To All:

We had another good work session last Saturday. Here are the updates:

Airframe - Tom Savoie and the Airframe Team were very busy. First, with the help of 8-year old Andrew Savoie, they were able to successfully peel the waxy inner layer from the SonoTube. Without Andrew's help, this particular task would have been (virtually) impossible, since he was the only member of the team small enough to fit inside the tube. So a big 'thank you' goes out to Andrew for a job well done.

Then a giant vacuum bag was constructed from sheet plastic and custom fitted to the tube. A spindle was constructed from 6-inch diameter PVC pipe and plywood centering rings and fitted into the tube. Once the assembly was mounted horizontally on saw-horses, the entire tube was sanded smooth to prepare the surface for fiber glassing. At least 6 power sanders were in use simultaneously during the sanding operation, creating a buzz that sounded like a squadron of large bees.

Fins - John Calvert and the Fins team also made good progress on Saturday. John had printed out the Hughes blueprints in full size. These are the blueprints available from Jim Ball's Scale Data website. The blueprints were used to determine the exact dimensions of the wings and fins. From these dimensions, we then determined the size of the tapered leading edges and wingtips, and from there determined the size required for the NorBond composite panels.John also delivered a table saw to the construction site which will be used to cut the composite panels.

Transportation - We learned that Terry Drake was able to get a dual-axle trailer DONATED to the project! The trailer will be delivered to Accurate Welding next weekend so Lee can begin working on it. This trailer will be used to transport the Phoenix and will eventually become the new Club trailer.

Finally, we cut several 2-foot long sections from the second SonoTube. One will be cut down lengthwise and used as the tube coupler/shoulder for the nose cone. Another will be used by Terry Drake, who is building a custom cradle for transporting the Phoenix. The third section will be fiber glassed like the main airframe tube and become a test article for Randy Luhman and the Lettering Team. A four-foot section of the second tube remains (passenger compartment)?

One other note: Last week I submitted a short blurb on our project to the LDRS-21 website and that information is now displayed on the "Special Projects" page. Check it out when you get a chance. I included a link to the TARA website as well as a link to the TASM website, so both should start getting hits from curious rocketeers all over the country.

Thanks again to Rick Norrgard for engineering our new website (just in time). We hope you feel better soon, Rick.

Our next construction meeting will be Saturday, February 16. The Airframe Team will be fiber glassing and vacuum-bagging the big SonoTube. You certainly don't want to miss that! The Fins Team will be creating templates for the wings and fins and cutting NorBond for the first units. Additionally, the launch trailer will be on-site and we will be doing some maintenance work on the launch equipment. Bring your soldering irons, sand paper, etc, if you want to help with that work.

That's all for now, see you on February 16th.

Hal