Boosted ARCAS drawings?

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JohnCoker

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Anyone have drawings for the "Boosted" ARCAS variant? (It was 2-stages and launched from a tube.) I found a couple of pictures, but no good drawings or color references through Google. (And not in RotW or any of the supplements.)

boosted-arcas-1__1.jpg
 
$2000 for an Arcas, not bad. That's an interesting reference from NASA.
 
I have found an interesting NASA study of various sounding rockets that contains some drawings and other info on the Boosted Arcas (among others).

prototype-drawing.jpg


So I have been able to make a drawing for a 70% scale version (based on 3" airframe tubing) for mine: 70% Overall Drawing.

John:
That is pretty much the same drawing I have and the dimensions look to be a match from the National Air & Space Library here in DC. There are quite a few photos but most are of the single stage Arcas and closed breach Launcher at wallops Island. You might try Wallops archive also for other photos.
 
There are several detailed drawings of the booted ARCAS in "Small Sounding Rockets" pg 434-449.
 
I have found an interesting NASA study of various sounding rockets that contains some drawings and other info on the Boosted Arcas (among others).

prototype-drawing.jpg


So I have been able to make a drawing for a 70% scale version (based on 3" airframe tubing) for mine: 70% Overall Drawing.

Found this last week, it's a fascinating read. I want to covert my full scale HV to a Boosted Arcas I, mine has the paint scheme in the picture. The interstage section looks tricky though.

Pictures and scale details are hard to find. I'd say the above picture and drawing are the best things I've found, although the drawing isn't in full detail. I also wonder if the right fin in the picture is painted red! I've found a very grainy photo of a BA-I being loaded into a tube launcher but you can't make anything out. Pics of other boosted variants are out there.

Edit: YES the SSR book is great too! I have most of the Arcas pages scanned if interested.
 
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It appears Small Sounding Rockets is out of print. :(

I think the interstage will be no problem (since I've done two similar before).

I'm guessing the whole aft section is red or maybe black. You think black with one red fin?
 
It appears Small Sounding Rockets is out of print. :(

I'd be happy to send you the Atlantic Research pages I have scanned.

I think the interstage will be no problem (since I've done two similar before).

And you're quite the master builder! I would love to see how you do it if you go forth with the project. It's fairly simple in concept...run rods off the booster through a (5"?) ring that the sustainer rests on. The tricky part for me would first be attaching the rods to the booster and deciding how detailed I want the booster to be -- in the picture it seems to have a blunt nosecone that's slightly larger diameter, a fin can and more minute details than in the drawing. Second, making sure the sustainer sits securely in the interstage section to allow a boost with a fast motor (I500 or something). I would consider adding 4 conduits around the motor tube and having 4 more rods on the interstage section that slip into the conduits. That would keep it from being too "wobbly". And it would also have to drag separate. My conversion won't happen any time soon, but it will happen!

I'm guessing the whole aft section is red or maybe black. You think black with one red fin?

I'm pretty sure the sustainer body is white, with red nosecone and stripes and *possibly* one red fin. "ARCAS" Lettering and booster are black. What do you think? See labelled picture linked below (I can't get the picture to post).

https://www.dropbox.com/s/s2k69w0incjg85s/ba-1%20paint.png?dl=0

I think it's interesting to note that I haven't been able to find the exact paint scheme that AT uses on their HV Arcas. It's *similar* to the one above and close to a picture I found of the Sparrow-HV Arcas, but not exact. None of the pictures I found display the silver "ID plate," and none definitively show a red fin. However, my suspicion that the one fin is red in the above picture comes from this.
 
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I would love to see how you do it if you go forth with the project.

I will document it on my project page. If other people are interested in making the same rocket, I will be happy to share my drawings.

... my suspicion that the one fin is red in the above picture comes from this.

I think those are something between the fins. I had planned to model them with black painted stripes, but if anyone can come up with a better photo, we might get more detail.
 
I will document it on my project page. If other people are interested in making the same rocket, I will be happy to share my drawings.



I think those are something between the fins. I had planned to model them with black painted stripes, but if anyone can come up with a better photo, we might get more detail.

Thanks, I will follow the build! But I'm about 99% positive that the striping and nose section of the sustainer are red, not black. That was Atlantic Reseach Corp's 'theme'. And I'm also about 100% positive the booster is black - you can tell it's darker in the picture. And yes, something is between the fins -- it's a rod from the interstage. Look closely at the front right fin though. It is either painted (if so, likely red) or that is shadow. I've actually read this stuff somewhere...I'll see if I can find it.

One interesting thing to note is some earlier boosted Arcas Is used a regular Arcas sustainer with the smaller fins and boat tail. It's in the SSR book. I also read somewhere long ago that some BA-1s also had the larger HV Arcas fins but still retained the boat tail. I found that on an old Google search forever ago and can't seem to dig up the thread...it was on an old rec.models.rockets thread.

See attached. First is an ARC showroom picture showing the boosted Arcas variants -- note the upper stage of the BA-1 (far left) is a standard Arcas. Second is a detailed drawing of the same configuration. Last is a pic of the sidewinder-HV Arcas, identifying the colors of the vehicle, note it says red cone and stripes. Now that's not the exact vehicle we are discussing here, but the same sustainer.

ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1448047604.649459.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1448047619.333704.jpgImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1448047630.359132.jpg
 
Thanks, I will follow the build! But I'm about 99% positive that the striping and nose section of the sustainer are red, not black.
Yep, I agree on the sustainer colors for the body and nose,

And I'm also about 100% positive the booster is black - you can tell it's darker in the picture. And yes, something is between the fins -- it's a rod from the interstage. Look closely at the front right fin though. It is either painted (if so, likely red) or that is shadow. I've actually read this stuff somewhere...I'll see if I can find it.
I also agree the booster is black.

One interesting thing to note is some earlier boosted Arcas Is used a regular Arcas sustainer with the smaller fins and boat tail. It's in the SSR book. I also read somewhere long ago that some BA-1s also had the larger HV Arcas fins but still retained the boat tail. I found that on an old Google search forever ago and can't seem to dig up the thread...it was on an old rec.models.rockets thread.
That is interesting. I guess it means there's lots of latitude in how we model it. We can always claim it was a round that just doesn't show up in any pictures. :)

See attached. First is an ARC showroom picture showing the boosted Arcas variants -- note the upper stage of the BA-1 (far left) is a standard Arcas. Second is a detailed drawing of the same configuration. Last is a pic of the sidewinder-HV Arcas, identifying the colors of the vehicle, note it says red cone and stripes. Now that's not the exact vehicle we are discussing here, but the same sustainer.
Very interesting pictures; thanks. The drawing shows that there is indeed a small cone at the base of the interstage. It also makes it appear that the body is thicker in the fin area on the booster, which I may decided to model by making the main booster a 3" coupler.
 
Yep, I agree on the sustainer colors for the body and nose,

Gotcha, when you mentioned painting black lines I thought you were talking about the big stripes along the body, but I think you were referring to between the fins.


That is interesting. I guess it means there's lots of latitude in how we model it. We can always claim it was a round that just doesn't show up in any pictures. :)

Indeed. I even wonder if there is a boat tail on the rocket in the above photo...it is quite "shadowy" at the base of the sustainer. I'd also be willing to bet that most of the operational flights had the bare metal body and bland colors like described in ROTW for the single stage Arcas.


Very interesting pictures; thanks. The drawing shows that there is indeed a small cone at the base of the interstage. It also makes it appear that the body is thicker in the fin area on the booster, which I may decided to model by making the main booster a 3" coupler.

Sure thing. Yes, I think there's a fin can on the booster.

Looking forward to watching your build! Makes me want to get a move on mine...
ImageUploadedByRocketry Forum1448149135.818219.jpg
 
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Nice. My very first mid power rocket was an AT ARCAS. I was astounded when I launched it on an AT G-80T. I was hooked.I have always wanted to do a 3.9", but other projects always got in the way. Thanks for the Drawings. Keep the build thread going. Love to see how she turns out for you!Hummm...Got the Airframe tubing, Nosecone, Plywood, Chute.... :)
 
It appears Small Sounding Rockets is out of print. :(

I think the interstage will be no problem (since I've done two similar before).

I'm guessing the whole aft section is red or maybe black. You think black with one red fin?

Try abebooks.com, if it's not there I would not know. Found a book on helicopter design my great uncle Stanley wrote on that site.
 
I have always wanted to do a 3.9", but other projects always got in the way. Thanks for the Drawings. Keep the build thread going.
Plus Mac Performance just introduced a 3.9" version that would work well for the sustainer.

Try abebooks.com, if it's not there I would not know. Found a book on helicopter design my great uncle Stanley wrote on that site.
Thanks for the pointer. They didn't seem to have it, though. With the pictures Marcus posted, I have enough to go on.
 
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