Goals

• Have a small-field capable rocket ready to fly

• Try new things:

  • A modern, tiny altimeter

    FlightSketch Mini

  • An ejection baffle instead of recovery wadding

    https://www.apogeerockets.com/Building_Supplies/Parachutes_Recovery_Equipment/Ejection_Baffles/BT-50_24mm_Ejection_Charge_Baffle

• Practice construction techniques:

  • Tube cutting
  • Fin alignment

• Practice finishing techniques:

  • Tube spiral filling

    Filling Tube Spirals - Revisited

  • Wood grain filling (CWF 2.5:1)

    Balsa Grain Fillers and Added Weight

    Carpenter's Wood Filler Mix Ratios

  • Nose-body transition smoothing

  • Spray painting

Planning

I am going to assemble this model differently than from what is specified in the instructions

• [x] Motor mount prep
  • [x] Measure and cut slot for engine hook in motor mount tube
  • [x] Treat fore and aft ends of the motor mount tube with thin CA
  • [x] "Clip and flip" the engine hook
  • [x] Glue engine block in place
  • [x] Determine fore centering ring offset so it will be at the top of the fin slot when the bottom of the motor mount tube is flush with the aft end of the airframe, mark engine tube accordingly
  • [x] Glue fore centering ring to motor mount tube
  • [x] Notch the aft centering ring to accommodate the motor mount hook
• [x] Airframe prep
  • [x] Treat aft opening of the lower airframe and precut fin slots with thin CA
  • [x] Clean up fin slots with hobby knife and small files
  • [x] Treat fore opening of the upper airframe with thin CA
  • [x] Assemble ejection baffle
  • [x] Determine desired size of altimeter payload bay
  • [x] Fit-test lower airframe, upper airframe, ejection baffle, and recovery system to ensure there is sufficient space
  • [x] Tie shock chord to fore eye ring in the ejection baffle and apply wood glue to the knot
  • [x] Glue together lower airframe and upper airframe using the ejection baffle as a coupler
  • [x] Using a fingernail or a plastic spoon, crease the top, glassine layer of the cardboard tube along the seams (there are two, one is shallower than the other)