New member here, loved Estes rockets as a child and later building/launching with my nephews (within the past several years). I haven't built a rocket in quite a while and after checking the Estes website specials, it seemed like a good time to jump back in. This is a slow build, still in the planning/material gathering stage. I bought a Scion kit about 4 months ago and I thought it would be cool to build an Optima upscale using the 3" tubes and nose cone. After searching, I realized this is not an original idea, with several examples already built. So, after much research here at rocketryforum (thanks to everyone for all the knowledge available here), I decided to get started. For now, I'm leaning toward single deploy with motor ejection. I can always cut the fwd/mid airframe (in the single deploy configuration, the fwd/mid airframes are actually one piece) in two and convert to dual deploy later.
I am by no means reinventing the wheel here, just using what seems to be tried and true methods/materials on a classic rocket design.
This is essentially 115% scale, give or take a few fractions of an inch here or there. Attached are preliminary Open Rocket designs, both single deploy and dual deploy. These do not include possible fiberglass reinforcements, hardware, etc, so the weights are not final.
Modified nose cone to house an e-bay
Fiberglass sleeved airframes
38mm motor mount
Aero Pack retainer and 29mm adapter
Giant leap hardpoint shock cord mount (maybe?)
Kevlar shock cord
Parachute size/shape TBD
Birch ply rings/bulkheads
Fiberglassed birch ply fins
TTW fin attachment
Removable fwd/mid airframe from booster section (maybe?)
View attachment Optima Dual Deploy.ork
View attachment Optima Single Deploy.ork
I am by no means reinventing the wheel here, just using what seems to be tried and true methods/materials on a classic rocket design.
This is essentially 115% scale, give or take a few fractions of an inch here or there. Attached are preliminary Open Rocket designs, both single deploy and dual deploy. These do not include possible fiberglass reinforcements, hardware, etc, so the weights are not final.
Modified nose cone to house an e-bay
Fiberglass sleeved airframes
38mm motor mount
Aero Pack retainer and 29mm adapter
Giant leap hardpoint shock cord mount (maybe?)
Kevlar shock cord
Parachute size/shape TBD
Birch ply rings/bulkheads
Fiberglassed birch ply fins
TTW fin attachment
Removable fwd/mid airframe from booster section (maybe?)
View attachment Optima Dual Deploy.ork
View attachment Optima Single Deploy.ork