BSD High Power Rocketry - Horizon {Kit}

BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon

BSD High Power Rocketry - Horizon {Kit}

Contributed by F.W. Dick

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Manufacturer:

BSD High Power Rocketry

Rocket Box Pic Overview
I had never built a high power kit, but after many hours searching the Internet, I felt confident in placing an order for a BSD Horizon. The company’s website was pretty adamant about the Horizon being the best way to certify Level 1. They cited simple design, strong construction and excellent instructions. I knew that since I had no high power experience I would need all of the above.

After a phone call to Scott Binder, in Washington State, the box with my Horizon arrived three days later via Priority Mail. Unpacking the kit found all the items neatly packaged, present and accounted for.

The Kit
The kit includes: (3) cut and match sanded 3/16" aircraft grade plywood fins, Kraft glassine (LOC style) 24" booster and 10" payload airframes, coupler, laser-cut medium density fiberboard (2) centering rings and (1) bulkhead plate, 4" plastic nose cone, 38mm x 10" motor tube, motor retention system, 30" orange nylon parachute, (2) eyebolt/washer/nut assemblies, ½" launch lug, a quick link, a 1" x 20’ elastic shock cord and a nylon shock cord strap with grommets.

Also included were a fin alignment guide printed on heavy cardstock, a 9-page instruction booklet and a cut vinyl lettering graphics package.

Motor Mount Assembling the Motor Tube
The booster tube was not pre-slotted, but was marked for fin and launch lug placements. Trial fitting the laser cut centering rings and bulkhead plate left me encouraged that the kit would go together easily.

I used NHP 30 minute epoxy for almost all of the work on the Horizon. When they say to "mix thoroughly" they mean it!

The motor tube assembly consisted of using epoxy to secure the fore and aft centering rings. The centering rings have a smooth side and a rough side and I chose to put the rough sides facing in towards each other. A ¼" hole needs to be drilled through the front centering ring for one of the eyebolt assemblies. Hint boxes are sprinkled throughout the instructions. HINT: Drip a small amount of epoxy on the threads of the screw eye.

Assembling the Booster Section
The first step is to cut the fin slots. While not difficult, it would’ve been nice to have the tubes pre-slotted. Next, test fit the motor tube assembly into the booster until the aft centering ring is flush with the bottoms of the fin slots. The aft centering ring required light sanding. Test fit the fins through the airframe slots and onto the motor tube. I marked the fins 1,2,3 and made a mark on both the booster and the aft centering ring as one orientation of all parts seemed to have the best fit.

Next I attached the grommet on the shock cord strap with the quick link to the eyebolt. Then I stuffed the shock cord into the motor tube to keep it out of the way and permanently affixed the motor tube assembly into the booster.

Note: When I ordered the Horizon, Scott was pretty excited about something called milled fiber. Milled fiber is 1/32" pieces of milled fiberglass that appears as a white powder. When mixed one-third each of resin, hardener and milled fiber, Scott claims the fiber will make the epoxy 3 times stronger than normal.

Rocket Pic Once the airframe assembly was completely cured, I turned it upside-down and applied 10 minute epoxy to protect the bottom of the rocket from heat and impact.

The fins were then shaped, attached and reinforced with epoxy and milled fiber fillets, as was the single ½" launch lug.

Assembling the Payload Section
The bulkhead already had a ¼" hole pre-drilled in its center for the aft-facing eyebolt assembly. This bulkhead is affixed to the 3.9" coupler and the bulkhead/coupler assembly is then attached to the payload airframe with epoxy.

Rocket Pic Final Assembly
The 4" plastic nose cone was washed, sanded and prepped for painting. Pretty detailed instructions are included for painting the rocket. I used a Rustoleum rattle can gray automotive primer for my base and mid coats, then used a white primer for my top primer coat. Color finish was Krylon Hi-Gloss black for the payload section and the nose cone, with Krylon Hi-Gloss white being used for the booster section.

One of the unusual things about the BSD kit is that what you see is what you get. A graphics package of cut vinyl lettering made of 7-8 year exterior life commercial grade vinyl was included in the Horizon kit. When the application tape is peeled off its backing the letters and graphics stick to the application tape. You then have one chance to stick the tape to the rocket in the right spot. It’s actually pretty easy and once the tape is stuck you just smooth it out, peel the tape back up and you’ve got the letters and graphics stuck to the rocket. Nice!

Motor Retention For construction I would rate this kit 4½ points.

Pre-flight
A full page of the instruction booklet is dedicated to the parachute, motor prep, wadding (I used blow fill insulation), pre-flight fitting of the sections, etc.

Rocket Launch Level 1 Flight
Consistent with my goal of becoming Level 1 certified, I joined Tripoli Colorado, arranged to buy an H123W-Medium delay motor, and attended the club launch at Hartsel, CO.

"Skies are clear, time is running…T minus 5,4,3,2,1 ignition," and then for a few unbearable seconds nothing, absolutely nothing, then the motor barked to life and the Horizon roared straight off the pad and sailed 1400 feet up into the deep blue Colorado sky. The 30" orange parachute deployed right on cue, the pieces held together and I finally heard the words I had been waiting all month to hear, "Welcome to High Power."

For flight/recovery I would rate this kit 4½ points.

Special thanks to Scott Binder, Cam Meek and Ken Mizoi for all their support.

Other Reviews

BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By Gene Wolski (October 21, 2011)
BSD Horizon (4") with 38mm motor mount. I flew this rocket stock for my Level 1, and I later modified it to use dual deployment for my Level 2. Components BSD Rocketry Horizon (4" diameter) with 38mm motor mount and G-10 fins Components: Nose cone Payload section (10") Tube coupler, bulkhead plate, and hardware Booster section (24") 38mm motor tube ...
BSD High Power Rocketry Horizon By Gary Sinclair
Fully glassed airframe and fins. External fin-can assembly with Kevlar tape reinforcement of fin to motor mount. Carbon fibre reinforced payload bay coupler. Replace shock cord with tubular nylon. Modifications: I wanted another short 4" rocket to go with my 4" Yank Bullet and the BSD Horizon seemed to fit and offered a lot of kit for a very reasonable price. As usual with my kits I like to ...

Flights

Comments:

G.S. (April 1, 2001)

Scott was right, milled glass does make the epoxy joint stronger. Although, one should mix the epoxy to the correct ratio of resin-to-hardener first, THEN add the milled glass until you get the desired consistency. What works even better and creates an even stronger joint is Kevlar® pulp or chopped carbon. However, a little goes a VERY long way. A good rule of thumb is 16 parts epoxy to 1 part Kevlar® pulp or carbon by volume. In other words, add a tiny bit at a time, you don't want it too chunky.

BJ (March 4, 2002)

This is a great rocket for somebody new to high power rocketry. As long as you follow the instructions it is almost impossible to go wrong with this model. And, as impressed as I was with the kit, I was more impressed with Scott Binder. He includes his phone number in the instructions with a comment saying if you are unsure of any step call him first. He also is quick to respond to emails and because of his help I had a much easier experience preparing for my L1 attempt than I anticipated. If you are considering an L1 rocket, go for the Horizon! And if you want a medium power rocket that can be used for an L1 flight, check out the new 3" Horizon.

C.P. (April 1, 2002)

I just wanted to throw in with the other kudos for the Horizon. This an absolutely wonderful HPR entry-level kit that is fun to continue to fly after certification. I purchased this kit with the full intention of certifying both L1 and L2 with it. For the L1 shot, I built this rocket stock, though I worked the instructions a little out of sequence to allow for internal fin fillets. After cert'ing L1, I built a modular avionics bay to allow for higher flights with electronic deployment. After successfully completing several months of altimeter flights, I loaded a J350 and certified L2. The things I love most about this kit are as follows: (1) It's a 'pretty' rocket. The lines, colors, and decals always garner plenty of oohs and ahhs on the way to the launch pad. (2) In stock configuration, the kit can be flown on G80's, and, I do this often for school demonstrations (however, a NOTAM must be issued per FAR 101.23 for < 3.3-lb rockets). (3) The kit is sturdy and can easily take high impulse I's and low-to-mid impulse J's.

J.K. (December 26, 2002)

This Rocket is not only a beautiful design. It flies absolutely fantastic, and makes you feel proud to own it. The parts, and decals are of outstanding quality. It does not leave you needing some spare parts to complete. Rather the contrary. I did use an AeroPac retainer to my kit, and it looks like a gem. I keep it in our bedroom, to my wife?s distress ;-) She feels as she is having competition for attention in her own home. I recommend it for all skill levels. For the novice as a great introduction to HPR, and for the advanced, as a great kit to relax with and enjoy.

A.M. (April 16, 2003)

I agree with all the reviews of the Horizon .It was an fairly easy build. I chose however to use microballoons to reinforce my epoxy, and I switched out the smaller quik links that came with the kit for larger ones. Was that necessary, I dunno, but hey an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I also added a Kevlar® cord protector sleeve, and a Kevlar® chute protector. And one final note. I really like the plastic rivets included to hold the nose cone on. And although the original article above says that the Horizon came with one launch lug, mine came with 2 rail buttons, much better in my estimation. I would rate this a 5 for building, and a 5 overall. I would however recommend a slightly larger chute for this bird, especially if you really beef it up as I did. The stock ?chute brought her down intact, and got me my level one certification, but I was less than satisfied with the impact it sustained. Mine also came with a 29mm adapter allowing use of G power motors, but I have no plans to under power this bird. I would highly recommend this kit to any one.

K.T. (April 22, 2004)

Finished the 4" Horizon last night Good Friday. This will be my first HPR launch ever built exactly to instructions. Prepped with a Pro38 G79 Smokey Sam with a 6 sec delay (as recommended by Rocksim 6.0) and a Rowes Retainers 38mm Polished Cone retainer, Perfectflite MAWD altimeter (borrowed from M Sweeney - Founder of WRS) in payload for alt logging. Top Flight Nomex 12" x 12" protector mounted between quicklink and eyebolt below the nylon strap. Loaded on to a Petes Rockets Rail. V Calm virtually no wind, cloudbase at approx 2000 feet 5.4.3.2.1 Launch Beautiful slow lift off before screaming skyward straight as a die. Ejection exactly as planned at apogee, then Aargh separation. The booster fell fast, with the payload, NC etc still attached to the shock cord and was recovered about 20mtrs from pad. Booster was about 15m. Had the shockcord just come loose? Nope the Nomex had shot upward with the ejection charge over the quicklink and up the nylon strap melting it causing it to snap. Booster came down hard, breaking a fin (repairable). Payload, NC tubular nylon & rest of nylon strap cam down perfectly smooth protecting the borrowed electronics. The Alt was beeiping out exactly 900 feet as predicted by Rocksim. I?d built this exactly per the instructions with the exception of foam filling the fin can with 2 part foam which was hollowed out to form an inner skeleton providing internal fillets. I'm a bit disappointed that the strap melted, as I've never had a problem with using Nomex shields before. But the damage is repairable with a bit of care.

K.T. (June 2, 2004)

I ordered the 4" Horizon through Deepsky here in the UK. I had no trouble with the build, apart from a slight error in the printed instructions i.e. the fin slot sizes were incorrectly specified, this was easily spotted, and after speaking to Mark Saunders they are going to change the info. This is a great kit. My first flight on a Pro 38 G Smokey Sam would have been perfect but due an error on my part I didn't pack the Nomex correctly and so the nylon strap burnt. It got a cracked fin, which was repaired by Dremeling out the debris and inserting Carbon Microfibre Rods to reinforce the joint. I also use milled fibre in the epoxy. Second flight was also a failure due to a late ejection so the chute was stripped. One week later and a new chute and I achieved my L1 at WRS May 04 on a 2Grain H Pro 38 Smokey Sam. Altitude was not as expected due to weather conditions - winds and weathercocking & also it was very damp. But it was a L1 success anyway. Oh Mark Saunders has promised to replace the burnt strap FOC.

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