Taipan 38mm Min Dia Build

[NewtonsLaws]

Just getting started on my first fibre glass body rocket.

Australian Rocketry Taipan 38mm minimum diameter kit.

Here the parts:

The bits.

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Fin gluing guide

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But I have noticed that unlike Quantum tube or phrenetic tube, the tolerance on fibre glass is not there.

Nose cone to coupler view

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Payload to coupler view (the av-bay)

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Question: do I use masking tape to fill in the coupler gaps to form a firm fit?

[SpaceManMat]

Is the gap just on the nose cone? Are you going to glue in the coupler to the Nosecone? If so, as it tapers, I would consider epoxying it while still wet slide in the tips of tooth picks every 90 degrees so the gap is evenly spaced.

[drew]

Question: do I use masking tape to fill in the coupler gaps to form a firm fit?

If you're referring to the NC/body tube coupling joint then yes, just use some masking tape (preferably blue tape) to provide a snug but not too tight of a fit. And if you're really going to push it I'd recommend incorporating a single shear pin on that coupled joint as well.

[SpaceManMat]

Tell us about he kit NL. I found a previous post from Blake that this is roughly equivalent to a BlackHawk.
I cannot see the kit listed unless I do a search but that comes up with no details and a $899 price tag, which I thought a bit was excessive for a MD 38 unless it was gold plated. I know Blake likes to be mysterious, but...

[kopius]

Tell us about he kit NL. I found a previous post from Blake that this is roughly equivalent to a BlackHawk.
I cannot see the kit listed unless I do a search but that comes up with no details and a $899 price tag, which I thought a bit was excessive for a MD 38 unless it was gold plated. I know Blake likes to be mysterious, but...

Haha, ok so there are a number of kits that are very similar to some from the USA either in the works or already released. Many are not online yet or are in the works and if it has a crazy high price tag and no description, that is just so we can work on getting online. It would also mean it doesn’t yet belong to a category.

So what’s with the different kits you ask... well it really comes down to availability from OS and issues over the years where too many parts were missing from orders, so we decided to replicate/recreate/improve on existing designs but know what you order is what you get. This has also been done in consultation with some of the big names in the USA that designed a lot of original kits. It has taken a bit more time than expected, but we are slowly getting there.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions about these as we almost ready to get a new run of composite nose ones and stack more tubes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[drew]

Tell us about he kit NL. I found a previous post from Blake that this is roughly equivalent to a BlackHawk.
I cannot see the kit listed unless I do a search but that comes up with no details and a $899 price tag, which I thought a bit was excessive for a MD 38 unless it was gold plated. I know Blake likes to be mysterious, but...

Or it could just be a Triano special...

http://www.shadowaero.com/page1/page7/page7.html

[SpaceManMat]

So what’s with the different kits you ask... well it really comes down to availability from OS and issues over the years where too many parts were missing from orders, so we decided to replicate/recreate/improve on existing designs but know what you order is what you get. This has also been done in consultation with some of the big names in the USA that designed a lot of original kits. It has taken a bit more time than expected, but we are slowly getting there.

Feel free to hit us up with any questions about these as we almost ready to get a new run of composite nose ones and stack more tubes

Look forward to seeing what available, also sent pm.

Tell us about he kit NL. I found a previous post from Blake that this is roughly equivalent to a BlackHawk.
I cannot see the kit listed unless I do a search but that comes up with no details and a $899 price tag, which I thought a bit was excessive for a MD 38 unless it was gold plated. I know Blake likes to be mysterious, but...

Or it could just be a Triano special...

http://www.shadowaero.com/page1/page7/page7.html

I noticed a complete lack of prices on his web page, like they say if you have to ask you can't afford it.

[drew]

I noticed a complete lack of prices on his web page, like they say if you have to ask you can't afford it.

IIRC they start at $500+USD.

[NewtonsLaws]

Thanks for feedback.

Re kit prices.
I would encourage Blake to update the price so he can sell more without putting people off.
I am relatively new to the whole thing (just over 12 months) so I cannot say if the price was super or average.
But given how much a PML kit is and that fiberglass is more expensive, I thought reasonable.

I know there is a 54mm Taipan ready to launch as well (min did again) with one other QRS member.

Look forward to wider availability for all!

[NewtonsLaws]

Progress on Build.

OpenRocket indicates over 10,000 ft on J150 38mm motor after the full weigh-in.
So not a max altitude flight but happy with over 10K' !

Special thanks for all of Blake's advice!

AV Bay(s) were next. Could not fit both into the diameter so went for two.
Used Nose cone for one to keep some weight forward.

Prep for av bays - see Aerotech Min Dia Retainer in the back ground!

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Overview of completed AV Bays

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Close up of RRC3

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Will be a tight fit for the parachute!

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Using rivets to retain retainer. That way can be removed (relatively) easily.

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Finished but NOT - paint job had issues with pin holes on fins.

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See Pin Holes.

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Use 3M disk to remove paint.

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Ready for epoxy rub in to fill pin holes.

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[SpaceManMat]

Nice progress, your pictures are a little on the small size so it’s a bit hard to tell.

Have been able to pack your chute in?
Also what’s the flight plan on this?

[Oldboy]

Was that a carbon fibre air frame ?

[Oldboy]

Forgot to add , nice looking kit.
Go hard with it ,looks like it deserves to be pushed to the limits.

[NewtonsLaws]

Not sure on chutes - have to buy them yet!

Sorry on photos. MAC seems to make it hard for me to resize and this forum is quite sensitive to reasonable size photos!

Not carbon, just black fibre glass.

Flight plan - well, it was to be Westmar for 10K feet but might run a low level flight at QRS 10th Dec. just to flight test it.
But is it sooo small, would anyone notice if it went to 10K at Cedar Creek?