Pratt Hobbies - Heatshield {Accessory}

Pratt Hobbies Heatshield

Pratt Hobbies - Heatshield {Accessory}

Contributed by Duane Wilkey

Published:	2010-11-13
Manufacturer:	Pratt Hobbies

The following excerpt is from "Sport Rocketry". The intention is to allow guests to get a basic feeling about a kit. We strongly suggest that you get a copy of the referenced Sport Rocketry and read the entire article. Inside you will find many helpful hints in construction as well as other useful information. For more information, use the two links above.

(Sport Rocketry - Jul/Aug 1998 - page 32 - by Duane Wilkey)

[Pic] "I must admit that at first I thought the product was a little pricey (especially when compared to the cost of cellulose insulation), but nylon parachutes aren't cheat so I decided to give his product a try."
"I followed the package's directions and attached the heat shield to my shock cord."
"If the directions are followed you'll end up with a "bag" that protects your chute and shock cord."
"Since the heatshield is a single layer of cloth it takes up very little room."
"I found that using it made my prep job a little bit easier than usual."
"Now it was time for flight-testing . . . J350 and a full ejection charge . . ."
"The only weird thing about the recovery was the "flag" flying from my shock cord."
"The Nomex was intact although it had black stains on it form the ejection charge. The stains are normal and do not weaken the product."
"All-in-all I am very satisfied with this product."
"Heatshields are available for tube diameters from 3/4 of an inch to 12 inches and come with a lifetime warranty."

The entire article gives the impression is that this product is a good choice for protecting your parachutes.

Comments:

S.A.M. (February 1, 2000)

Nomex® Heatshields are GREAT! I would highly recommend them to everyone!

R (January 1, 2001)

Pratt Hobbies is a great place for rocket supplies although the selection is a bit limited. I particularly like the Kevlar® shock cord. Sorry, the heat shield was a good concept at first but, I've stopped using it and gone back to insulation wadding. My beautiful scratch-built Saturn V was ruined because the heat shield hung up and failed to completely eject the chute. Gravity won.

S.M. (December 16, 2001)

These things work great. The square shape suggested a method of folding that has worked perfectly for me so far, the only downside is you require a larger size shield for a given airframe diameter, but the chute and rigging are completely protected. I fold the chute so it's longest dimension is about 2/3-3/4 as long as the side of the shield, and lay the folded chute in the middle of the side opposite the buttonhole, one end on the edge and the other end toward the center of the shield. Then, with the shock cord threaded through the buttonhole, z-folded and held with a rubber band and placed next to the chute, fold the bottom section of the shield up over the chute, fold one side over this and roll toward the remaining open side. Sorry if this isn't clear, but imagine a burrito and there it is! With this method, you can roll the shield very tightly around the chute/cord to get it in the rocket, and it will still come out easily, the chute and cord get pulled out of the open end.

Post a Comment