Sheri's Hot Rockets Space Shuttle

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ckjohnson

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Has anybody built one of these? I've been thinking of it for a year, and want to know what other people have experienced. I can't find any videos of it besides the one on their webpage. The video looks like the orbiter drops like a light rock, so I wonder how well I could adjust it for a nice glide.
 
Might be difficult to find one since SHR is now owned by Red Arrow Hobbies and they don't show them in their online catalog.
 
Has anybody built one of these? I've been thinking of it for a year, and want to know what other people have experienced. I can't find any videos of it besides the one on their webpage. The video looks like the orbiter drops like a light rock, so I wonder how well I could adjust it for a nice glide.

Do not know if it is still available, as rharshberger pointed out.

Space Shuttle orbiter glide is pretty proportional to how light, or how heavy. If that kit's orbiter is structurally heavy, nothing you can do to make it glide better. Indeed most likely it is tail-heavy and needs noseweight.

Never had one of those kits, but my impression was the orbiter was structurally heavy. Did have an NCR Space Shuttle kit, but the vac-formed orbiter for it was pretty heavy, a lot heavier than my balsa-based 1/72 orbiter. I ended up selling the unbuilt kit.

Made up my own shuttle models/orbiters, plus using the Guillow's styrofoam orbiter. Video below is of a 1/72 boilerplate, which had no finish and no OMS pods or SSME's.

- George Gassaway


[video=youtube;OQbt2VoIuZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQbt2VoIuZo[/video]
 
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RAH does still sell it. I know since I inquired last year and he said while it isn't listed, he sells it...plus I got it! :)

Note that you should be the type who likes challenges (aka a sucker for punishment) since the review Chan Stevens provided of this rocket is one of the most painful I've read about (and he has a LOT of building experience): https://www.rocketreviews.com/sheris-hot-rockets-cjs-aviation-space-shuttle-162-by-chan-stevens.html I love his line..."the glide was poopy at best". :D

If you're set on it, please do let us know and start a build thread! I had planned on building mine this winter; however as usual, other things get in the way/become higher priority. I'd still like to, but it may not be until Spring. Also regarding the shuttle itself, I was brainstorming perhaps putting in a small mylar helium balloon inside to help lighten it for possibly a better glide (along with other possible lightening measures).

Good luck!
 
RAH does still sell it. I know since I inquired last year and he said while it isn't listed, he sells it...plus I got it! :)

If you're set on it, please do let us know and start a build thread! I had planned on building mine this winter; however as usual, other things get in the way/become higher priority. I'd still like to, but it may not be until Spring. Also regarding the shuttle itself, I was brainstorming perhaps putting in a small mylar helium balloon inside to help lighten it for possibly a better glide (along with other possible lightening measures).

Good luck!

Ah, the old helium in a model gambit....:). I bet you are kidding and know that when you check the lift from that little balloon, it will give you about 2 grams of net weight reduction....:)

An entire cubic foot of helium can only lift about 1 oz.....
 
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Ah, the old helium in a model gambit....:). I bet you are kidding and know that when you check the lift from that little balloon, it will give you about 2 grams of net weight reduction....:)

An entire cubic foot of helium can only lift about 1 oz.....

How about hydrogen? :wink: (Note: Just kidding! I do realize that hydrogen is flammable and not a good idea to put inside something you're going to launch with a rocket motor.)

Sorry folks, just crazy brainstorming without much thought/investigation. Besides, you never know...2grams may make a diff. :)
 
Thanks everyone.

Yes, I did email with RAH to see that it was available. I saw the review on Rocket Reviews, but wanted to see if anybody here had experience with one. Thanks for the info. For almost $300, I want a kit that's going to be pretty solid and proven (like my Apogee Saturn V & Saturn 1B).
 
Do not know if it is still available, as rharshberger pointed out.

Space Shuttle orbiter glide is pretty proportional to how light, or how heavy. If that kit's orbiter is structurally heavy, nothing you can do to make it glide better. Indeed most likely it is tail-heavy and needs noseweight.

Never had one of those kits, but my impression was the orbiter was structurally heavy. Did have an NCR Space Shuttle it, but the vac-formed orbiter for it was pretty heavy, a lot heavier than my balsa-based 1/72 orbiter. I ended up selling the unbuilt kit.

Made up my own shuttle models/orbiters, plus using the Guillow's styrofoam orbiter. Video below is of a 1/72 boilerplate, which had no finish and no OMS pods or SSME's.

- George Gassaway


[video=youtube;OQbt2VoIuZo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQbt2VoIuZo[/video]

George, funny that I see this now. I just ordered two of the Guillows shuttles last night with the same thought. Do you have a build thread anywhere, or notes? I'd like to learn from the R&D you've already done. :)
 
George, funny that I see this now. I just ordered two of the Guillows shuttles last night with the same thought. Do you have a build thread anywhere, or notes? I'd like to learn from the R&D you've already done. :)

Nevermind George, I just found your webpage with a long trail of information. I'm going to be spending a lot of time on your webpage. ;)
 
I read the review and decided it was not worth it, I haven't done a stack, but I've done a shuttle and buran and a built up depron 1/37th orbiter at 39" long at around 13-14 ounces is pretty straight forward to build and fly standalone with just elevon control. I know Tom blakeney has done an rc conversion with the guillows shuttle.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...illow-s-foam-Space-Shuttle&highlight=guillows
 
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If you want a scratchbuilt shuttle 1/72 or larger, you could use the plans by Luther Hux for a 1/72 orbiter or the later 1/48 one that he did. Although even at that, his were built a bit overkill. Long ago, a local R/C Club had a 1/48 model based on his plans, but they built it like a tank, as though it was a pattern plane with a .60 or bigger engine, rather than build it like a glider. Heavy balsa too, no contest grade wood. It glided like a rock and landed at a scale speed of about Mach-2 or more. When I asked about it, they said "the real thing" glides like a rock. I wished SO MUCH I could have flown my R/C orbiter at that same event so they could have seen that if you expect a rock and build a rock.... you GET a rock. But if you expect a glider and build like a glider.... you get a glider. Not a GREAT glider, but night and day difference. But as it was, I don't think there were any sailplane pilots in that club.... at least not anyone who would admit it. :)

Anyway.....

If you did 1/72, then you could use the Monogram/Revell shuttle for some master parts to vac-form (My site has info on how to make up an easy DIY Vacuform).

But since you mentioned the Guillows orbiter,s I hope that is more towards what you are looking to do. Much easier. My first-ever shuttle stack was a scratchbuilt 1/110 model, in 1979. A few years ago, I made another one at 1/110, which was a prototype for a kit I was planning at one point to do (didn't happen). Anyway, it worked great with the Guillows orbiter. I never did get around to trying to paint the orbiter, to save weight I was going to do black magic marker for most of the coloring and some decals or printed adhesive paper for certain areas like the cockpit and markings. The SRB's were going to have adhesive paper wraps with SRB details/markings printed onto them.

Here is a link to the thread where I discussed that model, when it was still going to be a kit.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?8053-1-110-Scale-Shuttle-model-is-a-success!

And a photo below of the prototype, as far as it got. The orbiter had cockpit and markings printed onto normal paper and taped on, as I was not ready yet to justify buying the 14" long 50-pack of adhesive paper the kit would have used.

- George Gassaway

attachment.php
 
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Anyone know what's the largest scale shuttle that's been successfully flown? After seeing the 10x Mars Lander I've readjusted my expectations of what people are crazy enough to do, and it seems like a large scale shuttle would be very challenging.
 
Anyone know what's the largest scale shuttle that's been successfully flown? After seeing the 10x Mars Lander I've readjusted my expectations of what people are crazy enough to do, and it seems like a large scale shuttle would be very challenging.

By saying "successful", can we safely eliminated the one Top Gear built that used a Reliant Robin as an orbiter? :cool:
 
Yes George, I am thinking along the lines of an "Estes style" shuttle, where the orbiter glides down and the tank comes down on parachute. I may even look at making the SRBs separate at apogee, but no RC systems at this point.
Thanks for your knowledge!
 
I think the 1/40th scale Shuttle and stack done by that high school in FL was one of the largest successful shuttles flown.

https://www.spacecraftreplicas.com/shuttle

I think a very viable option to get a large, lightweight and very scale shuttle is to use the foam techniques in a book by a good friend of mine, Keith Sparks. He is well known in the RC world for creating beautiful and interesting foam flying models.

https://parkflyerplastics.com/cart/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29&products_id=644
 
Tom's right, foam is the way to go, I've done a shuttle and buran at 1/37th scale that are very light and relative to shuttles have pretty decent glides. Boost is of course limited by how fat and draggy the shuttle shape is.

20150720131210%20(7).jpg

20150720131210%20(15).jpg
 
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Gotta say I looked at this one real hard 11 years ago or so when I was looking into getting into HPR before taking an extended break. I just couldn't part with the money. After reading the thread and good build you all pointed to; I'll hold off. Another will come I'm sure. I'll be happy to watch Ken's build though when he begins. Who knows, maybe I'll change my mind if any others remain available.
 
FWIW - The follwing thread developed into quite an intensive discussion of doing shuttle models.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showt...for-Scale-Space-Shuttle-ET-and-SRB-Nose-Cones


The biggest successful orbiter (no ET/SRB's) that I know of is this one. But I do not know the size. Take note from the early pitch up and downs that it was clearlyhard to control on boost. Not just from the high speed but that with the engine in the back, the propellant mass either makes it tail-heavy at liftoff (likely for this one), or nose-heavy for glide depending on the boost or burnout CG trim compromise made (unless using a trick such as water ballast in the nose dumped during boost like I did with my X-1 and Orbital SkyDart "SkyBooster" mother ship).

[video=youtube;QF3Foz8MrTs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QF3Foz8MrTs[/video]


The Reliant Shuttle on Top Gear, oh wow do I have a story to tell... but I lost the proof. I knew nothing of Top Gear. Days after that episode aired on BBC, I got a PM from someone with the rocket group who actually built that shuttle (the hosts were not really involved as portrayed). They sent me links to a couple of youtube videos of the episode, part 1 and 2. The thing they told me in the PM was that during the planning and design phase of the project, they had researched my website, and were letting me know that in appreciation for the information. So in some ways, their Reliant shuttle project was affected by the shuttle model stuff on my website. But again, I knew noting of Top Gear, and just did not know how big that show was. And then I started to check it out, and over time came to realize how big it was. But unfortunately, I did not save the PM to my computer. I do not think I deleted it, but suspect it was lost during the TRF forum data crash of late 2008.

- George Gassaway

[video=youtube;pJdrlWR-yFM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJdrlWR-yFM[/video]
 
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The entire flight and landing looked tail heavy to me, he barely gets it back down in one piece, the guy is all over the place. I found about six other videos from different years, the boosts start to look better, but all of the glide portions are iffy and most end in crashes or really bad landings. In one of the videos guy is carrying it, looks to be about 5' long and using a 38 or 54mm motor..They might only fly it once a year and not really have the bugs/cg worked out.

Frank


The biggest successful orbiter (no ET/SRB's) that I know of is this one. But I do not know the size. Take note from the early pitch up and downs that it was clearlyhard to control on boost. Not just from the high speed but that with the engine in the back, the propellant mass either makes it tail-heavy at liftoff (likely for this one), or nose-heavy for glide depending on the boost or burnout CG trim compromise made (unless using a trick such as water ballast in the nose dumped during boost like I did with my X-1 and Orbital SkyDart "SkyBooster" mother ship).
 
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There are several large space shuttle HPR projects out there. One of them is Andy Woerner's R/C space shuttle. The overall model was 6' 7" tall and weighed 105 pounds The outer SRB's were powered by two K550's and the Shuttle had three J180's.

[video=youtube;BQRl37aI1yk]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQRl37aI1yk[/video]

There also was a high school in the southeast that flew a full stack. It was reported in Sport Rocketry years ago. Here is an old TRF thread.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?7701-Space-Shuttle-Models
 
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Andy's model looked great on the way up, his scale was 1/37 so his orbiter was a similar size as mine, i don't know how the hell he stuffed three J-180's in there, it must have been a stone.....
 
All this talk of shuttles got me to take mine down from the ceiling, re-do the nose and pull out some old heavier electronics and fly it today.

It's right at 14 ounces rtf now, flew it on an E-6 which is slow but steady and then two flights on E-12 motors which is a faster boost but I don't know if it actually goes any higher, it's sort of like a saucer, you can push it harder but it just pushes back...

Frank

[video=youtube;0PGPCTfQ5EY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PGPCTfQ5EY[/video]
 
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