- Frothae'! -
Dimensions
Height: 2.5 feet
diameter: 2.25 inches
Stages and Motor Mounts: Single statge 24mm
Approximate Lauch Weight: 0.75 lbs
Materials
Nose Cone: standard plastic molded cone.
Body: Christmas wrapping paper tube, wrapped in Fiberglass wallboard joint mesh tape and 30 minute epoxy.
Fins: Four very large 1/8 inch basswood fins, with TTW MMT mounting with MMT void filled with epoxy/cotton paste. Fins extend a full 4 inches aft of the rocket.
Motor Mount: 24 mm.
Recovery System
Single 42" diameter 8-point parachute; deployed at apogee (very large for this size/weight rocket)
Payload Configuration(s)
none
Design Simulation Statistics
Estimated Possible Altitude:
FLIGHT HISTORY
I am not exactly sure of flight count, but flights include at least:
Construction History and Other Details
This is the first vehicle that I would consider as my first real thrill in rocketry. Something about designing it and building it myself from commonly available materials, really made it "all that". This was my not my first scratch-built rocket, as I had built a few very small 13mm rockets, but it was the first real test of all I had learned and studied. I built it purposely strong, to be able to fly other motors bigger than just an Estes "D". The first 2 flights (flown on "D"s) failed to eject properly (I didn't know how to pack the chute properly), and it streamlined and stuck in the ground both times, but overall, I only lost 3 to 4 inches of the fwd end of the body tube, and cracked 2 of 4 fins. The rocket was/is very sturdy. The tube is fiberglass re-inforced. The fins were fairly simple to fix. I intended to build it "impact resistant", as I was new to motors above "D". Turns out I over built it. It is also very over-stable, which in this case is a good combination due to: over-built=overweight=slow takeoff + over-stable = safe and true flight!
Also, because I was afraid of breaking a fin (the fins extend well aft of the rocket body and motor mount), I stuffed it with a very large parachute for its' size... 42 inches in diameter... but oh it is a beautiful chute to see... (I made the chute also).
After a few successful flights, I had to replace the motor retention hook. In the fin repair picture later on this page, you will see a round circle that is epoxied in. I cut open the body tube here, epoxied in a new hook, sanded and painted. The new hook is a little stronger, and works great, but I now also use friction fit. I don't even put hooks in rockets that I built anymore, as friction fit is positive retention in all my smaller rockets. Larger ones have bolts, althread and nuts, or other reliable positive retention systems.
It was because of this rocket that I built my own launch pad so that I could have a 48 inch launch rod for more stability on takeoff (but I didn't need 48).
Frothae' was named for the word I use to describe all the billowy white clouds of smoke that occur when a rocket takes off.
