Upgrading the Renegade

Take us through your build strategies and ideas.
tmacklin
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#1 Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

With reference to Mid Power-DARS launch Gunter thread, I am doing a re-build of my Estes Renegade two stage rocket.

The sustainer stage was lost in Hunt Lake #1, a 20 acre soil conservation impoundment on the site property. It will have to be cloned and rebuilt.

The errant flight of this rocket was most probably caused by the fact that the booster stage was woefully under powered with a maximum single C6 engine lifting about 6.5 ounces total mass. Not good.

I began rebuilding by removing the stock 18mm engine mount by first drilling a series of 1/4" holes in the cardstock centering rings and then cutting between each hole with a keyhole hacksaw. I then used a Dremel tool with a fine grit grinding bit to removed the glue residue. This was somewhat tedious but only took about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. The worst part of the operation was when I was using my drill press and feeding the workpiece into the spinning drill bit and the spinning chuck put some ugly scratches on the booster pods. I'll fix those later.

The next step will involve construction and installation of a new 24mm to BT60 engine mount to accommodate C11 and D12 booster engines. I ordered some parts today and will resume this upgrade when they arrive. See attached progress pictures.
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Last edited by tmacklin on Tue, 24 May 16, 21:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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#2 Re: Upgrading the Renegrade

Post by tmacklin »

And another picture
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...
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#3 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

Hey Bernie, do you still have your Renegade sustainer section?
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#4 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

Hey Bernie, do you still have the sustainer portion of your Renegade? If so, could you measure the fin dimensions (root, leading edge, tip and trailing edge) for me so I can duplicate them? I have my original Estes instructions and also found them on an Estes data link, but cannot locate any fin dimensions and mine is at the bottom of Hunt Lake. :cry:
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#5 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by bernomatic »

Speaking of being at the bottom of the lake, I had a thought (yeagh I know, but good ones do come to me every once in a while). You mentioned taking your fishing gear with you next time you fly. Why not take a trip to the site (yes I know time, blah, blah) and do some bottom trolling? The only part that is uncloneable is the nose cone, which is plastic and should also have the parachute still attached, sitting at the bottom of the pond. A couple of beers, and some time, and you could get lucky.
Just a thought.

Yes, I have the fin dimensions, but better yet, follow this link to YORF and my original thread on my Renegade build. Post 14 has my design file in RockSim attached. if you have the program you can get the fins from there, if not, I'll get the info for you later.

http://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showthre ... t=Renegade
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#6 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

Have you ever heard the expression "Everything's Big in Texas" ? Well it ain't no joke there Partner. That little "pond" contains approximately 20 acres of surface area. Finding any part of that rocket now would be like finding Hillary's heartbeat. But I would like to wet a hook in that "pond" as I understand it is loaded with largemouths.

http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread ... ety/page28

See post 832 by Chris Bender. Those little rectangular specks all lined up are automobiles and the round dots a rolled hay bales about 8 feet in diameter.

I went to your YORF link and read through it. Jeffery Jeep had a real clear shot of his Renegade build and I could probably get a close approximation from his photo, attached. Unfortunately, I do not have RockSim and I'll just have to be patient with you like I always am. ;)
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#7 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by bernomatic »

Impatient mumble, mumble...

BTW, I looked at the RockSim file I had uploaded. I don't recall where I originally found it, but the fins at the least are wrong.

Here are the dimensions I just measured from mine.
IMG_20160525_010633.jpg
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#8 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

Thanks Bernie! I've always preferred field measurements over design drawings and this will be very helpful to me.

I owe you a beer...or two. :D
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#9 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by Trident »

Hey Ted,
Took a break from The Walking Dead, and decided to do some forum browsing. (Almost as addicting of a show as 24. I started early May as I recall and I'm already watching Season 5!)

I have an old two-stage Renegade kit, and put it back in the "build it later" box when I saw it had an 18mm booster motor. I cannot believe that kit ever passed field trials! I bought a couple Renegade-D kits a few years after the 2-stager, which I think ditched the two stage design, and just went with D power. They are both unopened, in storage. I'll be interested to see how your D conversion goes, and how it flies.

I've not done much rocketry-wise for about a month. Several big home and yard projects to keep the little missus happy.
Lee

Bulds: Estes Saturn V, Super Sky Hook, Farside-X
Awaiting Paint/Detailing: Estes Saturn 1B
Completed!: Der Saturn Max, Bandit XL
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#10 Re: Upgrading the Renegade

Post by tmacklin »

Trident wrote:Hey Ted,
Took a break from The Walking Dead, and decided to do some forum browsing. (Almost as addicting of a show as 24. I started early May as I recall and I'm already watching Season 5!)

I have an old two-stage Renegade kit, and put it back in the "build it later" box when I saw it had an 18mm booster motor. I cannot believe that kit ever passed field trials! I bought a couple Renegade-D kits a few years after the 2-stager, which I think ditched the two stage design, and just went with D power. They are both unopened, in storage. I'll be interested to see how your D conversion goes, and how it flies.

I've not done much rocketry-wise for about a month. Several big home and yard projects to keep the little missus happy.
Lee,

I too have been busy with everything other than rocketry for too long so when DARS finally managed to pull off a launch at the Gunter site I took the chance with my Renegade. I had flown it once before and although it did weather**** badly it was successfully recovered about 300 yards downrange. Then my friend Jim managed to sit on it when he hopped in my truck on the way back to his house. (not his fault, I shouldn't have laid it in the seat)

I replaced the broken fin, repainted it and applied the decals. It turned out great...best paint job I've ever done and there she sat for almost a year until two weeks ago. The irony is that I knew from day one that the 18mm/C6 booster was a bad idea but built it "stock" anyway. I even had the aforementioned "test flight" which confirmed my gut feelings. I probably should have listened to my gut.

I'm waiting on some parts to complete the "renovations" and will post pictures once I get back to it. I think I'll do another test flight without painting the new sustainer too!

BTW, Happy Anniversary!

Ted
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