Program to Design Parts

I'm working to upscale and custom design some rockets. Transitions and tail cones are becoming an issue. I'm wondering if there's a free/inexpensive program that can calculate and print paper cones for this. I'd also like to have the ability to calculate and print the slots for TTW fin slots. Any suggestions?

On a side note, any suggestions about the idea of soaking the transitions with fiberglass resin to reinforce them?

Kruegon said:

I'm working to upscale and custom design some rockets. Transitions and tail cones are becoming an issue. I'm wondering if there's a free/inexpensive program that can calculate and print paper cones for this. I'd also like to have the ability to calculate and print the slots for TTW fin slots. Any suggestions?

Click to expand...

www.payloadbay.com

Click on the 'Tools' option.

Awesome. That's great for the layout. I'm assuming that the template does not include the glue tab. So I seem to need to add about 1/4" on larger rockets and 1/8" on small rockets.

But back to the transitions. How would you suggest I strengthen them? I was thinking that a thin fiberglass resin soaked into the card stock should create a "phenolic" like effect. Any other suggestions for an alternate or better solution?

Kruegon said:

Awesome. That's great for the layout. I'm assuming that the template does not include the glue tab. So I seem to need to add about 1/4" on larger rockets and 1/8" on small rockets.

But back to the transitions. How would you suggest I strengthen them? I was thinking that a thin fiberglass resin soaked into the card stock should create a "phenolic" like effect. Any other suggestions for an alternate or better solution?

Click to expand...

I haven't made a transition/ tail cone in awhile with this payloadbay tool. I don't recall if a tab is included.

Doesn't matter tho, if it did I would cut it off any ways. Then I would glue both the inside surfaces of the two ends of the transition/tail cone at the same time with the scrape piece that was the tab. In other words, cover the two sides of the inside joint at the same time with srape paper or the cut off tab.

This makes for a much smoother joint on the outside of the joint. A couple'a rounds of filling and sanding and you can make the joint disappear.

I have nested card stock transitions/tail cones (several layers, think Russian nesting dolls) and saturated them with thin CA. They turn out really tough.

yep, 110# cardstock (available from WalMart) soaked with CA (get the cheapo $1 for 4 tubes stuff) turns out like plastic (use PLENTY of ventilation, I set up a fan behind me to blow the fumes away from -- CA in your eyes burns, also wear gloves (nitrile, latex, etc) )

here are a couple build threads using this technique...and +1 on brady's recommendation on the "butt" joint rather than overlap

Soyuz
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?66254-1-52-Semi-Scale-Soyuz

Atlas (starting around post #50)
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?45347-Mercury-Atlas&p=484891#post484891

I have also made all paper nose cones like this
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?120758-Nose-Cone-Needed

edit: corrected Soyuz link

You can also use OpenRocket to design a paper rocket and then it will print the transition sections

Open rocket? This is news to me. Free version of rocksim?

Kruegon said:

Open rocket? This is news to me. Free version of rocksim?

Click to expand...

Are you kidding? (Blank stare.)

Nope. Not kidding. I played around with rocksim about 10 years back. I've mostly relied on prefab parts and my math/science skills to design rockets with pencil and paper. Got out of rockets for a few years. Just recently got serious with them again.

So what is open rocket? I'm mobile so no comp to look and play with it.

Kruegon said:

Nope. Not kidding. I played around with rocksim about 10 years back. I've mostly relied on prefab parts and my math/science skills to design rockets with pencil and paper. Got out of rockets for a few years. Just recently got serious with them again.

So what is open rocket? I'm mobile so no comp to look and play with it.

Click to expand...

It's open source java based design and simulation software with features similar to Rocksim. There is a link on the TRF main page in the description of the Electronic and Software forum. Some of the maintainers (kruland comes to mind) post here.

Open Rocket is a great open source piece of software. You can design and flight sim your rocket. The designs have several views, blue print style, 3d cutaway, 3d model and 3d exterior view. I has a library of common parts (Estes, Loc, PML, BMS etc) that you can use to design with. For a paper rocket you could design the rocket out of paper transitions and then print them out. The 3d views will let you see your design. Its easy to use IMO, and it only took me a few hours to really be able to work with it. Its not as feature packed as RockSim, but its free, and works. It also has a motor database built in with many motors by AeroTech, CTI, Estes, Quest, Loki, etc. Its also easy to run, install Oracles Java (freeware) then drop the OpenRocket file on your desktop and double click the .jar file and it runs.

bradycros said:

Are you kidding? (Blank stare.)

Click to expand...

Kruegon said:

Nope. Not kidding. I played around with rocksim about 10 years back. I've mostly relied on prefab parts and my math/science skills to design rockets with pencil and paper. Got out of rockets for a few years. Just recently got serious with them again.

So what is open rocket? I'm mobile so no comp to look and play with it.

Click to expand...

OpenRocket is a free, fully featured model rocket simulator that allows you to design and simulate your rockets before actually building and flying them.

Go to www.openrocket.sourceforge.net

So it's a download, not web based right? Cause then I can take it with me.

Kruegon said:

So it's a download, not web based right? Cause then I can take it with me.

Click to expand...

It's a download but you'll need a reasonably up to date version of Java installed on whatever device you're using now.

Cool! I didn't know OpenRocket had that feature: File --> Print / Export PDF. Learned something new! Thanks!

I have a copy on my laptop for use at the range and one on my desktop pc at home.

ARRRRRGGGGG! Downloaded java and OpenRocket. The .jar file is corrupt. And I'm mobile today. No wifi. Go figure.