Getting ready to change gears from my cardstock rockets. Once the full size ARCAS is done, plan to return to Air Powered rockets again. They are cheaper to fly than paying any HAZMAT...Bicycle tire pump to re-fill the air tank.

I have a completely new design of a tank that gets away from the PVC. Schedule 40 pipe project. System will be safe at 285psi maximum operating, but my plan is to never go above 125psi.

My problem has been how to deploy a chute? Tried several of the water rocker systems. I have some Wind Up Toy motors that worked but hard to really set the time with.

Found a way to deploy that is really simple. Even lightened the rockets up a little when I modified them.

Now have a completely new way that gets rid of Wadding and replaces with a length of de-thermalling free flight glider fuse.

Fuse will burn and the AirBlast comes from when the flame burns a filled balloon. Plan to direct the blast using cones and a parachute protection bay will hopefully work for it.

Nothing proven yet, but needing to take a look. Everything been completed for first rocket to build and test. Need to get the ARCAS built! Its in the way!

Part of the need for a new way, the rockets that have been building for Estes power are big and long, contacted Estes about the ejection charge strength to lift the heavy nosecones. All they said was to use small ejection tube size.


Mike

The family got tired of parachutes so we run Tazz (and Mr. Twisty) most nights.
I'm all for alternative recovery methods.

In my book, NO Burning Propellant= NO ROCKET.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, TURMOIL, FIASCOS, and HAVOC !

Instead of a balloon, have you considered a lightweight air tank used for retractable landing gear? You will have to come up with some kind of timer or altimeter to open a valve.


Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

No, hadn't considered it. Great proposal.

The balloon will be tested with the Estes ejection charge first, the tube is really long in the full size ARCAS, will try using a wood dowel with thumbtack on top, as the shuttle, to pop the balloon. (29mm engine tube size)

Mike

Bill makes me wonder if a CO2 cartridge would be light enough to use as an actuator power source in flight.
Or if the gas itelf coulf change the shape of the craft for landing (like a puffer fish).

Been busy since the last post here;

RV-6 Airplane needed some serious work, finally completed and flying again 17JUL2023.

Rain and bad winds all summer so far, we just had our first 6-days of sun this summer.
Decided to make a new launch system, the HAZMAT for shipping is expensive to Alaska.

Bought a single deploy altimeter and a dual deploy altimeter to test the balloon idea. Then came up with the following project:

The air tank system is almost complete. Probably round some of the sharp corners off with a grinder once the following two things are complete.
1) 1/4" x 3" pipe nipple for a small USA flag that will be added for wind direction indicator
2) Tool holder for my screwdriver style Nut Driver (loosen hose clamps)
3) Painting after everything done/added

Launch base is detachable. Tank is hose clamped to the base. Winds can be compensated for by loosing the hose clamps and rotating the barrel to point into the wind.

Note that some of the photos show the base sitting on top of the ground. Then I hammered the base into the ground to anchor it. Two 3" angle irons are the Base pad/ anchors.

Bought some cheap pulleys from Home Depot and welded an adjusted chain link to one of them. Tying the rope to the chain link anchors the rope, the other end loops through the pulley on the 1/4 turn ball valve handle.

Pulling the loose end of the rope opens the valve with very little pull. Hoping a two year old can pull with ease, reason for the pulleys. It works with the tank 90 degree from vertical as well as the vertical.

Photos:
Tank Front

Tank Back

Test rocket is Loaded ready to pressure up

Angle Anchors not hammered in yet

Rope Pulley Launch system

Anchors hammered into ground to stabilize

Pressuring up with a bike pump for testing

65lbs of air pressure (inner scale)

Windy but the rocket flew fine!

Note: Several different sized launch barrels can be changed. 1/2” PVC, 1/2” Metal conduit, 3/4” PVC and Metal Conduit, 1” PVC and metal conduit. Each is mounted on it's own bell reducer to fit the 1” pipe nipple as shown in the photos.

Tanks has a 450PSI max pressure (hydro-test). Most launches will be at 150PSI until purchasing a higher pressure regulator for a compressed gas nitrogen tank that will be used for actual flights.

Hand pump doesn't do much more than 65lbs. Regulator can be preset for filling.

Valves are rated at 600lbs of pressure, or 150lbs of steam PSI.

2lb rocket with 150PSI should fly just fine. I'll soon know: Working on a full size ARCAS to test big rocket launches.

Bought some 30" long BT 50 style tubes that slide nicely over 3/4" EMT (electrical conduit). These BT should handle the PSI of launching okay. Andy at ASP was incredibly helpful.

I have a 7ft long SR71 and a 4ft long X-15. Micro R/C probably can be added to control their flight using this air tank system.

Mike

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If that is not beefy enough, get some T50H, the thick walled stuff from BMS. Or ST-11 from SEMROC.


Bill

__________________
It is well past time to Drill, Baby, Drill!

If your June, July, August and September was like this, you might just hate summer too...

Please unload your question before you ask it unless you have a concealed harry permit.

: countdown begin cr dup . 1- ?dup 0= until cr ." Launch!" cr ;

Give a man a rocket and he will fly for a day; teach him to build and he will spend the rest of his days sanding...

Hi Bill ,

Was not aware of this type of BT. Might need them, as I found a Hand Pump for Air Guns that delivers up to 4500PSI.

That much PSI will need a different Body Tube for sure.

Now looking at what type of tank to build for 1000psi launches. If I still need more PSI after reaching the limits of this 450PSI tank.

Already working on a rocket for testing pressures with the BT-50 tubes. 4each of the 30" long will be 10ft long the same as an EMT (metal conduit). Might fit nicely inside my 14ft tall Mercury Redstone....
Small, lightweight Rocket might not be heavy enough to test the tubes, planning on a big rocket for testing. My 14ft Redstone only needs the center tube and formers installed to complete the build....Once built recovery system will get installed, and launched.

Pump has been ordered and should be here next week.

Check this out:
Homebrew Air Powered Howitzer Rocket Launcher: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jurvetson/3972922344/

1000 ft/sec = 681.8182mph in 0.25 seconds. Curious about any rocket motors that can match Air Power?

Photo of launch below.

Would be interesting to use an air start at the end of the coast phase from the air power.

Knew about this years ago, finally found the site again. All this from a photography challenge... Not doing anything somebody else hasn't already done, just a different version.

Mike

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