Smaug Model Rocket

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Smaug successfully launched on three E 12s. Straight up and at the end of the power curve Smaug found the speed of balsa and a wing broke off. Still coasted up and deployed. Wing fluttered down. A bit too much power, E9s would have been better. Minimal motor burn on the claws and my anti-clip fouling tape took most of the heat.


Smaug Launch 1.jpgSmaug Launch 2.jpgSmaug Launch 3.jpgSmaug Launch 4.jpgSmaug Launch 5.jpgSmaug Launch 6.jpgSmaug Launch 7.jpgSmaug Launch 8.jpgSmaug Launch 9.jpgSmaug Launch 10.jpg
 
The finished version looks good! Was it really the speed of balsa or was Bard the Bowman hiding in the scrub brush?
 
The finished version looks good! Was it really the speed of balsa or was Bard the Bowman hiding in the scrub brush?

Thanks!. It actually was Bard the Bowman, finding the one small flaw, the only weak spot on Smaug that could bring him down. It was the biggest sheet of squishy Hobby Lobby balsa I had ever used. When building I did think of soaking the raw TTW portion of the balsa with CA like I had on the Lancaster, but I thought 3/16 thickness with paper and a Titeband glue joint would hold, maybe on E9s but not the awesome power of three MIGHTY E 12s! The wood just gave away in high speed flight, just like an old WWI wood and canvas fighter plane. In the end all the villagers present were saved and Smaug will get some tab reinforcement and E9's for the next flight.
 
I hope a video of the flight will be found.

I don't know if anyone took a video. We were operating under heightened safety procedures. Not the best of times to be flying a three E clustered oddroc.

Lots of Scouts flying so the repair and modification line was busy. Even got up a Maxi Alpha with reversed motor mount for many nice flights as well as a first time SR 71 for at least two successful flights.

Smaug flew nice and straight like an airplane, I mean dragon, I mean rocket should. Just gave a little flicks on the tail, very quick off the rod compared to some other things I have flown, those E12s kick booty. Don't need a brick in the nose with no good, stinking tractor motors. All lit nice with long Q2G2s, nice smoke trail. Still flew up with a twist after the wing broke off, coast and eject at apogee. Nice slow decent with wing fluttering down nearby.

Maybe there were some flight photos but I am having trouble loading that page:(
 
Yeah, I hear you about the odd odd rocs and scouts. The cell the ekranoplan will fly from is suitable for L motors and that distance is based on the LCO station which is itself a safe distance from the flight line.
 
Randall Redd from the Dizzy Dog Rocket Ranch flew a dragon many years ago but it was nowhere near the complexity of this project. Randall was a master of flying oddrocs :)
 
I always liked his stuff. Unfortunately I haven't and probably never will see them in person.
 
This is so cool! I love all of the detail you put into the spikes and tail. I bet the tail looks super cool waving in the wind on the way down.

Would love to see a video of the next flight!
 
Smaug flew for the second time Saturday and it was almost an exact repeat of the first flight. This time the other wing shredded, the repaired one stayed on. This time I used 3 E9-4 but it still had the power to exceed the speed of balsa for the unreinforced side. That is the good thing about tractor motors. Like I tell the Pad Fuhrer, when flying those canted tractor motors above the CG, the whole hind end of the rocket is just following for show. Stripping major components in flight is no big deal, shaping fins with fire is OK. I say the flight is more in the hands of the Lord than Science. The Pad Fuhrer says Science is ALL that counts. Smaug is already fixed up for flight number 3, a couple of minutes with super glue, then label paper and a dash of gold paint.

Smaug broken wing 2.jpgSmaug soot.jpgSmaug post flight behind.jpgSmaug Nike post flight.jpgSmaug landing.jpgSmaug in grass.jpgSmaug burned motors.jpgSmaug burned motors 2.jpgSmaug broken wing.jpgSmaug tail.jpg
 
Awesome, I love that rocket! I was rained out last weekend :(

Thanks. It was another almost perfect day to launch. The wind was up and down all day. Smaug was launched near the end of the day as the wind picked up a bit, but still not bad. Hopefully the weather will cooperate soon so the Chesapeake Bay Sea Monster can fly and be free!

Lots of motors burned and not many rockets flown.
 
Daddy, looks like the dragon flew straight on one wing and got good altitude. Actually, the tail wagging on the parachute descent looks cool. I like your Nike Hercules, too. Is the Nike Hercules one of Gordon's kits.
 
Daddy, looks like the dragon flew straight on one wing and got good altitude. Actually, the tail wagging on the parachute descent looks cool. I like your Nike Hercules, too. Is the Nike Hercules one of Gordon's kits.

You can't see it in the video but the tail really goes to town on the way up, so much so it rips up the back end segments. Amazing what a bit of speed does to flappy things in our atmosphere. The wing breaking off kind of reminds me of WWII fighters being shot out of the sky. Once you get some inertia with all those motors up front there is no stopping it from going up.

The Nike Hercules is the OOP Roach Works Kit. Flies real nice on 4 D12 5's, very purdy. It was it's second flight and even without the blast shield it got a bit hot on the underside. Need to put it a bit higher on the rod next time if I have the Q2G2s.
 
For Smaug's third flight I went out and bought a fresh pack of E9-4's from Hobby Lobby, just manufactured 1-12-16. I took the pack in the rear because it was in perfect condition, the pack up front was a bit tattered. With both wings reinforced hopes were high for a nice flight. Got out three old black tipped Estes igniters and hooked up the clip whip as the winds calmed and the sun came out at the Tripoli launch site. As acting LCO I was to press the button. 5-4-3-2-1-Start- BANG! CATO! Two CATOS! Yep 2 outta three E9's from the pack CATOED and blew Smaug's head clean off! The rest of the body dropped off the rod on one motor, as little bits of head, the nose cone, chute, wadding and two big fire calls rose into the air. A little smoke and pop from the one motor by the pad and it was all over. Bard the Bowman would have been proud, the mighty Smaug vanquished by E9's.

Like a Pulp Fiction novel it was time to call in THE WOLF! I was Super Fly, The Guns of the Navarone! I had to stay cool like Fonzie. I had to settle for some Taster's Choice! There I was, picking up bits of head and giving the two of the cleanest blown out tubes you have ever seen to the top men. Yes, the sign outside my house will read DEAD SMAUG STORAGE. Smaugs dead baby, Smaugs dead!

Smaug Cato.jpg

Guess I will have to start clustering CTI composites, much safer than notorious E9s!
 
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