Public Missiles Gotta Go - Gotta Go

Public Missiles - Gotta Go - Gotta Go

Contributed by Michael Wilkins

Manufacturer: Public Missiles
(Contributed - by Michael Wilkins (Keebler) - 09/20/03)

Brief:
Gotta Go - Gotta Go is a heavily modified PML Endeavor kit built t' handle the upper K class 54mm motors. Recovery is made possible by a dual deployment system controlled by a MissileWorks altimeter and Skyangle Cert3 chutes. Locatin' t' rocket after flight is a breeze with a home made audible locating system. Ahoy! When this bird is on t' pad with a K700 loaded up and t' launch button is pushed, me bucko, one thin' comes t' mind .... Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! Gotta Go - Gotta Go.

Construction:
I have several PML kits rangin' from small minimum diameter rockets up t' some of t' larger 4" diameter rockets. Ahoy! Blimey! T' Endeavor kit be purchased specifically for me level 2 certification. Aye aye! I wanted this rocket t' be able to do more than just be a cert rocket. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! It needed t' be t' "beast" in my current fleet. Avast, me proud beauty!

I started out with t' basic kit components from PML. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Basic meanin' I kept the nose cone, matey, me bucko, bulkhead assemblies, arrr, centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, and a section o' airframe. I then ordered extra bulkhead plates, shiver me timbers, matey, matey, centerin' rings, airframe, arrr, shiver me timbers, motor tube, CPR 3000 system, me bucko, me hearties, custom set o' .125" thick G10 fins, matey, fiberglass cloth and West Systems epoxy, 30' o' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, two Nomex® chute protectors and Skyangle Cert3 chutes. Well, arrr, blow me down! After all o' this I figured I had spent enough loot on a level 2 project.

First on t' agenda was t' fiberglass all o' t' body tubes. Aye aye! Begad! I did this with the help o' a home made rotisserie that I made out o' parts from a BBQ grill. T' body tubes were sanded, me bucko, cleaned then wrapped several times with 2oz cloth. I used t' 2oz cloth t' try t' keep t' weight down. Well, blow me down! T' booster section was the first completed piece o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad! I started by doublin' up on all o' the centerin' rings. There was a total o' five sets. Ahoy! A set be placed in front of and behind each set o' fins. Begad! Avast! T' fifth set was at t' upper end o' t' motor mount tube. Begad!

Speakin' o' motor mounts, t' Kwik-Switch system was thrown out and replaced with a 24" long mount t' accommodate t' 54/2560 case. Once t' fins were in place with t' secured motor mount, t' booster section was then injected with epoxy. This added a considerable amount o' weight. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I would suggest using expandin' foam instead. T' bulkhead o' t' booster be assembled and drilled so that motor ejection could be used as a backup t' t' altimeter for drogue deployment. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

Now came t' CPR system. By design t' CPR system mounts very close t' the top o' t' airframe and provides very little support for stress durin' flight. I changed this. I removed t' phenolic tubes for t' CPR system and replaced them with fiberglass tubes from HawkMountain. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I then moved t' complete assembly three inches down inside t' lower airframe. Ahoy! Begad!

T' upper section was modified and built into t' coupler assembly o' the upper airframe. Arrr! This gave me three inches o' fiberglassed airframe plus the strength o' t' fiberglass tubes in t' CPR system for a solid connection between t' two pieces o' airframe. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' last phase o' construction was t' payload bay. This was used t' add ballast t' t' rocket, if needed, me bucko, t' make t' rocket stable for flight. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I filled t' payload bay with a locator device I made with components from Radio Shack. Begad! Ahoy! A pair o' pizeo beepers and some 9 volt batteries, usin' a phono jack plug for t' switch. Blimey! Well, matey, blow me down! T' switch was attached t' t' main chute so that at deployment, arrr, me hearties, t' chute would pull t' plug and activate t' beepers. Ahoy!

Construction completed and on t' painting. Aye aye! Blimey! This took almost as long as the assembly o' t' rocket. Primer, sand, shiver me timbers, primer, sand. Get t' picture. Arrr! Begad! T' paint was applied t' same as t' primer. Finished outcome be a bright Banner Red rocket with black vinyl lettering.

Flight:
Did you ever get t' shakes when makin' a certification attempt? I shook on my level 1 and almost couldn't stay in me shoes for me level 2. Well, blow me down! Begad!

First flight ever with altimeter based deployment, and a step above t' H and I class motors. I have made several flights on this kit and nay once did I not shake. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

Motors burned have been t' K1100, K700, K550 and a J460. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' K1100 flight was an awesome flight. Ya scallywag! T' roar o' t' Blue thunder propellant and t' powerful thrust. My rocket reached an altitude o' 5974' with a nice apogee deployment and a main at 600'.

I have two flights on other K motors. Begad! Avast! One bein' t' K700 and t' K550. Arrr! I was unable t' get readings from me altimeter on these flights. Arrr! Begad! T' rocket was lost in a field after t' K550 flight and recovered a week later after three extra trips t' t' launch site. That be a lovely hour and a half drive both ways. Needless t' say t' battery didn't last that long. Avast, me proud beauty! T' last flight was on a J460. Aye aye!

Another impressive Blue Thunder motor. Aye aye! Nay a very successful flight though. Apogee be reached at just a touch over 4000 feet without a drogue deployment. T' rocket came in ballistic and deployed both main and drogue at about 200 feet. Avast! Begad! This zippered all airframes. Begad! Avast! All that survived was t' booster and the nose cone. Begad! Nay t' fret, I am in t' reconstruction phase now and Gotta Go - Gotta Go will fly again.

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