Photos from Mayhem Day 2

[Jeffrey Joe HintonModerator]

Great post flight trauma analysis. I wouldn’t have thought the expanding foam, once set up, would be subject to mushing when briefly heated but that certainly explains the gooey residue on your parachute.

[new2hprParticipant]

Was the foam in your nosecone the cheap stuff out of the spray can, or the 2-part epoxy foam sold in hobby stores, etc.?

The stuff out of the spray can requires contact with air to cure, and can remain gooey underneath the hardened skin for a VERY long time. The 2-part, however, cures chemically and hardens throughout. Definitely worth the extra cost.

Perhaps the G forces slammed your noseweight down through some still-gooey foam, releasing it onto your chute?

Just my $0.02.
-Ken

[Eli Boardman]

Was the foam in your nosecone the cheap stuff out of the spray can, or the 2-part epoxy foam sold in hobby stores, etc.?

The stuff out of the spray can requires contact with air to cure, and can remain gooey underneath the hardened skin for a VERY long time. The 2-part, however, cures chemically and hardens throughout. Definitely worth the extra cost.

Perhaps the G forces slammed your noseweight down through some still-gooey foam, releasing it onto your chute?

Just my $0.02.
-Ken

That’s it! It was the spray can stuff, as I didn’t know that there was anything else out there.

I was surprised that some of it wasn’t dry underneath, because it had the entite month of May to dry. But if it needs air, then that explains it.

The G80 must have induced more Gs than the Cesaroni reloads, and pulled the 1/2lb or so of lead down through the foam, which is what the foam was supposed to prevent in the first place.

Thanks for the replies!

[Dave Smith]

wow! Just yesterday I was contemplating using the cheap foam stuff for a nose cone fill. In the past, I had used the two part epoxy foam; it worked great, but I am always trying to trim the costs.

Now I know what to do! Your two cents is worth quite a bit more, Ken!

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