Double E

4 responses to “Double E”

1. 

   gordontour

   Dec 7, 2008 at 7:40 am

   I knew NASA were cutting their budget, but …. 😉
   Nice pic. Looks like you had fun.

   Reply
2. 

   NYCArthur

   Dec 7, 2008 at 6:59 pm

   whoowhooo

   spectacular catch

   Reply
3. 

   jurvetson

   Dec 10, 2008 at 3:01 am

   Well, it just gets more embarrassing. I learned that adding temperature-cured fiberglass to Estes kits causes the plastic components (e.g. Couplers, nosecones) to shrink… dramatically. Doh! The coupler, in particular, shrunk about 1/8 inch in the oven and warped from round. It would just drop down into the body tube instead of fitting snugly. So, I added about 20 wounds of masking tape, and thought I had an OK fit, but the tail drag from the silver tubes in the lower section were too much. I had not launched it before, and started with two E motors instead of the suggested D motors. I couldn’t resist, being a EE by training =)

   I will get a balsa nose cone to replace the upper third of the rocket for next time. Live and learn. No more shrunken heads. =)

   Reply
4. 

   jurvetson

   Mar 20, 2009 at 11:19 pm

   some of the epoxies need heat to cure properly. It was a bit gummy at room temperature.

   I just noticed that Aerotech is using this photo and another one of mine to illustrate high-power and mid power rocketry in their Rocketry 101 page.

   Reply