Here's the video on making a nose cone mold.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRlWkMmMKl8

I'll have to look in to the method you're referring to Adrian. Do you have any links?

Tony

Here it is. This is from a professional sailplane manufacturer who is making a 130" wingspan, carbon fiber sailplane for dynamic soaring.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1291139&page=10

Not to derail this too much, but check out some of the other dynamic soaring threads while you're there. I just learned about RC-controlled dynamic soaring recently, and it's mind blowing. Guys will launch their $2000 composite sailplanes off of a ridge in 60mph winds, and fly them in and out of the shear layer on the leeward side of the ridge, increasing their airspeed with each circle. The world record is now 468 mph 8O, measured by radar gun. His plane was pulling an average of 30-40 Gs, with peaks over 70 Gs. That's faster than the sustained speed any WWII fighter plane (except the P-51 at 38,00 feet), but these planes are being flown 20' off the ground, from a distance, in and out of tremendous wind shear.

Partly to learn something new, and partly because my FG molds and layups haven't turned out that well, I'm now looking into poured silicone molds for my next 29mm nosecone project. If I get something to work, I'll post some results.

Careful Adrian! We don't want to lose you to the sailplane crowd! 😆

Adrian, That is some pretty cool stuff..thanks for the link.

I was able to gets some work done on the rocket. I cut the fin slots with my table saw. I layed-up a new nose cone and cut out the fins. The fins looked kind of big once I got them cut out..so I cut them down a tad.

The fins look 'right' now. I borrowed my buddies jig to cut the bevels on the fins. It looks like the rocket is goint to be 72" tall.

Tony

If anyone is still following along.

Beveling the fins edges using a jig on a table saw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSI9--ClSYc

Fin prep and attachment using a fin alignment jig
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwvKR5Lfolk

Tony

Hey Tony,

I love work, I can watch it for hours. I'm always glad you take the time to show me new stuff, thanks. Looks like your jig works real nice. Again thanks for your efforts, I've been following your progress intently, giving all your videos my full attention.

You bet we're watching. Thanks for posting!

Makes me want to head to the shop and build something.

It's good to hear that you guys are enjoying the videos. I got started on doing the tip to tip fiberglassing of the fins. The method that I use is the 1/3 - 2/3 - Full
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtYYsX3VEmc

I went with all fiberglass. Hopefully to prove that you can do some extreme flights with an all hand layed fiberglass rocket. Hopefully it works out.

Tony

Here's the finshed rocket. 72" long and just under 8 pounds ready to fly less motor. It has an ARTS2, G-Wiz LCX, Beeline GPS and a Walston. It is dual deployment with 30 feet of 3000# Kevlar and a small 12 inch drogue.The motor is an N1610 Ex motor in the AT 98/15360 case. I hope to fly it on Aug 5th at Aeronaut.
The point of building this rocket was to prove that you could do 'extreme' flights with a "roll your own" fiberglass and basic epoxy rocket. I'm not saying this would hold up to the N10,000..but still extreme. So, I've named this rocket "tuff enough". The decals are cut from carbon fiber looking decal material.

Tony

Tony, that really looks great! Keep us posted. I love that fin "look" - a number of my rockets have resembled that.

Where are you flying it on 8/5? Is that a Black Rock launch?

Great looking rocket. Great colors.

John, It will be out at BR. I'm also putting up my KestreL on an Ex load in the CTI 54 6GXL case. This might be the first time a CTI case has been used for Ex. Below are the 3 Ex motors I'll be flying.

I like the colors too! I seem to have good luck with yellow rockets.

Tony

Hey, I even like the red, white, and blue motor casings. How patriotic!

Did you plan that, too? 🙂

(Are those those tapered cores, or is that just my eyes?)

not planned..now that you mention it..they do look cool. Good eyes! I ran short on my 1.063 mandrels and poured 2 of the grains for the "red" motor with 1" cores. I drilled them out before assyembly.

Tony