Funk saucer

Wondering where I could find a funk saucer kit?
Saw I couple videos that have me now intrigued
Greg

Not familiar with a funk saucer. There are some saucer kits available- I want to say by Art Applewhite.

Art has a bunch...some are funky.

yes his stuff is cool , but does not like re scale of his stuff

Yep, I am aware of other saucer kits but was wondering specifically about the Funk.
Apparently a kit by Ken Rico.
Here is a video of a drag race of Funk Saucers in 2015
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=4mE5hnGsOLg

For those of us unfamiliar with some of the more obscure hobby vernacular: what defines a "funk" saucer?

I want one

I have this calculator some where for cones and things where . And it will give a pattern for the Sections you need . Maybe glassed poster board and center rings and rear ejected chute

Nytrunner said:

For those of us unfamiliar with some of the more obscure hobby vernacular: what defines a "funk" saucer?

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Same thing that makes the Madcow 3 a DX3. It's right there. *pointing at the formula in the middle*



I've seen the funk saucer fly in person. It's pretty cool. The night launch version is even better.

I let Ken know you guys were asking about the saucer. He'll join in when he has some time.

chris m said:

I want one

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Ow, we want the funk
Give up the funk
Ow, we need the funk
We gotta have that funk

Ow, we want the funk
Give up the funk
Ow, we need the funk
We gotta have that funk

[video=youtube;jJvjWh2Vhu4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJvjWh2Vhu4[/video]

Hi Guys !

Yes , ' We Funk da Funk - Gotta Funk that Funk '

Some quick history - Dale Smalley and I concepted and built the Saucer many moons ago (like last century) . It was a Kevin Funk launch night launch favorite at Fiesta Island , Kevin is a friend that is no longer with us but always remembered for his humor and love of all things rocketry ..expecially Ms NAR Boosters . My son and I had a great time at ROCStock a few years ago and camped with Andy Woerner of Polecat and he mentioned he was always looking for 'different products' so I told him about our saucers and he released the Wocket , but only because I told him 'nothing burns motors faster than a Saucer' (quick prep and turnaround) . CaveDuck and I went to G Harry Stein launch with the SSS in AZ and met Wayco and Hardline and she was a big saucer fan , with Snitches with and without lights and I told her she had inspired me to bring back the saucer . CaveDuck and I went to TRA LV after that and it was windy and no one was flying so I broke out my Prototype and did a test flight on a H115DM . Stickershock Mark wanted a saucer and more importantly flew a Traffic cone with a H45 successfully - which inspired me to do the same at ROCStock in my Saucer 2.0 .

I like to fly it with Class1 motors , for Night Launch the H123SK (both of them) are under 125g of propellant so no Waiver required . If built with RocketPoxy, no fiberglassing the joints are needed to keep the dome on - also the MMT has to have a wrap of fg or the fillets pull off the glassine . I like the 'natural' unpainted dome so I can add LEDs on the underside .

Weighs in at approx 12 oz, and is 14 inches in diameter .

On my Funk Saucer to do list are a SuperSaucer with more lights and Carbon Saucer 54mm to try a I100 or I65 with .

Here are a couple of youtube links:

[video]https://youtu.be/IXbym2wx1eo[/video]
[video]https://youtu.be/nK_ZWFtnMVc[/video]

So to date only a handful have a Funk Saucer : Hardline , Stickershock23, WeFly2 , WatersJim65, & FyrWrxz .

I can help supply 3 ways : Dome Only , Parts , or Assembled . Have not figured out prices yet , freight although light , needs a oversized box for shipment and gets pricey so have to quote it individually .
PM with an offsite eMail and we can figure it out . Maybe you all can help with some feedback or assembly technique and we can ramp this up .

Kenny

KenRico said:

Some quick history - Dale Smalley and I concepted and built the Saucer many moons ago (like last century) . It was a Kevin Funk launch night launch favorite at Fiesta Island , Kevin is a friend that is no longer with us but always remembered for his humor and love of all things rocketry ..expecially Ms NAR Boosters .

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Whoops, I thought it was called the funk saucer because it was funky. I didn't realize there was history behind it. I stand corrected.

Responded to PMs with eMails .

Kenny

KenRico said:

Responded to PMs with eMails .

Kenny

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No email received yet

Got an email, thanks Kenny
Greg

Hardline said:

I LOVE my funk saucer! I fly it as a night rocket on a H100 after outfitting it with a chibitronics starter kit (chibitronics.com) that I bought from Bay Area Rocketry. Recently upgraded it from a button battery to a Lipo battery because it really needed more juice.

I'm flying it in two weeks at the TRA/PHX launch. If the Holtville Havoc has a night launch I'll bring it with all the rest of our planned rockets (I think Wayco and I have about 20 between the two of us we are going to try and fly there).

It is a Totally Awesome Saucer. Thank you so much Kenny for making me one!

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Holtville HAVOC , March 3-5 2017 , will have a DUSK LAUNCH for bigger rockets and motors ...but only Class 1 Nite Launch .

So break out your LEDs and H123-SK for your Funk Saucer to light up the night

Kenny

Here are a couple of pics to get started building :

Leave a little gap top and bottom when mounting fins and rail guides so you have some room when prepping for flight to wind the roll of masking tape around the motor for retention .

Its a lot easier to finish and primer before attaching the dome ..I place some 1/2 tape starting a half inch from the bottom on the fin/vane curved leading edge after marking where the dome lies..and try to mask the top of the rail guides so after paint they look shiny .

Kenny

Two of the more perfect things in this world - Kenny's Funk Saucers and Parliament Funkadelic. Both in one thread = sweet.

For anyone who doesn't want a saucer (or thinks that they don't), don't even go to a launch where Ken is flying the Funk. Especially at night. Because you will be forever changed and find yourself convinced that you absolutely MUST get one. Cool they are.

s6

It's a scream to put a long burn in one of these. I don't remember if Kenny was there or not but at one launch (Vegas/Lucern?) nobody was flying in the breeze. While under 20 and legal to launch, everybody was sitting on their hands so I loaded up the saucer with some 38mm long burn and it proceeded to climb about a 100'-weathercocked and proceeded to fly the entire flightline horizonally before the *very* shortened deploy charge dropped it from about 200 feet. Rounds of applause from the peanut gallery. Kinda not worth the propellant, but then again, it was! Easy to adapt to night launches, just space your holes to the LED tape and apply from the backside. Battery straps to the core mmt with a short wire. Twist to light up. Very impressive coming back down! I do believe Kevin woulda loved these and it's an homage to his twisted sense of humour we all miss from back in the day. I'm throwing a chute on the next launch with lights. FUNK SAUCERS RULE!! Thanks, KenRico!

Saucer arrived safely and started to assemble it last weekend, I will try and post a couple pictures.

Fines glued on motor tube with Rocketpoxy


Taped and ready for fillets


Fillets applied using West Systems and their additives


Tape pulled, will need just a tad of sanding and filling before pait


Disc was a little warped, probably from shipping so I just used a heat gun to warm it up and settle onto the fins for later gluing. Work great


Will post more as the build progresses.

Greg

Looks good, Greg !

I put one together for WarnerR for the Holtville Havoc launch .

Here is a pic of my dome alignment. I invert it and use some tape marks to center . I used the black pigment with my rocket poxy for attachment & fillets to match the painted guts.

We both flew a Class 1 night launch , a H160 SK and a H115 DM .

Kenny

More progress made this weekend. Construction all but finished other than some more sanding, priming, sanding and painting to go

Fillets on motor tube filled and sanded


Conformal lugs glued on


Pin holes in dome filled and sanded


Dome glued to interior fins and motor mount using Rocketpoxy


Dome fillets applied using West System epoxy and West System fillers



Going to be 4 to 6 weeks now before I will get to painting the saucer due to it having to be warm enough to get everything out of my garage so that I can paint. Everything gets stored in the garage for the winter and even rocket assembly space is TIGHT.

Got a paint scheme planned though using some old school custom paint products. Hint: think 1970's SoCal low riders I think it will be befitting a "FunK Saucer"
The saucer so far weighs 10.6 ounces but I figure with the paint scheme planned it will get to probably 13 ounces when done.

Of course I will post a picture of the finished saucer when completed

Greg

Any body flown one? What motors?

where can i get mine? i know you have it...

fm

Forever_Metal said:

where can i get mine? i know you have it...

fm

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Contact KenRico.
Greg

cwbullet said:

Any body flown one? What motors?

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Check posts 12, 14 and 23.

fyrwrxz said:

It's a scream to put a long burn in one of these. I don't remember if Kenny was there or not but at one launch (Vegas/Lucern?) nobody was flying in the breeze. While under 20 and legal to launch, everybody was sitting on their hands so I loaded up the saucer with some 38mm long burn and it proceeded to climb about a 100'-weathercocked and proceeded to fly the entire flightline horizonally before the *very* shortened deploy charge dropped it from about 200 feet. Rounds of applause from the peanut gallery. Kinda not worth the propellant, but then again, it was! Easy to adapt to night launches, just space your holes to the LED tape and apply from the backside. Battery straps to the core mmt with a short wire. Twist to light up. Very impressive coming back down! I do believe Kevin woulda loved these and it's an homage to his twisted sense of humour we all miss from back in the day. I'm throwing a chute on the next launch with lights. FUNK SAUCERS RULE!! Thanks, KenRico!

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I remember that flight, I think it was at lucerne. How are you gonna put a chute in it?
Sharon flew hers on a long burn I motor once, can't remember what it was.... We need to add the lights Kenny gave us at Holtville, make it more visible for these HIGH ALTITUDE FLIGHTS. :fly::lol:

Wayco said:

Check posts 12, 14 and 23.



I remember that flight, I think it was at lucerne. How are you gonna put a chute in it?
Sharon flew hers on a long burn I motor once, can't remember what it was.... We need to add the lights Kenny gave us at Holtville, make it more visible for these HIGH ALTITUDE FLIGHTS. :fly::lol:

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Wayne- removable body tube extension with cone and chute above the extended motor casing. I'll prolly run that absurd 38-6g xl case and load just for grins and see if the the lights stay on. May be an interesting shred. No guts, no glory?

fyrwrxz said:

Wayne- removable body tube extension with cone and chute above the extended motor casing. I'll prolly run that absurd 38-6g xl case and load just for grins and see if the the lights stay on. May be an interesting shred. No guts, no glory?

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Weird, I could swear someone said k627-lr 😂