LaunchPad Seawolf
- Length:
- 74cm / 29"
- Diameter:
- 64mm / 2.52"
- MMT:
- 24mm
- Status:
- Crashed
Comments:
This is a scale kit of a Seawolf missile made by The Launchpad. I am slightly concerned about the stability, having flown this rocket and the LaunchPad ALARM kit without success! Both are being modified to move the CG forward, and to use Aerotech E30/F24/F39 motors instead of Estes D12.
The Seawolf is a scale model from a company called The Launchpad which is reknowned for its extensive range of scale model missiles. I bought this from Rockets and Things in 1999, along with the ALARM kit, also from The Launchpad. These were my two first real attempts at scale rocketry, with the exception of my trusty Estes Black Brant II.
The Launchpad kits fit into that range of mid-power rocketry, where Estes D motors will only just suffice, but Aerotech E-F motors really bring the rocket to life. The Seawolf has a single 24mm motor-mount, and the recommended motors are D12-3, and Aerotech E15/E18/E30/24. Having flown the ALARM unsuccessfully on D12-3, which seemed to be underpowered given its stability margin, I decided to fly the Seawolf in an Aerotech E15-7 for its first flight.
The instructions are very detailed, and they need to be, because this kit is somewhat more detailed than an Estes kit. Components are a mix of Estes tubing and nosecones (or very similar interchangable products), and The Launchpad's own motormount assembly. The centering rings are heavy duty paper discs, which at first glance would seem a bit flimsy, but they are more than adequate for the thrust involved.
For the nosecone, you need to make a conical tip from paper soaked with CA. This changes the profile of the included Estes nosecone to be much pointier. You will need to take a lot of care in getting this step right. The boat-tail is made in exactly the same way, by forming paper into a conical section and soaking with CA to strengthen it. This can be very fiddly, and takes some time and patience to get it right. Also make sure you use do the CA stage in a very well ventilated area, preferably outdoors.
The first flight was at IRW 2001 in Largs, on an Aerotech E15-7. Unfortunately, the rocket tipped horizontal, where it flew across the field, clipped the top of a very tall tree, and then lawndarted into the burn by the side of the launch field. The ejection charge went just after impact, and bent the centering rings outwards, because the nosecone had been jammed hard into the front of the airframe. The rocket was pretty much totalled, but should be repairable, although the work will be extensive.
Simulation:
Rocksim Simulation Results are available for this rocket. These results have been automatically generated from the Rocksim file.
Flight Log:
| Flt. | Date | Location | Motor(s) | Impulse | Recovery | Comments |
| 1 | Aug 2001 | Largs IRW | E30-7T | 40 Ns | 'chute | Drag race with Mark Turner, homed in on Guy Gratton's tent, spacked in ditch next to tent! |
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