10" lightweight Atlas Missile

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Looks great, Frank! It is amazing how fast you are going. There are a lot of new and interesting ideas here. I used epoxy on my Lexan fins on my Gemini-Titan, but I did not attach to foam.
 
Bob that's one nice thing about foam, CA and not using paint, you can just go at the speed of your cutting/sanding/sticking......Epoxy will stick to foam just fine, but since the slots are only 1/16" wide, there isn't a lot of place to get glue in, but the CA is thinner and lighter and will wick in better, that's why I did a mix of plastic epoxy on the root and Ca where the Foam was.....

Frank
 
Got the other side skirt and conduit built, ran out of glue so had to get some. While I was there I had the brilliant idea for making the turbopump exhaust...I remembered the gas powered rc airplanes I used to use had a rubber extension to keep the residue off the plane, it was only $2.25 and is very flexible. It's a little undersized but is almost the perfect shape. I glued a little piece of dowell on the thrustplate and it slides right on. On landing it will just flex and not break, plus it weighed almost nothing. I think this idea and my vernier flames on the clear fins are the two highlights of the build:)

Note the nozzle spacing is also too close together but I wanted them mounted on the thrust plate for landing support, I dind't want to widen my thrust plate to also go under the skirt sides because it would have added a few ounces more to the tail and I didn't want to do that. That was a choice on my part.

Frank

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Finished the side tunnels and covered them, now just waiting for more chrome covering...CG seems pretty close to what I need...
The fins really dissappear..I did order a 50" and 58" chute to test for fit in the bay to give me some slower landing speed since this is a bit heavier than my other four foam models.

Frank

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We will definitely have to get some good shots from the sides when you launch it, it would re-create the real launch shots with the vernier flames visible.
 
Did some of the panel lines and the simulated vernier mounting plate..I didn't want to make this 3d and block a large portion of the fin with turbulence..Turned out ok, I think on the pad it will look decent.

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Did some of the panel lines and the simulated vernier mounting plate..I didn't want to make this 3d and block a large portion of the fin with turbulence..Turned out ok, I think on the pad it will look decent.

How did you do the lines? Sharpie? Vinyl striping?
 
I used a sharpie, two different widths depending on what I'm doing....I was copying my Estes Mercury Atlas, and just now noticed it is incorrect, the ribbing is not there underneath the vernier...but oh well, I can remove it easily with super glue accellerator, it dissolves the sharpie pretty easily.

BTW on an unrelated note, when I grew up we called them magic markers....my daughter keeps giving me crap when I say that instead of sharpie....
Also, I say pig pile....she swears it is dog pile....what do kids know...
 
Well, she's finished except for final CG. 5 pounds 2 oz... now, it's just an inch or so tail heavy empty. With motor, chute, altimeter and a few ounces of balast, between 6 and 6.4 pounds rtf I expect. Did the piping using monokote trim and sharpie markers and doesn't look terrible. I show a few shots and one with my 20 year old Estes Mercury Atlas for scale. Hope you found it interesting.

Frank

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Looks phenomenal...the one with both Atlas' is the money shot.
 
Frank, I just saw the model airplane silicone exhaust deflector in my latest Tower Hobbies catalog that just came in the mail. I am going to copy this idea from you. There are 3 sizes. I will probably order the largest size.
 
Cool, yes the largest is best for this scale.

I took what my shop had, not sure what size it was..

Frank

QUOTE=aerostadt;1507575]Frank, I just saw the model airplane silicone exhaust deflector in my latest Tower Hobbies catalog that just came in the mail. I am going to copy this idea from you. There are 3 sizes. I will probably order the largest size.[/QUOTE]
 
Got my top flute 58" chute and decided to do the cg, needed only 3oz in the nose with an h180, so its ready to go, if weather is ok in tri cities sat I may fly it.
 
Frank,

That looks Spectacular! Please get a lot of photos of it out on the flight line. Praying for blue skies for you!
 
Did some of the panel lines and the simulated vernier mounting plate..I didn't want to make this 3d and block a large portion of the fin with turbulence..Turned out ok, I think on the pad it will look decent.
Wow, this is really coming out great. Good job on the innovative techniques.
 
My son is coming down from Seattle and will video for me, that's why I decided to try to do the launch this weekend. I appreciate the good wishes, hopefully I don't reenact one of the early atlas flights��
 
Weather is currently forecast at 5-10 mph with a high of 72F. Winds at 2500' and 5000' are predicted at 10mph or less. Should be a beautiful day to fly tomorrow.
 
Perfect weather today and a perfect flight, straight up, no bobble, backslid straight down and perfect ejection. One krylon paint cap/nozzle cracked on landing but those are sort of disposable. Will try to post video tonight.
I also flew my 20 year old mercury atlas from Estes with similar clear lexan fins like I have in this one, perfectly straight on an e-30..i always hated those plug in duck feet fins..

Frank
 
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Awesome, I look forward to the video. I don't like the 'duck feet' fins either but have been too lazy to make clear ones. Mine is around 15 years old so I suspect, if I haven't done so by now, it's not going to happen.
 
Here are two photos ready to launch, Atlas Missile flight to 418 feet, mercury atlas to about the same. Atlast decent rate on the 58" chute says 8 ft/sec and 84mph max speed and 4 g's. I also flew my Pershing 1A 8" foam model to 684' on an H-180, my Polecat Pershing 2 on an I-366 to 1510 feet and my LOC 7.5" V-2 on a J-570 to 2300'. Just a beautiful day.

Frank

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Man those are SWEET photos... What clear plastic fins?

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I know right? It's too bad, the video had the sun reflecting off of them pretty badly so they were obvious on liftoff but normally they are pretty invisible.
 
Here is the video, My son lost it for a second right after liftoff, but that was the only motor I had. Hope you like it. Funny, all of my foam rockets just go straight up and just tail slide...
[video=youtube;nAEzGX9P6WM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAEzGX9P6WM[/video]
 
That was sure a beautiful flight. My Redstone tail slid like that too.
 
As one of the eye witnesses to this flight, it was absolutely beautiful. The Estes Mercury Atlas was too! Nice work Frank, thanks for flying with us today. It was perfect flying weather, almost no wind and lots of sod to land on.
 
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