Originally posted by Bohica
The main differances are that the Funnel of Love will be powered by a single 24mm motor and will feature not only a funnel fin but a funnel NC as well.
Rockets like that look especially cool when flying on Black Jack motors. The black smoke is spread out by the cone producing a neat effect. They are good rockets for small fields because you can fly them on larger motors without them going too high, producing dramatic flights.
I like your idea of using a funnel for a nose cone. I've built two "finless" rockets. Both were based on Aerotech kits. I cut new "fins" to hold the cones (funnels) in place. I had some problem gluing the plastic funnels to the wood fins and body tube. I roughed up the plastic and used epoxy. But I found I had to re-glue some fins to the funnels after almost every flight.
My first finless rocket was called
Red Glare. It flew okay on F motors, but better on a G because of the drag from the cone. I flew it several times then, for a night launch, we modified the nose cone. We put a flashlight in the nose and cut out star-shaped holes for the light to shine through. We glued some clear plastic into the holes. We launched it during the day and it flew okay, but during the night launch, it came down a little hard, breaking both the nose cone (which was weakened by the holes we cut into it), and the struts which held on the cone. So I've retired that rocket.
My second finless rocket, about the size of the one you're building, is unnamed. During its first and only flight, the weight I added to the nose to offset the weight of the cone apparently came loose shifting the CG back. It looped once then became stable (fortunately going in an upward direction). Then, to top it all off, the 'chute didn't eject. The rocket wasn't damaged, so I might work on it, but I haven't had the chance since then.
-- Roger
