[BProckets] homemade rocket body material sources and techniques

[Dan Durachko]

All:

 

I haven't actually built a rocket in over twenty years and have just
recently zeroed in on my first BP engine a la Sleeter's book.  In
anticipation of getting the book I'd been savings all sorts of tubes and
have a box of balsa sheeting scraps for fins from my other hobby pursuits.
Also, I've only built Estes kits as a youth.

 

Questions:

 

1)       What are good web or book resources for constructing rocket bodies?

2)       At what point need I be concerned about high g forces on launch
shredding my rockets and is this ultimately an empirical determination?

3)       What techniques are used to prep paper/cardboard tubes for final
painting?  (Some of my salvaged tubes have rather unattractive grooves in
them due to their spiral wound nature.  I may wish to fill them in and paint
over them sometime.)

4)       What are the currently favored types of wadding to protect the
chute, etc.?

5)       What are some sources of nosecones?  (I'll ultimately make some on
my own from balsa and fiberglass and things like those eggs pantyhose come
in but assume there are lots of sources I haven't yet thought of.)

6)       Is there a quick and dirty way to calculate how much delay I should
build into my engines for a particular design so that I don't pop the chute
WAY too early or WAY too late?

7)       Feel free to chime in with any other guidelines you may think I
should be made aware of.  (Shock cord info, fin geometry, etc.)

8)       Oh yeah, I remember seeing some stuff awhile back about guys
stripping down and hacking into digital disposable cameras for high altitude
stills.  Any cutting edge references to that sort of aerial photography
would be much appreciated as well.

 

Whew . . . that should do for a start!

 

Later,

 

Dan

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.exrocketry.net/pipermail/bprockets/attachments/20041105/fb5ee8dd/attachment.htm