Integrate Piston Cup Assembly
Rule: if you are not directly helping with integration, you must be dancing.
Pre-Assembly: Build the Firebolt Jumbo
Make sure you are using all appropriate PPE such as goggles and gloves!
- Take a DRILLED & TAPPED 1/8 NPT PLUG (which has a 1/4-20 hole drilled and tapped through the middle) and thread a FIREBOLT into it using approximately 3 wraps of TEFLON TAPE.
- Put two E-MATCHES through the hole in the 1/4-20 bolt and glue with 5 MINUTE EPOXY on the head end of the screw. You will need a POPSICLE STICK.
- On the other end of the screw, you may be able to push a small amount of epoxy on, but don't get it in the plug's threads.
- After the epoxy dries, put a preselected amount of BLACK POWDER in a little packet of BLUE TAPE, with the e-match head inside of the packet.
Pre-Assembly: Tender Descender Setup
- Take the two TENDER DESCENDER BODIES and put the appropriate amount of black powder in them.
- Close the bodies and thread a firebolt into each one, using approximately three wraps of Teflon tape.
Pre-Assembly: Pack the Main Parachute
- Take the MAIN PARACHUTE.
- Pack the main parachute into the DEPLOYMENT BAG.
Primary Integration Checklist
- Make sure that the PISTON rod is fully compressed (retracted).
- Integrate the 1/8TH NPT ELBOW FITTINGinto the piston inlet port that is closest to the blunt end. Use approximately three wraps of Teflon tape. Make sure that the male end of the elbow fitting is pointing downwards.
- Screw in the Jumbo Firebolt into the male end of the elbow fitting using approximately three wraps of Teflon tape
Screw the PAYLOAD BULKHEAD
Screw diaphragm into Cup with four grub screws using a 7/64 hex wrench
Integrate the T-fitting into the piston's inlet port (top side) with 2x plugs and 2x FireBolts, a pair on each side. Make sure the T bar is horizontal with respect to the end plate.
Insert detailed BP procedure here
Screw the Payload bulkhead into the top of the piston using 4x four 3/4" LONG 1/4-28 bolts that are 3/8ths inches longBOLTS. You need a 3/16ths hex key.
Insert Avionics Bay
Insert detailed AV Bay procedure here
16THS HEX KEY.
INSERT AVIONICS BAY INTEGRATION PROCEDURE HERE
Put the AVIONICS BAY COUPLER over the piston. The coupler's switchband should be closer to the side with the Firebolt screwed in.
Using four 1/2" 1/4-28 LOW PROFILE SCREWS screw in the AVIONICS BULKHEAD to the bottom of the piston. The milled face (mass saving cuts)
Put the coupler over the piston and screw in the lower bulkhead. The switchband should be nearest to the Payload bulkhead.
The milled faceshould be internal to the Avionics Bay
.Put a nut on one side of the piston rod and screw the piston fully into the diaphragm.
Put a nut on the other side of the diaphragm and counter torque the nuts.
Adjust the piston height so that the piston-cup assembly with bulkheads reach a total of 28 inches tall. It should actually be slightly less, but this is adjusted by trial and error later on in integration.
Put the body tube on over the lower half of the assembly. “Struggle with clocking” - Jakob
Screw in four ½” 8-32 screws.
. Use the 3/16ths hex key again.
- Now it's time to assembly the cup including its contents, including soft goods such as WEBBING and chutes as well as eye nut, cotter pin, tender descenders, and more.
- Fully screw a 3/8-16TH NUT onto the piston. Slide the DIAPHRAGM onto the piston and screw in the 3/8-16TH EYE BOLT.
- INSERT INFORMATION ON USING LOCTITE
- Put the COTTER PIN in the eye nut.
- Put a 1000LB QUICKLINK on the eye nut. Don't close the quicklink yet.
- Now it's time to integrate the two Tender Descenders.
- Attach both Tender Descenders using one of the two KEVLAR LOOPSto the quicklink. The Tender Descenders should be in parallel. Consult this page for more information.
- Before closing that quicklink, make sure to also secure the TD safety wires to that quicklink. Add a 1500LB SWIVEL to this quicklink and then once this is done, secure the quicklink.
- Using the second kevlar loop, connect the other ends of the Tender Descenders. Secure another 1000LB QUICKLINK to this.
- Check the setup of the Tender Descenders thoroughly. Have somebody else check it, too.
- When routing the e-match wires to the Avionics bay D-sub, leave plenty of slack between the Avionics Bay Bulkhead and the Diaphgram (at least 5"). Feel free to secure with a small amount of blue tape.
- Off to the side, coil the booster to mission package webbing and stow in several small infinity wraps using minimal tape. The optimal height of each infinity wrap is a little over 1". Leave enough slack on one end (do not wrap) to extend the lines from the diaphragm to the forward closure.
- Once this is done, return to the 1500lb swivel you installed early and attach a 1000LB QUICKLINK to the other side.
- Attach the slack side of the booster to mission package webbing to this outermost quicklink.
- Screw the diaphragm into the CUP with FOUR 10-32 GRUB SCREWS using a 7/64 HEX KEY.
Everything you previously installed should be inside of the cup. - Coil the main riser and stow in several small infinity wraps using minimal tape. Attach one side to a 1000LB QUICKLINK followed by a 1500LB SWIVEL followed by another 1000LB QUICKLINK and then the main parachute shroud lines.
- Attach the other end of the main riser using a 1000LB QUICKLINK to the eye nut.
- Pack the riser, followed by the shroud lines, and then the main parachute into the cup.
- Attach the main deployment bag using some 2000LB KEVLAR LINE to the quicklink on the other side of the Tender Descenders. You may need to cut using KEVLAR SHEARS.
- Using a setup of 880 LB QUICKLINK, 1500 LB SWIVEL, and then 880 LB QUICKLINK, attach the DROGUE riser to the top of the main deployment bag.
- Put the AIRFRAME TUBE over this complete assembly.
- "Struggle with clocking" - Jakob
- Screw in four 1/2" 8-32 SCREWS to attach the Airframe to the Avionics Bay.
- Attach the NOSE CONE with the right clocking to the other end of the Avionics Bay using four 8-32 SCREWS.
- Attach the mission package to booster webbing to the PSEUDO FORWARD CLOSURE with a 1000LB QUICKLINK followed by a 1500LB SWIVEL and then another 1000LB QUICKLINK.
- Pack the mission package to booster webbing to the pseudo forward closure.
- Place the drogue on top. The drogue should be as close to the separation point as possible. Screw in the nosecone with the right clocking using four ⅜” 8-32 screws.
- Put the mission package assembly on the fin can extension coupler and secure with 3x with three 6-32 shear pins.
Notes from integration:
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Need to turn down upper counter torqued nut on piston because it otherwise doesn’t screw far enough in?
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We would rather have the piston cup assembly be too short than too long because we can only compress it so much when we do the last step.
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Consider switching to words like "fore and aft"
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Purchase 1/4-28" bolts that 3/4" long.
- SHEAR PINS.Put a bit of tape over each shear pin.
Materials:
DRILLED & TAPPED 1/8 NPT PLUG (has a 1/4-20" hole tapped and threaded in the middle of it)
3x FIREBOLTS (a 1/4-20" bolt with a hole in the middle of it)
TEFLON TAPE
3x E-MATCH
5 MINUTE EPOXY
POPSICLE STICK
BLACK POWDER
BLUE TAPE
2x TENDER DESCENDER BODIES
MAIN PARACHUTE
DEPLOYMENT BAG
PISTON (the small one)
1/8TH NPT ELBOW FITTING
PAYLOAD BULKHEAD
4x 3/4" LONG 1/4-28 BOLTS
3/16THS HEX KEY
AVIONICS BAY COUPLER
4x 1/2" 1/4-28 LOW PROFILE SCREWS
AVIONICS BULKHEAD
WEBBING
3/8-16TH NUT
DIAPHRAGM
3/8-16TH EYE BOLT
LOCTITE
COTTER PIN
7x 1000LB QUICKLINKS (pack at least 4 extras)
2x KEVLAR LOOPS
4x 1500LB SWIVELS
CUP
4x 10-32 GRUB SCREWS
7/64 HEX KEY
2000LB KEVLAR LINE
KEVLAR SHEARS (the gray scissors)
2x 880LB QUICKLINKS
DROGUE
AIRFRAME TUBE
8x 1/2" 8-32 SCREWS
NOSE CONE
PSEUDO FORWARD CLOSURE
...
PACK OF 6-32 SHEAR PINS