Summer Build Contest 2017 "PRAXIS PROBE"

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I dunno yall. Maybe it’s supposed to look fonky without the graphics. I sure didn’t expect it to look this odd. If it hadn’t been for all the “out the window” humidity we’ve had, this bird would have been finished long before now. Adequate painting days have been sparse to say the least. As if that weren’t enough, both of my colors were way off. This Martian Green looked closer to Chartreuse on the first coat. I took my bottle of black pigment and brought it down to an almost perfect match to my print. Maybe the paint dood forgot to put black in my colors? Anyway, the green went on 2 days ago and I got the red tips done today. Since auto paint dries quicker than rattle can, I’ll get the graphics on tomorrow and hopefully get it down to the school ball field this weekend and see what a B motor does with it. Guess I better make sure the video camera is charged up.

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I did get some of the vinyl on but not before I realized I had forgotten to paint the red on those forward fins . So I broke out the airbrush again and got those done. Got some of the vinyl applied and had to go redo those fin skins.

Now, you’d think, that since I used the original fin template for modeling the skins, they’d be on the money, right? NOT!!! I don’t know where things went awry, but there were areas 1/8” off the mark. Too small actually. There were a few spots that measured up but the whole skin design had to be tweaked. Of course, I only had to fix one of them to make the other copies, but I had to do 6 revisions and prints until I got one to fit right. Make 5 more copies and mirror 3 of those and you have 1 for each side of a fin. WHEW!! Partial graphics applied after the red dried.

20.jpg
 
Tonight I was ready to finish off the last of the detailing. My new skins fit pretty well and the rest of the applications went on without a hitch. I figure there ought to be some money shots, so here are a couple.

21.jpg 22.jpg

Now…..do I reeeeeealy want to put this Klingon text what says, “Praxis Probe”, on here? Hmmmmmmm….

23.jpg

.Oh shuckers!!! I still gotta install the laundry!
 
Oh man, that is beautiful!

I dunno about beautiful, but it sure stands out. Thanks man. It's just not quite as Klingony as I had expected. No biggie tho.

I reckon I'll get a video this weekend down at the soccer field with a B or a C motor. Not much flying space down there. Trees all around.
 
Looks great, totally unique. Look forward to flight pics.

I appreciate it Neil. I have to have that video this weekend because the contest will be over after next weekend. I really don't want to come home after the Labor Day Freedom Launch and start editing freekin videos. Usually takes me a couple of days to recover from being out in the heat that long.
 
Work of art man! Amazing to see your sketch come to life like that. I especially like how the shroud and boat tail worked together to transition into one smooth shape.


Oh, and I vote for the Klingon text! (That's the perfect cherry-on-top winning detail IMHO).
 
Work of art man! Amazing to see your sketch come to life like that. I especially like how the shroud and boat tail worked together to transition into one smooth shape.
Oh, and I vote for the Klingon text! (That's the perfect cherry-on-top winning detail IMHO).

It's all in the design work Eric. That part of the build worked out better than I expected. It wouldn't have worked well with a shorter shroud.
1-0 on the voting. So far, using the text is in the lead.
 
No activity at the school this weekend....yet, so I had the field all to myself. This rocket has a lot of drag. And at 6oz, I figured a C6-3 would put it higher that it went. Looks like a D motor will be the minimum at the launches. But for this very small field I'm in, this was fine. Flies pretty well. I reckon this closes out my entry.....uh......providing there's still a contest going on.

[video=youtube;yzjI741PZtM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzjI741PZtM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
 
I dunno, 6 oz is awful heavy for a C6. When I've flown a 3.something oz rocket on a C6 it still seems a bit leisurely off the rail. I'd bet a C11 would work nicely, or as you say a D12 would probably be perfect.

But it did fly. You are therefore officially eligible to win the is-it-or-isn't-it-still-on contest. Ain't seen Scotty Dog around here in a while. :)

BTW, I was thinking that perhaps the lack of Klingon-ness is at least partially due to the use of white in the paint scheme. I don't think white when I think Klingon. Dunno, maybe. Still looks cool though.
 
I dunno, 6 oz is awful heavy for a C6. When I've flown a 3.something oz rocket on a C6 it still seems a bit leisurely off the rail. I'd bet a C11 would work nicely, or as you say a D12 would probably be perfect.

But it did fly. You are therefore officially eligible to win the is-it-or-isn't-it-still-on contest. Ain't seen Scotty Dog around here in a while. :)

BTW, I was thinking that perhaps the lack of Klingon-ness is at least partially due to the use of white in the paint scheme. I don't think white when I think Klingon. Dunno, maybe. Still looks cool though.

It's a light gray. Maybe outdoors it's too light. Don't be surprised if I change all that up too. I'm not particularly pleased with how that Martian green looks either. It doesn't match anything. I can still fix all that, but not in time for Freedom Launch. Prolly could have stuck with that Rusto Winter Gray after all. I still have leftover auto paints. Maybe I can tinker with the green and see if I can match it to the light green on the fin skin. And darken that gray up a few notches. I sorta thought I had the Klingon colors matched somewhat, but it doesn't even come close. My worst color matching job ever!
 
Congrats on the successful build and launch Gary. Hope that contest is still on, you got my vote.

Thanks Eric. YouTube says the vid only 11 views. And if Scotty does like last year, the voting thread will be posted sometime around the end of Labor Day Weekend. Be on the lookout for it. I'm really not certain how many are still involved. I know of one guy that posted sorta regularly, but it's been months since anyone has. I feel like I may be the only contestant anymore.
 
Put in a composite AT 18mm D for the GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!

Don't worry, there was a silly launch pad like oddroc that flew back in June, but it certainly was not to mainstream tastes. Still enough to make a contest. For some reason the contests just kinda petered out this Summer
 
Put in a composite AT 18mm D for the GLORY OF THE EMPIRE!

Don't worry, there was a silly launch pad like oddroc that flew back in June, but it certainly was not to mainstream tastes. Still enough to make a contest. For some reason the contests just kinda petered out this Summer
1) I'd like to keep the fins ON the rocket......hahaha.

2) I wonder what happened with the ambition? Last year there were a dozen or better contestants. This year sounds like a matter of 1st & 2nd place winners.
 
I switched roles at work and built a house. Still -might- have enough time to squeak out my build, but not to do all the tests I wanted.
 
Thanks Eric. YouTube says the vid only 11 views. And if Scotty does like last year, the voting thread will be posted sometime around the end of Labor Day Weekend. Be on the lookout for it. I'm really not certain how many are still involved. I know of one guy that posted sorta regularly, but it's been months since anyone has. I feel like I may be the only contestant anymore.

Yikes, labor day only 7 days off. My paint stick swirly was a bust, the Halcion isn't coming together yet, but maybe I will get the Spyder 7 up this weekend.

Love the Praxis.

Especially enjoyed the heart stopping flight on the C6-3....... "come on, come on, come on, pop........YES!"
If the minimum wasn't good enough, it wouldn't be the minimum.
 
Yikes, labor day only 7 days off. My paint stick swirly was a bust, the Halcion isn't coming together yet, but maybe I will get the Spyder 7 up this weekend.

Especially enjoyed the heart stopping flight on the C6-3....... "come on, come on, come on, pop........YES!"
If the minimum wasn't good enough, it wouldn't be the minimum.

Had to ring the dinner bell to get you designers on the move, eh? GO SPYDER 7!!!
Yeah, Praxis is indeed draggy and this field is so small, I've never attempted using a C motor in it. I'll bet I could do a D with this model.
 
Any Klingon Probe should easily take WARP 9 propellant. Everything built in the EMPIRE is strong, unlike those wimpy Federation garbage scows with their cooked food and soft beds!
 
I weather permits, will you being flying the Praxis Probe with a D at Freedom Launch?

I guess we already know, using a C motor would be like flying a MMX rocket in the back yard. Lucky to get 100' out of it. I'll start with a D for sure. If it handles it well enough, I might try an E motor next time around.
 
No activity at the school this weekend....yet, so I had the field all to myself. This rocket has a lot of drag. And at 6oz, I figured a C6-3 would put it higher that it went. Looks like a D motor will be the minimum at the launches. But for this very small field I'm in, this was fine. Flies pretty well. I reckon this closes out my entry.....uh......providing there's still a contest going on.

[video=youtube;yzjI741PZtM]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzjI741PZtM&feature=youtu.be[/video]
Nice bird MR Byrum. Contest????
 
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