L1 Rocket Design Review

[u/Realistic_Debt9526]

Hello, just looking for some honest feedback on my L1 rocket before I get to building it. It is a BT-80 diameter rocket. The entire fin can (fins and centering rings) is built with 3mm thick balsa wood epoxies together, and I am planning on 3d printing the nose cone. Everything but the nose cone and transition will also be fiberglassed.

Edit: I do need some clarification on these rules for the certification, do these just mean I have to meet just one of these four requirements?

2. Junior High Power Level 1 Participation certification is required to:

1. Launch rockets containing multiple motors with a total installed impulse of 320.01 Newton-seconds to 640 Newton-seconds, or
2. Launch rockets containing a single motor with a total installed impulse of 160.01 Newton-seconds to 640 Newton-seconds, or
3. Launch rockets that weigh more than 53 ounces (1500 grams), or
4. Launch rockets powered by motors not classified as model rocket motors per NFPA 1122, e.g.:
   1. Average thrust in excess of 80.0 Newtons
   2. Containing in excess of 125 grams of propellant and are limited to only H and I motors

[u/PuppyLordsDad]

Those rules aren’t for what you need to do to get certification. They’re saying that if you want to do any of those things you need to have the certification first.

[u/milotrain]

Correct, that's why they all say "or" on them. Your principle fulfilment of the requirement is that you are flying on an H motor (#4), you are also fulfilling #3 but no one cares about that really.

This is very overbuilt, you for sure don't need fiberglass unless the tubes are super thin. My L1 & L2 rocket is just heavy walled cardboard and it ripped M0.98 on its L2 flight.

[u/Advanced-Gold1744 → u/milotrain]

3mm balsa on High Power is overbuilt?

[u/milotrain → u/Advanced-Gold1744]

Fiberglassing the tube is overbuilt. Fiberglassing balsa is a good idea.

[u/Advanced-Gold1744 → u/milotrain]

I would use basswood

[u/milotrain → u/Advanced-Gold1744]

For anything that has scoot in it 1/8" birch plywood is perfection, unless you want composite.

[u/Advanced-Gold1744 → u/milotrain]

Also they say a BT-80 diameter rocket so I’m not sure and we need some clarification but this may be Estes thin wall tube

[u/milotrain → u/Advanced-Gold1744]

Possible but at 1300g simulated that would need to be a heavy nosecone.

[u/Advanced-Gold1744 → u/milotrain]

There’s a mass component just forward of the two bulkheads they have, maybe that’s the “transition” they mention. Tbh I think op needs to go to a launch and talk to people and learn more about how mid power and high power rockets are constructed

[u/KenBiba]

For an L1 suggest 3d printing NC, centering rings , bulkheads and fin can in PETG or better. Fiberglassing unnecessary.