need level 2 kit suggestion

Polecat Aerospace 7.5" V2. Goes up nicely on a 6G Pro38. Simple to build, simple to cert with and takes nice big 54mm motors when you're ready for them.

PML Endeavor (4") stock or dual-deploy. Good motor choices: J-350 (AT) J-285, J-300, J-210, J-295 (CTI)

Good luck!

I was happy with my Public Missiles 1/4 Scale Patriot. I took a great deal of care with all joints and fillets, and added expanding foam in the fincan area, and it has worked out great (has several flights on it now).

David Erbas-White

J> I'm thinking of doing a level 2 certification flight and was wondering if

PML Eclipse - I lengthened the MMT to accept a 6g Pro38, and it worked for me. L2 at first attempt. Having a 54mm mount is useful too :-) There's plenty of space for a good sized chute - I use a Skyangle 60 ish inch one and the supplied PML drogue chute, and the CPR removes any worries about what to do with the electronics. I did lengthen my electronics section, but it's not caused a problem.

I can only echo David E-W's sound advice about taking care on the joints & fillets, and foaming the fincan. Plus, I also built a second fincan for the kit to accommodate a Hypertek 835cc system. it's possibly my most-flown HPR rocket.

G.

I did mine on a PML AMRAAM 3 with a J350 reached 5345 ft. was an awsome flt.

Let me start by stating that I love Andy Woerner's kits (Polecat Aerospace), and he has some wonderful rockets. He gave me a tour of his shop yesterday, and I was just blown away. He has some great rockets, including one he showed me that could be used for all three levels of certification. As we speak, I'm building one of his kits, and plan to get more from him ASAP (and would recommend them to you as well).

That having been said, I would point out that most of the suggestions you've received have been PML -- and I think one of the major reasons is the piston ejection system. For a certification flight, my belief is to keep things as simple as possible, and the piston ejection almost completely guarantees a safe parachute deployment.

David Erbas-White

I used a BSD 4" Horizon

for my level 2. It has a 38mm mount. I got a little over 4000' on a J350. Take a look at for more info.

The kit, as supplied, uses motor ejection. I did a retrofit to do dual stage deploy using a Defy Gravity tether.

There is a 54mm mount version.

It is a great work horse for H through J. I need to do a body plug to make it easier to fit hybrids. The RATTWorks H70 is a bit of a tight squeeze... Will

J> I'm thinking of doing a level 2 certification flight and was wondering if

Agreed. However, note also that you can retrofit another kit (or scratchbuilt) with a piston as well. PML sells complete piston kits, and I am using one in the scratchbuilt I'm planning to L2 cert with. Of course you could scratchbuild the piston as well, though I'm not sure it's worth the trouble to scrounge together the parts when PML's is so reasonable. In short, I wouldn't let the piston thing determine my choice of kits, except of course that you have to make sure that whatever you build can handle a piston (clearances, CG) if you want to retrofit something else with one.

And of course the PML kits have that Quantum tube, which requires extra care when flying in cooler weather because it contracts and "seizes" the piston.

my L2 was with a Polecat Skeeter, on Cesaroni J210.

best advice for Jonathan is rule number one: KISS - keep is simple. KISS implies motor ejection. also, build something that can fly on I motors a few times before you go for the cert flight.

I'd also recommend a LOC Caliber. you'll get a mile >

Have you considered a scratch built rocket? Decide what features you want in your rocket and design them all in.

Bob Heninger Glendale, AZ

I'm building a LOC Magnum right now. As I've already installed both centering rings, would there still be any way to reliably foam the fincan? Maybe drilling holes in the aft ring, then epoxying over it after the foam? I'm not sure how easy it would be to foam the assembly as I'm sliding the fincan into the body tube, but I'm sure that's possible.

Eldred

That does work, pouring in foam through the aft C-ring.

I've also just drilled a hole in the airframe between each pair of fins (with through-the-wall fins) and / or C-rings, and poured foam in through that. When the volume is full and the foam pops out of the hole, just let it cure, cut it off, dig some out of the hole, and then fill the hole with putty and sand and finish.

...Rick