SEE THE TALON 6 IN FLIGHT
Roger Noss's Level-3 Flight with TALON 6
Click picture to enlarge
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The Flagship of the TALON Line
Once in a while a kit line comes along that sets a new standard, like with the TALON series of rockets. The TALON 6 is the flagship of that series. It is absolutely uncompromising in quality and features. You won't find a higher quality, more complete kit anywhere. The TALON 6 is sophisticated in engineering and it's a dream to build. The TALON 6 is the top choice among Level-3 fliers because its drop-dead gorgeous and because it's engineered to the cutting edge of rocketry.
CPU-Time
Any manufacturer can get a tube, a nosecone and some fins, and call it a "rocket". But at Giant Leap, we put serious thought into our products and our kits. In fact, we call it "CPU-time" - - a computer term that refers to the actual time spent by the main central processing unit (CPU) in processing a problem. It's that pure, undistracted, time when you think hard about something. The TALON 6 is the product of serious CPU-time. Indeed, the detailed instructions and photos are 34 pages long! Our goal was to make the best looking, best engineered kit in rocketry....period. So when you walk onto the field with the huge TALON 6 slung over your shoulder, everybody knows you have the best.
Advanced Features
The TALON 6 is loaded with features. The nosecone and tailcone are hand made with a smooth surface coat that requires very little seam line finishing on your part. Also - - and this is important - - they are made from epoxy based fiberglass, not polyester, the cheap stuff. Polyester is carcinogenic, stinks, and is structurally weaker than epoxy. When you purchase fiberglass products, be sure they are epoxy. Speaking of epoxy, we use Aeropoxy, the leading resin in the homebuilt aircraft industry.
The fins are made of 1/4" composite honeycomb with glass sandwich. The fin edges are pre-finished. All rings and bulkheads are made of 1/2" 9-ply birch. There's an Avionics Bay that is 21" long and features a mounting board that slides in and out on dado slots. The shockcords are tubular Kevlar™ and include the FIREBALL to resist zippering. The recovery system also features our redundant anchoring system so that in the unlikely event that one attachment point fails, there's a back up anchor. The attachment hardware is a combination of beefy U-bolts, quik-links, and Kevlar straps.
We're serious about motor retention at Giant Leap. The TALON 6 features a 75mm threaded Slimline made from 6061 T6 aircraft grade aluminum. The motortube itself is 75mm and is 48" long. We're serious about instructions too. The instruction booklet is 34 pages long and has lots of step-by-step photos. A high quality vinyl decal - - about 2 feet long - - adds a final touch of beauty to this stunning bird.
Configuration
Our goal was to maximize the probability of a great flight and for a successful level-3 certification. So the TALON 6 uses electronic recovery, but is configured for single deployment. The upper section and booster separate at apogee and come down separately on their own chutes (sold separately). This avoids the complication of dual deployment, and reduces the chances of tangled lines and part-collision damage. Hey, big rockets are expensive and we want to be sure you get yours back safely.
Specifications
Length 124" Diameter 6" I.D.
Dry Weight: 25 LBS (glass version approx.). Loaded weight (motor, recovery, etc) 42 LBS approx
Motortube: 75mm X 48"
Fins: 3 upper fins, 3 lower fins finished edges. 1/4" composite material
Nosecone: 5-to-1 Ogive. Epoxy-based figerglass
Tailcone: Epoxy-based fiberglass, preslotted for lower fins
Recovery system: BOOSTER: 1/2" Tubular Kevlar™ UPPER SECTION: 1/4" tubular Kevlar with Custom Fireball
Bulkheads and Rings: 1/2" thick 9-ply Russian Birch
Motor Retention: 75mm Threaded Slimline
Airframe: Filament-wound fiberglass preslotted or Microseam phenolic (requires glass lamination)*
Delrin Rail buttons (attached through to bulkheads) fit most rails (heavy duty rail recommended).
Motors: M1315 Aerotech (over 8500' altitude) or M1400 Cesaroni (Lower impulse not recommended)
Recommended chutes: TAC-9B for booster and TAC-72 for upper section (we also recommend TAC-BAGs)
Phenolic version $775.22 
Includes EZ-GLAS sock. Resin and laminating materials not included.
Dyna-Wind Fiberglass version (recommended) $875.00
What is DYNA-WIND? Click here
Filament Fiberglass airframe version $975.00
* other than airframes, both versions use the same materials for other components.
TALON 6 is a high-end, limited production kit
..from the original designers of the TALON
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