For those of you that followed and opined re my Does This Look Stable thread, this is an upscale of that beast. When I finally found a stable design that I liked it turned out look pretty good and fun to fly. Nice slow take off and easy to track. A C6-3 is the sweet spot. Actually went out and flew it 2x today when I had to run out to the store to pick up a few things.
First flight was a C6-3 with a top flight 12" chute. Beautiful. So good I loaded up another C6-3 and shot it off and watched it hit apogee and then watched it turn over and start heading back towards planet earth. Chute now........... now?........... now? pretty please? I thought all was lost and then pop. Chute deployed with enough time to effect a safe landing. It was right about then that I wondered if I might not have stuffed a C6-5 into her by mistake? Pulled out the spent motor and sure enough there its was printed clearly on the casing: C6-5. Oooops. At least the story had a happy ending.
So I've decided to upscale it to a BT-80 bird: code name XL-Lander. The plan is to fly it on E or F motors.
So here's a pic of the completed bird I'm upscaling.
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 1st June 2010 at 04:10 AM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
The original idea of using the flat top pods was a nod to the fact that the laws of earthly aerodynamic design don't hold in the no atmospheric conditions found on the moon or in space. No molecules, no friction, no problem.
This beast needs 4 pods. Each is 6" of BT60 capped on both ends with 0.30" sheet styrene (evergreen scale models item # 9030).
Step 1. cut pods to length
Step 2. glue balsa blocks into BT to support the cap (pic 1)
Step 3. seal the top of the blocks with super glue
Step 4. glue rough cut cap to top and bottom using super glue (pic 2 and 3)
Step 5. trim cap using scissors. trimming a little bit at a time (pic 4)
Step 6. use a fine double cut flat file to even up the cap with the BT
Step 7. sandpaper finishes the job
Step 8. strake is attached to the pod
Ready to prime.
I've used this same technique using balsa caps on both flat and 45% pods.
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 1st June 2010 at 04:15 AM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
I've been reading a book that involves the use of shuttles from a base ship to the surface of a planet for exploration. This has provided the inspiration to make this look like a working vessel - and allows me to claim that all rough finish, lack of perfect symmetry of surface features, etc. were all intentional, rather than the result of a mediocre builder :-)
Anyway, back to the build.
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 23rd June 2010 at 10:53 PM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
A plastic strut was epoxied to the BT. Before the strakes were attached.
It was originally planned to encircle the entire BT, but it snapped while being wrapped so this was added to fill the gap. Sort of looks planned, but the observant observer (which you all are) will see it is not perfectly aligned with the strake (but see caveat above regarding asymmetrical features).
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 23rd June 2010 at 10:52 PM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Got tired of gray, so I shot some semi gloss white over it. Nothing fancy. I stepped way out of my flat white comfort zone here. Flat white is so forgiving. Note artificially distressed nose cone.
A quick dry fit without the fins just to see what it looks like. Not the daintiest thing is it?
About those fins. Time to pull out SolidWorks (yeah it's overkill, but I have it. Actually, never made a 3d sketch it and really don't know how. That's just plain stupid) and draw up some fins. My buddy can feed the file and a gallon of Popov (it's a New Russia Intergalactic Mining Consortium rocket after all) into his laser cutter and viola 4 perfect fins that I'll say I cut out with the same 6 year old single edge razor blade I used when I was building rockets as a kid 40 years ago (a 59 word (actually 56 word, 3 number) sentence that isn't a run on sentence, wait now it's 71 words and 6 numbers and still not a run on).
Figuring in cost overruns, redesign fees and retooling, supply shortages, a general lack of talent coupled with overall poor planning, I anticipate an unfinished test flight by the end of the month.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
This vehicle has been christened the Orianthi in honor of the Universe's next guitar god who happens to be a goddess. Where is it is ungainly in form, sharp in lines and utilitarian in function, it is named in honor of grace, beauty and artistic genius.
Her CD Believe is phenomenal. Think I'm kidding? Check out the guitar duet with Steve Vai. Perhaps the best news is that little girls (and everyone else in the known and likely unknown Universe, regardless of species) can aspire to shred with best rather than ............. well whatever it is that Miley Cirus does.
So Orianthi (just in case you're a rocket chick (please don't read the use of "chick" as sexist, I just never liked "Dudette") and following this not to be missed thread), this one's for you.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
It's been said that given a room full of chimpanzees with sufficient rocket supplies they would eventually build a rocket superior to anything I could ever hope to build. I know for a fact that this is patently false. It would take no more than 2 chimpanzees and a long weekend for the paint to dry.
After all, even a chimpanzee would have checked that the balsa wood they pulled from the closet was the same thickness as the strake it was to be glued to. And this was after I decided to cut them out myself rather than drive the 2 hour round trip to use my buddies laser cutter.
From this point forward these 4 fins will be referred to as concept fins used only to ensure that the shape was what I was looking for before I wasted the more expensive, thicker balsa if a design modification was indicated. Looks good, so I will proceed with cutting out the actual fins that will be used on the rocket.
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 24th June 2010 at 06:14 AM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Fins are cut out and papered. Waiting for the glue to dry.
Nose cone is finished. The dowel lets me add nose weight. Fender washer slip right over it. I drill a pilot hole before screwing in the screweye. Once I have the weight right, I'll trim the dowel and superglue the screweye in place to be safe.
Still need to paint the pods. Just about out of Rust-o-leum filler primer so I'll be switching over to Rust-o-leum automobile primer which I have on hand. Haven't decided on the color yet. Again, it'll be one of the colors I have on hand. Probably blue or orange. I'll see what the chimpanzees think.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
I had to go in today for mandatory, no pay training on the new teacher evaluation system that will be in place for next year. Robbed of a perfectly good day of summer vacation (violins playing in the background).
2 pods glued in place. I'm out of Elmer's Wood Glue, so I'm using Titebond II which I had on hand. I forgot what a different beast it is. Setup time is much longer than the Elmer's.
So back to the Xbox while I wait for the next pod to set......................
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Pod 4 needs some touch up before it can be attached. Pretty much 99.99999% humidity today, so no painting. Still deciding what to do with the caps of the pods.
Need to finish papering the fins. No atmosphere where the Orianthi works so no need airfoils needed. All edges will be square.
Time to make dinner. Today's appetizer is prunes wrapped on prosciutto baked at 350 until crisp (Sweet, yet salty. To die for. You should try them). Steak with fresh asparagus for dinner. Dessert is an unknown at this point in time. There has to something hiding out somewhere in the kitchen............
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Hmmm, the closer the Orianthi gets to completion, the more ungainly she looks. Maybe the fins will help. Let's see how she looks with one of the fins held in place. Nope. No help. She's not going to win any best of show trophies on cruise night at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe.
Hmmmm, I wonder if she's going to shred at lift off under the roar of an F motor? That would surely be anticlimactic and lend even more credence to the 2 chimpanzee scenario.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Bit of a set back here at the Bone Daddy rocket fabrication building. For some reason the paint on one of the pods didn't cure. I wrapped some tape to mask off an area and it smudged. Some of the damage in the picture was from my picking at to see what was going on. It looks like the top coat didn't bond to the primer. Both were Rust-o-leum products and I've never had this problem before. The other pods seem to be OK.
Decided it would just be easier to fabricate a new pod than to mess with this one. This will be task 1 for tomorrow so I can get all 4 pods glued in pace.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
4th pod is cut to length and painted. Decided not to bother with primer. Spirals are a little easier to see, but all my rockets are meant to be admired from a distance. Giving the paint plenty of time to dry before adding the end caps.
Here is the tube cutting jig I use. It's actually a jig I made for a previous project, but it works in a pinch. I use the tape as a guide for the razor. So razor in one hand and rotate tube. Someday I'll build a proper tube cutter, but for now it get's the job done.
Safety always come first in Bone Daddy's rocket lab and one of its prime directives is that this jig is never, ever to be placed on the floor even for a microsecond. I know for a fact that sooner or later (probably sooner) i'd step on it and that would hurt (not to mention it would piss off my wife (and rightfully so) that I got so much blood on the carpet).
The first two prime directives (I bet you thought there could only be 1 prime directive. Well, if you did, you were wrong. I can have as many as I want) are:
1) start with 10 end with 10 (fingers)
1) start with 2 end with 2 (eyes)
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 27th June 2010 at 04:19 AM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
I've been looking for the ruler for my small adjustable square. Found it while cutting the end of an expended D for my motor block. It was on my band saw (no doubt exactly where I left it last). Funny how you always find things in the last place you look.
Finished the motor mount. Made it to handle the 3.75" 24mm motors knowing I could easy adapt it for the 2.75" motors.
The motor mount tube is Semroc BT50. I reinforced it with a weird diameter bt that slides over the BT50. I then doubled it at the nozzle end. I beefed it up because I'm planning to friction fit for now. Don't want it to buckle. The end is also treated with super glue.
That's Duke playing hide and seek. Took us forever to find him. He's quite good at it.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Last piece of the motor mount equation was to add a nozzle. Final design is a piece of BT60 with 8 heat sinks. It has a BT60 to BT50 centering ring that slips over the end of the motor. It has a 1/2 inch over hang. Not sure yet if it'll be glued in place or just friction fit. Might be easier to change motors if it can be removed.
It'll be sprayed flat black. No filling on BT or heat exchangers.
Now that I have a nozzle, it's time to glue in the motor mount.
Pod 4 is dry so it's ready for the end caps.
Still need to finish papering the fins. Ran out of bond paper. Another unanticipated cost overrun (but then are any cost overruns anticipated?).
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Eh, New Russian Federation we have a problem...........................
The Bone Daddy Rocket Lab is flat out of flat black paint. This is a travesty. This is like the IRS running out of citizen tax returns to audit.
Next best thing: Rust-o-leum satin maroon (actual color name unknown). I really like this color so the lack of flat black turned out to be a nonstarter after all. The problem on the horizon is that the fins were to be pained flat black. In the end, this may be an unavoidable cost overrun in response to procuring a new can of flat black for the fins.
Motor mount is glued in place.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Test fit the nozzle before giving it a finishing coat. So far so good.
The shock cord at this point in time is 72" (nominally) of 400# Kevlar thread. It's actually 2 36" pieces tied together. That's about 2.5 x length so I'll probably end up adding another 36" length. No elastic will be used.
I've had problems in the past with shock cord tied together getting hung up on the knot upon deployment. This problem was solved by using a piece of shrink tubing to cover the knot.
This list leading to completion is getting shorter by the hour.
- finish papering, painting and mounting fins
- complete painting
- need a fully loaded weight to determine size of chute.
- swing test and trim as needed.
That's it.
T minus 72 hours estimated to lift off.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
I experienced problems wit my fins bonding to styrene end cap on the first lander. To solve this I'm using an L-bracket made of styrene superglued to the paper on the fin.
The bracket is flush with the top edge so there is a styrene to styrene bond on each side of the balsa.
The bracket on the inside edge overlaps the strake on each side to give a little more support.
The pix are of my mock up.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Took a quick supplies inventory at the Bone Daddy Rocket Lab and it doesn't look good. The cupboard is bare. We're out of or almost out of:
- glue
superglue
Elmer's wood glue
- bond paper
- spraypaint:
Rust-o-leum satin colonial red (looked up color on website)
Flat black
Flat white
- BT-60
- BT-50
- motors:
1/2A
A8-3
All B
C6-3 (1 on hand)
C6-5 (2 on hand)
E? (for the Orianthi)
F? (for the Orianthi)
- refrigerator (seems the compressor went out last night :-( Hmm maybe this should be listed first?)
- ice cream (see above)
I will definitely have to put off hiring a chimpanzee assistant for awhile, at least until the fridge is fixed or replaced.
Last edited by Bone Daddy; 29th June 2010 at 02:12 AM.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Today was a great day of rocket building if you like cutting out and assembling a seemingly endless supply of little parts. Otherwise, if you are like me, a root canal would be a viable alternative.
Fins are finished except for the paint. It probably makes sense to just paint them semigloss white (which I have enough of) to match the fuselage, but there us no rule stated or even implied that things must make sense in the Bone Daddy Rocket Lab.
Broke out the toolbox and ohmmeter and did some exploratory surgery on the fridge. Prelim findings were actually quite good. The compressor motor windings checked out fin so there is a good chance the starter relay is bad. I'll pick one up in the morning (just so happens a Hobby Lobby and a Hobbytown are on the way, well more or less on the way). The repair, if it is the relay, will be well under $100. If it's not the relay, we are shopping for a new fridge.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
Decided to shoot a coat of primer on the fins. Have to let the primer dry then top coat. Looks like it'll be semigloss white. This will add 48 hours or so to the countdown.
Started lettering. She is now officially christened the NRF ORIANTHI.
Also a pic with two fins in place, not glued to see how it looks. She does look a little more graceful with the fins in place.
Countdown has been reset to T-minus 120 hours and counting.
Forgot to buy superglue while at Hobbylobby buying motors. I really do need that chimpanzee to help me remember everything. This project is jut too big and complex for a single primate.
My life's goal is to be an idiot savant. So far, I'm only halfway there.
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