My scratch-built Aero-Dart clone shortened itself last Saturday after the shock cord broke.

I was originally quite pessimistic about its fate, but on close inspection the damage wasn't as bad as I'd originally suspected. Only about 8" of the body tube was crumpled. I cut it off to create . . .

. . . The Aero-LawnDart!

I still need to reinforce the fin joints, which may mean repainting the red section, but after some compounding it looks pretty good.

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Why didn't you just replace the crumpled section with a coupler & new section of proper length body tube ?
It would have probably not been noticable.
I had to do that with one of my '72 Enerjet Aero Dart clones.....on the first flight (D12-3) the 24" nylon Thrustline parachute (I hate losing $10.00 chutes) somehow separated from the snap-swivel.
Nose-Blow recovery on a large 8+oz payload rocket is not good even with 9' of 3/8" Kevlar shock-cord "streamer".....the rocket swirled around to the ground from about 500' and slammed into my backyard deck with fairly high velocity where 12+ spectators were standing. Not exactly the show finale I had planned. Damage was fairly minimal. 4" crumpled section of main body tube, and a ruined nose cone.....no damage (not even a loose fin) to the fin section though.

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Doesn't look "half" bad.

Sorry, Stefan. I'll go now.

Sean

I considered splicing in some replacement tube and making it a whole Aero-Dart again.

But I have a bad habit: When I order replacement parts, other items appear on the order. In this case, I'd be ordering from BMS, and if I were lucky I'd end up ordering "only" $50 worth of parts.

I have many boxes of parts, and well over a dozen half-completed projects.

Also, I have an ORIGINAL Aero-Dart in my project pile.

And as Sean notes, the Aero-LawnDart doesn't look half bad.

Ah, now I see why you did not extend it to original length !
I never order just what I "need" from Semroc either....the order ALWAYS ends up with $20-$30 worth more of parts/kits than I intended !

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When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

I usually find myself ordering a kit with every parts order ..... I just can't help it! I burned up that Semroc gift certificate on SLS kits and parts.

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Steve Naquin
TRA# 677 L2
NAR# 85518 L2
SAM# 0052

🚀 In Construction: Der Blue Maxx/Minie-Magg 5.5” & Vander-Burn MDRM Clone w/Stickershock23 Custom Decals
🚀 In Paint & Detail: USR Banshee
🚀 In Build Queue: Estes Doorknob w/Vander-Burn Rocketry Upgrade Kit [Sport Decor], Semroc Centurion-F, Semroc Egg Crate
🚀 In Repair: SLS Lil’ Hustler, SLS Aero-Dart 1969 Trim
🚀 Stay Tuned For Fall 2021 Launch Dates

Hmmm. I see a new kit from Semroc coming! Be sure to send Carl the dimensions for the new "kit".

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Scott D. Hansen
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