Kit #050 Skill Level 4 Made In USA E S TORMINATOR GG TORMINATOR Skill Level 4 - Slightly Challenging The EggStorminator model rocket was designed around the rules of the National Association of Rocketry s competition event called Fragile Precision Payload. The object of this event is to carry a raw egg and altimeter to a target altitude of 300 meters and a duration of 40 seconds. The rules do not encourage efficiency, just consistency. The EggStorminator rocket was designed with this in mind. It features a large diameter tube that can support a lot of padding to protect the egg from a hard landing. It also sports fins that are canted at. The purpose of this is to spin the rocket on launch, which gives a straighter flight. Additionally, it uses rail buttons so it can be launched from a longer launcher, which also helps to assure a straight lift-off. The straighter the rocket flies, the more consistent it will be from flight to flight. The rocket has many other unique features: a stiff but flexible nose cone to give extra cushioning to the egg payload, an altimeter bay that is built into the base of the nose cone, plywood fins with tabs for through-the-wall mounting, and plywood centering rings to give it extra durability. It flies on 9mm composite F-motors, and has a durable nylon parachute. Item # 0067 300 09 093 3048 050 3044 306 3065 3066 5559 5560 485 480 964 9 3035 3036 3003 39096 4040 EggStorminator Parts List Item Name Laser-cut Altimeter Tube (8mm x.875 ) Laser-cut Coupler (AC-8 x 0.75 ) Laser-cut Top Tube (BT-80 x 9 ) Laser-cut Bottom Tube (BT-80 x 8 ) Laser-cut Coupler (AC-66 x ) Engine Mount Tube (9mm X 7 ) AC-66A (BT-80) Standard Rail Button Screw for Rail Button Weld Nut for Rail Button Laser-cut Plywood Ring Set Laser-cut Plywood Fins 66mm EggStorminator Foam Nose Cone BT-80 Vertical Single Egg Protector Half Medium Metal Screw Eyes 8 Nylon Parachute 00# Kevlar Shock Cord (thinner) Ft 300# Kevlar Shock Cord (thicker) 7Ft Instructions EggStorminator Facecard EggStorminator Decal Sheet Necessary Tools and Materials Hobby Knife with Sharp Blades Ruler Optional: 5-minute Epoxy or Rocket-Poxy Sand Paper (Fine, Medium and Coarse Grits) Sanding Block Masking Tape Pencil Paper Towels Plastic Sheet (to cover the work surface) Safety Glasses Paint Brush Long Wood Dowel (to spread glue inside the tube) Glues Required: Wood Glue Urethane Glue (Gorilla Glue) CA Glue (Super Glue) Thick Viscosity CA Glue Accelerator Finishing Supplies: Yellow, Blue, Black and White Spray Paint Manufactured in the USA by: Apogee Components Inc. Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA Visit us online at: www.apogeerockets.com Qty 3 P/N 3003
Assembly Steps. Attach the forward centering ring to the front end of the 7-inch long engine mount tube using wood glue. Put glue fillets on both sides of the ring where it touches the tube. Allow the glue to dry. Side View Step. Screw the metal screw eye into either hole on the centering ring. Face the pointed end inwards towards the engine mount tube. Do not twist it past the threads. Put wood glue on both sides of the screw eye to secure it in place. Side View Step 3. Tie one end of the thick yellow shock cord to the eyelet on the screw eye. To keep the cord from getting in the way during the rest of construction, stuff it into the front end of the engine mount tube. 4. Temporarily place the aft centering ring on the rear end of the engine mount tube. DO NOT GLUE IT TO THE TUBE YET! You can tie a string on it (through the holes) to help remove it later. Thin Kevlar Shock Cord DO NOT GLUE THE AFT CENTERING RING TO THE TUBE Side View Temporarily place Kevlar Shock Cord up through engine mount Step 3 **Steps 5-9 require that you do them quickly to prevent the wood glue on the inside of the tube from drying before you are able to completely insert the engine mount. Make sure to review the steps completely and have your tools and parts ready before starting. Step 4 5. Using a long dowel, insert wood glue into the rear end of the slotted tube. The glue should be placed around the entire inside perimeter of the tube, past the slots. 6. Slide the engine mount tube partially into the tube, a little bit past the hole for the rail button, but NOT into the glue yet. Rotate the engine tube to one side so you can get your fingers into the tube to install the rail button. Page Dowel with wood glue on the end Fin slots Glue this area Inside tube view Glue line Step 5 Do not push engine mount completely in Rail button hole Inside tube view Step 6
7. Put thick super glue on the flange of the weld nut. Then insert the weld-nut into the hole so that the post comes out the side of the tube. To hold it in place, put one of the plastic rail buttons over the post, and screw in one of the 6-3 metal screws. Do not allow glue to ooze out and get on the rail button or screw. This is so you ll be able to remove them later in order to paint the rocket more easily. 8. Continue sliding the engine mount tube into the slotted tube until it hangs out the back of the tube about 3/8 inch (9.5mm). The aft centering ring should not be glued yet. It is only on the engine mount tube to center it within the slotted tube. 9. From the front end of the tube, verify that the forward centering ring is in the wood glue band placed earlier. If necessary, add additional glue from the front end to secure the ring into place. Allow the glue to dry. Rail button Metal screw Metal weld nut 3 8 (9.5mm) DO NOT glue aft ring yet *Test fit fin before gluing* Inside tube view Hold metal weld nut into place to glue. Then place rail button on top and screw it in. Forward ring glue mark on tab only Step 7 Step 8-9 0. Test fit the fins into the slots on the tube. Then apply wood glue to the tab on the fin. Do not put glue on the root edge that touches the large tube yet. The glue should only be on the bottom of the tab, which will attach to the internal motor mount tube. No glue here Step 0. Place the fin into one of the slots on the tube. The tab must come into contact with the engine mount tube. Verify the fin is perpendicular to the tube. The edges of the slots may bow up slightly, so you may need to push them down while installing the fin. Press the fins down tightly against the body tube, and secure them in place with thin super-glue. Repeat this for the other two fins. Super glue fin to the tube from prior step Step. When all the fins are installed, put woodglue fillets on each side of the fin. Allow the glue to dry. When it is dry, remove the aft centering ring. Using a wood dowel as an aid, put wood-glue fillets on each of the fin tabs where they touch the engine mount tube. Allow the glue time to dry. Put wood glue fillets over super glue from prior step Dowel with wood glue on the end Temporarily remove aft centering ring Step Page 3
3. Place the aft centering ring back into the end of the rocket around the motor mount. The ring can be flush, or just inside the edge of the body tube. Put a fillet of glue on both the inside and outside edges of the ring. While the glue is still wet, clean out the glue from the holes in the ring using a Q-Tip. Allow the glue time to dry. Clean out holes with a Q-Tip 4. Install the front rail button in the tube as you did the rear one. Put thick super glue on the flange of the weld nut, poke it through the hole from the inside of the tube. Then use the rail button and the screw to secure it in place. As before, make sure the plastic rail button doesn t get glued to the tube. You will remove the part later when you go to paint the rocket. Rail button Hold metal weld nut into place to glue. Then place rail button on top and screw it in. Step 3 5. Locate the small tube parts from the package and carefully separate them using a hobby knife. Then use a sanding block and some fine sand-paper to sand the edges of the tubes smooth and remove the nubs of paper. Glue the small wood ring into the red tube coupler using wood glue. Metal weld nut Metal screw Step 4 6. Glue the red tube coupler into the small white body tube with wood glue. The coupler should stick out the forward end of the white tube by about 3/6 inch (5mm). This is the altimeter bay cap. Altimeter bay tube Red coupler Step 6 7. Smear some urethane glue (Gorilla glue) inside the walls of the cavity on the base of the foam nose cone. Slightly dampen the outside of the tube with a wet paper towel. Then lay the small yellow cord along the outside of the small white tube with holes. Align the end of the cord with the edge of the tube. Then slide the tube and cord into the cavity, so that the holes are visible and the long end of the shock cord hangs out. The water on the tube makes the urethane glue harden faster. Use a wood stick and scrape out the inside of the tube to remove any glue that is at the bottom of the cavity before it drys. It will take the urethane glue about 4 hours to fully cure, so be careful not to tug on the yellow cord. Small wooden ring Shock Cord Step 5 Altimeter Step 8 Tape 8. Insert your altimeter (not included) into the payload tube. Then place the cap on the tube and tape it into place. Step 7 Page 4
9. Glue the disk with the five holes inside the short red coupler with holes. The disk goes in the end opposite of the holes (use the image for reference). Put a fillet of wood glue on both sides of the disk where it touches the inside edge of the coupler. Allow the glue to dry. 0. Test fit the coupler from the previous step into the short tube with the holes in it. Make sure the holes in the coupler are aligned with the holes in the white tube. If the red coupler does not protrude from the white tube, you ve inserted the coupler backwards. When you understand how it is inserted, remove the coupler, apply wood glue, and then reinsert it into the tube. Again, make sure the holes line up. Allow the glue time to dry.. Glue the small disk onto the larger disk with wood glue. Make sure the holes are aligned. Allow the glue time to dry.. Screw the remaining screw eye through the disk as shown. Do not insert the screw eye past the threads on the post. Apply a wood glue fillet on both sides of the disk and allow the glue time to dry. Align the holes Step 9 Step 0 Step 3. Mark the middle of the large red coupler with a pencil (at about or 0.5cm). Glue the short white ring onto the coupler using wood glue. One edge of the ring should be to the right of the line you drew on the coupler. Allow the glue time to dry. Put wood glue on both sides of the screw eye Step Place ring to the right of the line you drew in the prior step 4. Glue the disk with the screw eye into the coupler with the ring on it. It is inserted on the end with the longer amount of red coupler showing. Put a fillet of glue on both the inside and the outside where the wood touches the coupler. Allow the glue time to dry. 5. Glue the remaining ring into the other end of the tube coupler. You can put a fillet of glue on the inside of the coupler using the large hole on the ring. Step 3 Step 4 Flip coupler and insert ring Step 5 Page 5
6. Take the nose cone with the thin Kevlar cord and tie the other end of the cord to the disk with the four holes on it. Make sure the cord passes through the open end of the tube. Tie shockcord from nose cone here Step 6 7. Take the bottom body tube and pull the shock cord out of the engine mount tube and through the front of the body tube. Tie the loose end of the cord to the screw eye on the base of the large coupler. Step 7 8. Take the parachute and hold it at the center of its top, pulling the lines together to even up the ends. Then thread the loop lines through the screw eye at the base of the coupler. 9. Pull the top of the parachute through the loops at the end of the string cluster. Continue to pull on the top of the canopy and completely tighten the knot. This securely attaches the parachute to the rocket. Pull Tight Step 8 Step 9 Final Preparation 30. Launch Supplies Needed To launch your rocket you will need to gather the following supplies: A model rocket launching system (launch control ler and pad) Flame resistant recovery wadding 9mm diameter rocket motor (see Apogee web site for help in selecting the motor to achieve 800 feet.) Page 6
3. Reset your altimeter to zero, and insert it into the cavity on the base of the nose cone (refer to Step 8 if needed). Put the altimeter cap on the tube that exits the base of the nose. Secure it in place by wrapping tape over the tube. Do not cover up the vent holes in the tube. The altimeter must be able to detect the ambient air pressure. Expanded Assembly View Nose cone with altimeter bay Thin shock cord Short tube 3. Tuck the thin yellow lanyard cord into the attached white tube, and place the nose cone into the short tube. The nose is a snug fit into the tube. You should not need to tape the nose cone on. 6 body tube with foam Egg protector inside 33. Insert the egg into the foam protector, and then insert it into the middle of the short body tube. The altimeter bay coupler is inserted onto one end of this tube, and the coupler with the short ring is inserted into the other. 34. Wrap tape over the two joints of the tubes as shown, to keep the sections from coming apart. Note: To remove the egg after the flight, remove the tape to open the rocket so the egg padding can be pushed/pulled out of the short tube. 35. Loosely crumple and insert 8 sheets of recovery wadding into the bottom body tube. Screw eye Bottom body tube Coupler with short ring Main shock cord Rail Buttons 36. Above the recovery wadding carefully fold the parachute and insert it into the bottom body tube with the shock cord. Parachute 37. Insert the rocket motor into the engine mount tube, and wrap two layers of (.5 cm) wide masking tape around both the motor and the motor tube, securing it in place. 38. Insert and secure the engine igniter as directed on the package the engine came with. Tape Here Tape Here Bottom Body Tube Nose Cone Short Tube 6 Egg Tube Coupler with Short Ring Step 34 Place the motor sticking out about 0.5 from the mount Step 37 Tape Page 7
Countdown and launch procedure. Fly your rocket on a large field that isn t near any power lines, trees, or low flying aircraft. The larger the field, the greater your chances of recovering your rocket. The launch area around the pad must be free of dry weeds and brown grass. Launch only during calm weather with very little or no wind and good visibility. Always use a launch pad that includes a blast deflector.. Remove the safety key from the launch controller 3. Slide the rail buttons into the launch rail to place the rocket on the pad. The rocket should slide freely over the rod. 4. Attach the micro-clips to the igniter. The clips must not touch the other or the metal blast deflector. 5. Stand back from your rocket as far as the launch wire allows (at least 9.4 meters - 30 feet) if using larger than a D motor. 6. Insert the safety key to arm the launch system. The light (or buzzer) on the controller should come on. 7. Give a loud countdown 5... 4... 3......... LAUNCH! 8. Push and hold the button until the engine ignites. Then remove the safety key and place the safety cap on the launch rod. Misfire Procedure Occasionally the igniter will burn, but the motor will fail to ignite. If this happens, the cause is that the pyrogen on the igniter was not in contact with the engines propellant. When an ignition failure occurs, remove the safety key from the launch controller and wait 60 seconds before approaching the rocket. Remove the old igniter from the engine and install a new one. Make sure that the igniter is insert fully into the engine and touches the propellant. Secure the igniter as directed on the engine package and repeat the countdown and launch procedure. Always follow the NAR* Model Rocket Safety Code when launching model rockets. *National Association of Rocketry **Kevlar is a brand name of E.I. DuPont for their selection of aramid fibers. Only DuPont makes Kevlar Need parts or Accessories to go along with this kit? Go online and order at www.apogeerockets.com or call us and order at 79-535-9335. We re available M-F: 9:00am-5:00pm MST Recommended items: Altimeter options that will fit into the supplied altimeter bay: Perfectflite Firefly PerfectFlite APRA Altimeter PerfectFlite Pnut Altimeter Rocket Engines Payload (Egg) Protection Launch Controllers Launch Pads Recovery Wadding Weblink https://www.apogeerockets.com/electronics_payloads/altimeters https://www.apogeerockets.com/rocket_motors https://www.apogeerockets.com/building_supplies/payload_protection https://www.apogeerockets.com/launch_controllers https://www.apogeerockets.com/launch_pads https://www.apogeerockets.com/building_supplies/parachutes_recovery_equipment/disposable_wadding Page 8