Buster
Buster is the rocket I built for my NAR level 3 certification, which I achieved in November 2016. I spent about six months on the build (March through August 2016) and flew it for the first time at Airfest that year, on an L1355 motor. My certification attempt was Buster's second flight, on an M1401. Since then, I have flown Buster twice more: at Airfest 2017 on an M1850, and at a local SLRA launch on an M1500.
The kit is a Rocketry Warehouse Terminator 5 with an extended forward airframe section using a 36“ long tube in place of the 22” tube supplied with the kit, to allow for larger parachutes. It uses a Spherachutes 24“ heavy-duty drogue and a Fruity Chutes 84” toroidal main parachute deployed from a bag with Fruity Chutes 48“ toroidal pilot parachute. The nose cone detaches at main deployment and descend on the pilot parachute separately from the rest of the rocket. Deployment is handled by a MissileWorks RRC3, with an RRC2+ as an independent backup system. A TeleMetrum TeleGPS tracker is carried in the nose and a BigRedBee BeeLine tracker in the av-bay. Finally, a Mobius video camera is carried in an external shroud attached to the upper airframe, pointing downwards.
My Level 3 certification package is available; it contains more detailed design and build information.
Build
RocketPoxy was used for most bonding of parts. JB-Weld was used to bond the motor retainer and y-harness to the motor mount. US Composites laminating epoxy was used over the top of the y-harness where it was bonded to the motor mount. Loc-Tite 2-hour marine epoxy was used for injecting internal fin fillets and to inject a fillet for the tailcone's centering ring.
The rocket was finished with Rustoleum sandable primer and Rustoleum gloss enamel. All of the graphics were made on my vinyl cutter, except for the "crash test dummy" stickers, which I bought on RedBubble.
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Backing t-nuts for rail buttons in lower airframe.
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Aft centering ring (pre-bonding), showing cutout to fit around t-nut.
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Coupler for tailcone (pre-bonding), showing cutout to fit around t-nut.
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Bonding of the y-harness to the motor mount.
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Bonding of centering rings, and laminating epoxy painted over the top of the bonded y-harness.
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Dry fit of aft end, showing precise alignment of fin slots and correct clearance for motor retainer after bonding of the motor mount into the lower airframe.
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Fillet of aft CR to inside of tailcone coupler.
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Fillet of forward CR to inside of lower airframe.
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Injected fillet between motor mount, tailcone, and tailcone CR.
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Completed aft assembly of lower airframe, tailcone, motor mount and motor retainer.
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Bonding of first fin, using foam-board fin jig.
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Bonding of third fin.
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Alignment and bonding of additional fins using plywood strips and clamps.
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Injection of internal fillets with Loc-Tite 2-hour marine epoxy.
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Application of external fin fillets (RocketPoxy).
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Lower airframe completed and prepped for painting.
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Lower airframe in sandable primer.
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Lower airframe in orange paint.
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Lower airframe masked for application of white paint on fins.
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Lower airframe with finished paint.
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Weighing and balancing the rocket with all paint finished and the first few stickers on.
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No-motor weight: 27 pounds 8 ounces.
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Electronics sled with batteries, switches and altimeters (RRC3 and RRC2+). Batteries to be secured to sled with zip ties (not shown).
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Bulkhead terminal blocks.
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Av-bay forward bulkhead showing eyebolt added to secure charge canisters.
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"Buster" graphics applied to upper airframe. Vinyl designed by me based on the Mythbusters logo and cut on my vinyl cutter.
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Finished rocket.
Launches
Test flight at Airfest 2016, CTI L1355