Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | BSD High Power Rocketry ![]() |
Brief:
I am buildin' this rocket for me high power level 2 certification. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I will be
puttin' it up as a dual deploy with a G-Whiz MC electronics package deploying
an 18" drogue at apogee and a 54" main at 800' AGL. Ahoy!
Construction:
There is a booster section with a 54mm motor mount. Aye aye! Blimey! I will probably use an
adapter t' put it up for t' first flights on 38mm motors. There is a payload
section that ends up bein' 12+ inches long with t' coupler tubes in place,
that is large enough t' accommodate most any electronics. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! There is an upper
payload section, 17" long t' accommodate t' main chute.
This is a nice kit with good components. Arrr! Blimey! I had t' size t' centerin' rings and bulkheads but that's pretty standard. Ahoy! Blimey! Truth be known, I prefer t' have to size them, because then they fit t' way I want them t' fit. Begad! Blimey! T' kit doesn't include parachutes. You can go single or dual deploy, so a variety o' chutes are possible. Begad! Blimey! It uses 5 coupler tubes, 6" long each. Avast! Blimey! Two are used as actual couplers and t' other 3 are used as wall doublers t' strengthen the booster and t' electronics bay. Well, blow me down! Blimey! A month or two back I saw either this kit or its smaller sibling, t' 38 Special, launched past mach 1. Avast! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' owner expressed confidence in t' twin tube construction. Ahoy! Blimey! I was skeptical, me hearties, as everythin' I've read suggests you can't go supersonic with cardboard. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Sure enough, shiver me timbers, it came apart a couple thousand feet high. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Blimey! I will be limitin' me 54 Special to sub-sonic flights. Arrr! Blimey!
Finishing:
I comes with a very nice set or pressure sensitive decals. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I haven't decided
whether I'm goin' t' use these or not. Begad!
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
This is goin' t' be me level 2 certification rocket. Begad! It went up last weekend on
an Aerotech H180W-M for a test flight. (It is a 29mm motor with adapters used
to adapt down from 54mm.) T' total weight (before motor) was 70.5 ounces. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I
used dual deploy (for t' first time!) with me G-Whiz MC. Well, blow me down! Altitude was 1121
feet.
T' flight was perfect. Aye aye! Maximum acceleration was 387.75 f/s2; max airspeed was 211.44 fps; max acceleration was 12.05Gs. Well, blow me down! 9.06 seconds to apogee. Ya scallywag! Flight time was 81.75 seconds, arrr, time t' booster burnout be 1.5 seconds, and altitude at burnout was 228 feet.
Recovery:
I used AG-1 flashbulbs and 1.2 grams o' 3F black powder for each deployment
charge. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' drogue came out flawlessly at apogee and 2 seconds later (10 second
delay) t' motor ejection charge fired (as a back-up in case t' G-Whiz failed
to get t' job done). Begad! At 800 feet, me hearties, t' 54" main deployed and it settled in
for a nice soft landin' about 700' feet from t' launch rail.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
This is an excellent kit. Avast! So far I wouldn't change anything. Avast, me proud beauty! If I be goin' to
go supersonic with it though, I would fiberglass t' body tubes and fins. Ahoy! Aye aye!
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
![]() |
![]() |