Flying Basket of Death and Destruction Build Thread

[davetherocketguy]

So now for something completely different.

I play disc golf (badly). I also fly high powered rockets - some of which are so big I need special FAA permission to fly them. Some time ago I was trying to figure out how to combine the hobbies thus was born the Flying Basket of Death and Destruction. Yes, a basket that will fly straight up to around 200-300' up with a rocket motor and then float down on a parachute - if everything goes as planned. I may even allow some dg'ers to throw some plastic at it while its in flight - either up or down - just to see if they can ace it from the flight line.

Key thing to take away from this is my standards for this build is it has to be as light as humanly possible but still be within or as close to the PDGA standards for basket dimensions as possible. Build materials will be wood dowels, balsa, plastic chains and paper fiber tubes. No, I can't just find an old metal one and jam a motor in it. All metal construction is forbidden and seriously dangerous. Not only that but metal is super heavy which would make it super duper expensive to fly and the bigger the motor the further away from the crowd I have to launch it - like 500' or more. Ain't nobody hitting a moving target from that far. Plus, I'd have to use a redonkulously huge parachute - like 10-15' diameter...no thanks.

So to start here are some photos.

1. I've already started construction some time ago but from the photo you'll get the idea of what I've done so far...
2. The second photo is a little issue I have with this design. Haven't settled on whether or not to fix it much less how. If the build comes in at a reasonable weight (>4lbs) I may try to fix that. We'll see.
3. Here it is with the remaining balsa "fins" glued in place. Time to move on to the next thing.

Figured someone here might find this entertaining.

[BrotherDave]

Maybe run hi-test fishing line from fin to center?

[hiflyer]

This is a really cool idea. I love watching rockets, but don't have time nor smarts to make them work. If you added a couple dowels across the cage similar to a regular basket, could that help? I'd guess adding more spars and making a nonagon or decagon would make it too heavy?

Anyway, I sincerely hope you post a vid when you do launch this one

[davetherocketguy]

Originally Posted by hiflyer

This is a really cool idea. I love watching rockets, but don't have time nor smarts to make them work. If you added a couple dowels across the cage similar to a regular basket, could that help? I'd guess adding more spars and making a nonagon or decagon would make it too heavy?

Anyway, I sincerely hope you post a vid when you do launch this one

You're plenty smart enough. Seriously. If you can grasp the concepts in a sport like disc golf and keep them straight, learn the rules, you can learn the basic concepts of hobby rocketry no problem. The hobby has managed to simplify things a great deal so you can just fly kits with the recommended motors or do crazy a***** stuff like I do. Video? Oh heck yeah...there will be video. Maybe if I can get my hands on the right camera an on-board video will happen like this one I did a number of years ago:

Originally Posted by BrotherDave

Maybe run hi-test fishing line from fin to center?

That is precisely the kind of solution I've been looking at. I have a ton of Cat5 wire I got for nothing. Strip it down to the little wires and go from each corner of each wedge to make a sort of net I guess. It should work. But again I want to see where the weight comes in at as I get further along with the build.

On the other hand...someone hits that thing from the flight line while its in the air and the disc falls out the bottom I think I'm gonna count it good haha.

-Dave

[ericb45696]

I had a blast taping firecrackers to a disc . I am greatly intrigued by this idea. You have bonus points for the name alone.

When you video it you have to have someone throw a disc in it and hit ignition at the same time. Please make this happen

[davetherocketguy]

Originally Posted by ericb45696

I had a blast taping firecrackers to a disc . I am greatly intrigued by this idea. You have bonus points for the name alone.

When you video it you have to have someone throw a disc in it and hit ignition at the same time. Please make this happen

The only issue I see with this is I have to convince my club president to let me have someone throw a disc at it. Rockets are delicate critters really. A lot of them are built just strong enough to withstand the vertical g-loads with minimal weight to maximize performance. Not really designed to take a horizontal hit from a disc so the all the launch pads will have to be clear of rockets so this little plan of mine might be no bueno. Regardless...I'll do my best to make it happen.

[DiscJunkie]

Hmmmmm,

davetherocketguy

Kinda makes sense now...

[davetherocketguy]

Originally Posted by hiflyer

This is a really cool idea.

Originally Posted by ericb45696

You have bonus points for the name alone.

Oh and by the way...thanks for the compliments!

After looking around my workshop...Guess I do have a functioning mini cam for the on-board video.

[Chaz58]

Reminds me of the days, many years ago in the 60's, when a friend and I used to get into the Estes rockets! I have nothing I can actually suggest to you but to say good luck with your finished product. Should be cool when it's completed! Photos look pretty good. I wonder, a small tail or fin or something for stability while the basket rocket is actually launching off to keep it from going who-knows-where? Just curious on the last part...

[davetherocketguy]

Originally Posted by Chaz58

Reminds me of the days, many years ago in the 60's, when a friend and I used to get into the Estes rockets! I have nothing I can actually suggest to you but to say good luck with your finished product. Should be cool when it's completed! Photos look pretty good. I wonder, a small tail or fin or something for stability while the basket rocket is actually launching off to keep it from going who-knows-where? Just curious on the last part...

Thanks! And good question

The question you are asking is; will it be stable?

Short answer: Yes, I think it'll fly nice and straight.

Long answer: Stability in rocketry and disc golf have 2 very different meanings. Understable in DG is ok and sometimes preferable. There is no such thing as understable in rocketry. Rockets are either stable or not. If not, things go haywire real fast and it just isn't safe. Range safety officers get kinda mad sometimes with unstable rockets. You don't want them mad 'cause then you don't fly your toys.

In this case I fully expect it to fly like a spool because it is aerodynamically similar to a spool. Spools don't seem like they'd make for good rockets but they are surprisingly stable in spite of their aerodynamic inadequacies:



Not only that but the large area of vertical balsa you see on the pictures in my first post are going to act as fins in a way so those will help with stability as well. If anything, this is going to be a very over-stable rocket...I think. And since I am not 100% sure about stability I'll be doing some test flights first from the far away launch pads lol. If I can get it done the first test will be on 12/8/18.