picture showing the ridge of canopy extending beyond mold.

Next time, going whole hog. Making sure the material covers the full length of the nose cone.

[tmacklin]

Try number two went a little better, but.... still no cigar.

At least this time I have some pictures to memorialize my failure. I think I am rushing this a bit, but then again I am gaining experience. One thing I probably should do is start running a timer to see on long I have till the mold sets. Another is to make a mold box. Leggos are great for creating the box, but we are long past the Leggo age for our children and I believe the Mrs. got rid of the huge containers we once had.
PC010016.JPG
Mold material wrapped around Renegade nose cone
PC010019.JPG
The sperated pieces
PC010024.JPG
picture showing the ridge of canopy extending beyond mold.

Next time, going whole hog. Making sure the material covers the full length of the nose cone.

That's pretty cool Bernie. As I looked at your photos I couldn't help but wonder if a cast could be made with a low tech material like Plaster of Paris in a small mold form? I watch a lot of reruns of crime investigations (Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, etc.) and this technique is often employed to make casts of shoe and tire impressions. At any rate, I'll be following your experiments in casting.

As for my Renegade, maybe I should have quit while I was ahead! I had a perfect flight with a C11 to a B6 as previously post here, but when I did a second test flight the motor mount in my rebuilt sustainer failed at second stage ignition, acting like a piston and deploying the laundry early. I posted the results over on TRF recently and rather than retyping the saga this link is in order. (Sorry Luke)

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread ... ety/page44

Post number 1291

One thing about this hobby; if you don't do it constantly one is likely to forget what one already knows!

[tmacklin]

Tonight I cut the damaged sustainer fin can off at 4 inches and will add a new 14 inch section of BT60, making the overall tube length as before. But first, I must join my beloved bride in cheering on the Dallas Cowboys to an 11th straight victory! Go Cowboys!

[tmacklin]

Cowboys 17, Vikings 15. Eleven in a row! Go Cowboys!

In the meantime I managed to glue a new section of BT 60 to the finned section of the previously rebuilt sustainer and reattach the shock cord. All that is lacking is the launch lug which will be attached soon. I'm also reattaching one of the two wing tip pods that popped loose when the booster section hit the turf.

When this contraption flies again (and it shall fly again) I will make sure that both the coupler and the booster motor have enough friction by adding masking tape to insure enough friction so that the second stage ignites rather than blowing apart prematurely. There is no reason that this rocket should fail to stage properly other than I failed to make sure I followed good practices during flight preparation. See attached pics.

[bernomatic]

That's pretty cool Bernie. As I looked at your photos I couldn't help but wonder if a cast could be made with a low tech material like Plaster of Paris in a small mold form? I watch a lot of reruns of crime investigations (Forensic Files, Cold Case Files, etc.) and this technique is often employed to make casts of shoe and tire impressions. At any rate, I'll be following your experiments in casting.

The issue with making the mold with something like plaster of paris in this instance is that the mold is not as durable nor flexible enough to help in removal of the item. Also the silicone is easier to work with in regards to the removal of the original item being cast.

However, when molding the item from the silicone mold, plaster of paris can be used.

[Commander]

Well Ted, ole boy, I finally got all my horses together and got this coach a rolling.

Take a look over in the Commander's log and you will see a new special service for the Starport announced! Yessir, we have limited vacuum forming abilities and that means your canopy is available!

See pictures here

Had a bit more trouble (as always seem happens) as that when I was getting ready to do the forming, I dropped the mold and cracked off the nose of the mold, which doesn't affect the canopy. Just cut the canopy out, wrap some sandpaper around your nosecone and sand to match, glue and paint. I would suggest giving the outside of the canopy a light sanding (maybe 1000 grit) just to help the paint adhere, but really haven't experimented with that area as of yet.

So Merry Christmas and enjoy!

[tmacklin]

This past Saturday, January 28, 2017, I somehow managed to evade fixing junk around the Macklin Ranch and slip over to Gunter and launch the rebuilt and unpainted Renegade at the monthly DARS launch. My son Charlie went with me and Nick V. (TALON) followed close behind. It was a beautiful day, mostly sunny with a high in the upper fifties. A bit windy with occasional gusts up to 20 mph, but mostly in the 5 to 15 range.

I flew early, probably around 11 AM before the winds kicked up. I went with a D12-0 booster to a C6-7 sustainer. The flight was seamless to (I'm guessing) 1,500 feet, plus or minus. Unfortunately, the booster section made a hard landing and both faux booster pods sheared off along with one faux wingtip fuel tank. The sustainer landed about 600 yards downrange with no damage at all. I'll repair the booster for static display but make a new booster sans the faux decorations for flight purposes. All in all, it was a success,

Nick flew his Ventris on an Aerotech G64-7 which went quite high, maybe 1,800-2,000 feet and landed on the base of the earthen dam about the same distance as it went up. He also flew a beautifully painted Estes Astron Sprint XL, again a perfect flight. There were even a few high power fliers with motors up to a K something.

Nick took pics, but the files are too large and won't post. You can see them here:

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread ... ety/page46
See post 1375