Rolling Out The Winter Builds

Since the weather has been improving these last few weeks, my mojo has gotten into high gear. Finally I can get some paint going on and finish up some of the pile waiting in line. I just got these two finished today. The one on the left is called Dynakiller which was built specifically for the 29mm Estes BP motors. The one on the right called Nexus Vortex, sports muscled up leading edges on the fins, and a nose cone scaled from the Semroc Tau Zero that my buddy Scotty Dog gave me for Christmas. I figured there was no harm in turning my own upscale version since I already built a rocket with that NC on it.

There's still some in the white glossy paint stage and one that needs to be sanded a little more and primed. More to come.

Both are awesome. The paint scheme and finish are excellent. But I REALLY like the design of your Dynakiller.

Nice job!

Very nice Mr. Byrum.
The picture is weird looking.
Its like the rockets where superimposed (?) onto the picture.
Anywhoo---- I still haven't gotten me a lathe.
And me mojo is still on and off. I'll go balls to the wall for a week or two then do nothing for weeks..


Nice job on the NC.
However,I feel I own the crème de la crop NC .And we both know whom made it, don't we ! :wink: :grin:

ArizonaSportsman said:

Both are awesome. The paint scheme and finish are excellent. But I REALLY like the design of your Dynakiller.

Nice job!

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Thank you very much. I still question if those fins are large enough. By my building standards, they seem a little small. Oh well...guess I'll find out at NSL.

Scotty Dog said:

Very nice Mr. Byrum.
The picture is weird looking.
Its like the rockets where superimposed (?) onto the picture.
Anywhoo---- I still haven't gotten me a lathe.
And me mojo is still on and off. I'll go balls to the wall for a week or two then do nothing for weeks..


Nice job on the NC.
However,I feel I own the crème de la crop NC .And we both know whom made it, don't we ! :wink: :grin:

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Nope. No super imposed pics. I guess it's just the brightness I enhanced the pic with. Besides, why would I wanna use my staircase for that?

When it gets warm up your way, you'll get your mojo back.

Just think, only you and I have a nose cone that resembles a steeple from Russia.

Hey! You got your quadcopter out of the tree!

LW Bercini said:

Hey! You got your quadcopter out of the tree!

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Uh...no....That is the replacement copter.

Gary Byrum said:

Uh...no....That is the replacement copter.

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:surprised:

LW Bercini said:

:surprised:

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There's little hope for getting the treed copter free from the grasping branches with several intense attempts, so I ordered another one.

Do my rockets look superimposed?

Superimposed? No. Just super! Nice looking birds you have, there!


Later!

--Coop

Coop said:

Superimposed? No. Just super! Nice looking birds you have, there!
Later! --Coop

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Thanks Coop. Designers don't often get compliments for our efforts. I suppose if I were a vendor like Jim Flis, I might get kudos now and then.

I love the paint scheme on both of them...its like they belong to each other. You did an exceptional job on building and painting them!!

Coop said:

Superimposed? No. Just super! Nice looking birds you have, there!


Later!

--Coop

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+1 to that. Something about that paint scheme that gives them dazzling contrast against the background...they seem bigger and brighter than life

mrichhcirm said:

+1 to that. Something about that paint scheme that gives them dazzling contrast against the background...they seem bigger and brighter than life

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New paint, old carpet. Thanks man. The one on the right was quite difficult to mask.

Gary Byrum said:

Thanks Coop. Designers don't often get compliments for our efforts. I suppose if I were a vendor like Jim Flis, I might get kudos now and then.

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You always get me attention with your designs..Im not a Flis but Im a Fitts... and I know cool.... and yo designs are most wicked cool.

Scotty Dog said:

You always get me attention with your designs..Im not a Flis but Im a Fitts... and I know cool.... and yo designs are most wicked cool.

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Coming from the Rocket Dog King, I take that compliment with much appreciation. The other two in the works are in paint mode now, and even my disinterested neighbor thinks the Platinum Centaur is a pretty rocket. Got nice curves on the fins. I hope to get that paint job started tomorrow. All the priming, base coat and gloss base coats are done. Just gotta do my magik now. Make em real purdy. Pictures coming soon.

They are sooo cool they look surreal. Nice job.

Thanks Lance. If the stinkin' humidity would ever come down, I can get two more done. Maybe even a third one. Time is running out if I want to get these birds finished for the launch.

I got my upscale Cloud Chopper finished today. Yes, there was a much smaller prototype. This one sports a BT 70 tube, hand turned nose cone and is 38" tall. The props are about 56" when open.

Here's the Platinum Centaur. I'm especially pleased with how this one turned out. When I first put the black over the pewter paint, I didn't think much of the combination. But when I added the copper and black stripes with the signature and logo on the fin, it popped! Looking forward to flying these next weekend.

Gary Byrum said:

Here's the Platinum Centaur. I'm especially pleased with how this one turned out. When I first put the black over the pewter paint, I didn't think much of the combination. But when I added the copper and black stripes with the signature and logo on the fin, it popped! Looking forward to flying these next weekend.

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That's a good looking animal ya got there Gary. Don't see many 5 (?) fin rockets, and the color combo is great.

rharshberger said:

That's a good looking animal ya got there Gary. Don't see many 5 (?) fin rockets, and the color combo is great.

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Thanks a bunch man. When I was searching through the color swatches at NAPA, I was overwhelmed with the many thousands of platinum shades that were available, but they all required gloss clear coat which I didn't want to mess with. He showed me the pewter that was a near match with one of the platinum's I liked, and it was a glossy acrylic. Just what the Dr. ordered. Yeah, 5 fins. Never built one of those before, so I did. I love using auto colors.

Gary Byrum said:

I got my upscale Cloud Chopper finished today. Yes, there was a much smaller prototype. This one sports a BT 70 tube, hand turned nose cone and is 38" tall. The props are about 56" when open.

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All very nice looking birds, Gary. I can't wait to see them fly - especially the Cloud Hopper.

Rocketlady said:

All very nice looking birds, Gary. I can't wait to see them fly - especially the Cloud Hopper.

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Me too Kathy. The prototype worked very well and this is an exact upscale of it. The LCO from one of last years events was intrigued by the differences in my design to what has been around from years past, and asked if he could use some of my techniques. I said "sure, but it'll cost you 1/2 of all your lottery winnings"....JK. Apparently he thought what I had done was an improvement in designs from the past. Hope the weather holds out. Lookin' real good for O'burg right now.

Gary Byrum said:

I got my upscale Cloud Chopper finished today. Yes, there was a much smaller prototype. This one sports a BT 70 tube, hand turned nose cone and is 38" tall. The props are about 56" when open.

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Sharp looking heli!
How do the rotor stops work?

BABAR said:

Sharp looking heli!
How do the rotor stops work?

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Each prop is fitted with a wedge of 1/4" wood at the hinge area. This wedge supports a split 1/4" launch lug that harnesses the rubber bands for flight mode. When the motor burns out, the exhaust flame burns the cord that restrains the props and allows them to spread open. That wedge is angled in the back at such a degree that allows them to only open just so far. They stop the props on the metal hinge.

Gary Byrum said:

Each prop is fitted with a wedge of 1/4" wood at the hinge area. This wedge supports a split 1/4" launch lug that harnesses the rubber bands for flight mode. When the motor burns out, the exhaust flame burns the cord that restrains the props and allows them to spread open. That wedge is angled in the back at such a degree that allows them to only open just so far. They stop the props on the metal hinge.

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Gary
Can you post some magnified pics in open and closed positions?
Thanks!

Good looking rockets, Gary. You've had a productive Winter. Oh, and nice paint on all of them. Very cool.

Pics from the launches?

BABAR said:

Gary
Can you post some magnified pics in open and closed positions?
Thanks!

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Pardon the over spray. I'll deal with touch-ups after the launch.

foamy said:

Good looking rockets, Gary. You've had a productive Winter. Oh, and nice paint on all of them. Very cool.

Pics from the launches?

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Thanks buddy. Of course you can see my paint flaws in those up close pics. I don't have time to make the touch-ups before the launch. Paint won't be good and dry.

Heck Gary, I don't know if I'd even mess with it. It gives it a "used machinery" kind of look—like weathering/oil spray. You get what I'm trying to say. I think it's a happy accident.