Semroc - Space Shuttle

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Nice.

I have a question about this model: HOW are the booster & orbiter fastened together?

I have looked at the Centuri plans - downloaded from JimZ - but I CANNOT quite "grok" how they are held together. I have never seen one of these in person, just photos in print or online.

{Thanks in advance....}
 
A person almost needs to build this model to see how the pieces go together. I modified my model to fly on an Apogee 18 mm composite motor and extra lead weight on the motor tube assembly. I don't think that I would recommend doing this because the motor mount assembly ends up falling as a fast lawn dart. I also shaved down the wood dowels that act like pins on the large glider. There are 2 aft pins and 1 forward pin. I also put 2 small balsa pieces on top of the large glider soda straw fixture so that the small glider was not so loose. With all that in mind the model consists of 3 basic pieces: (1) the motor assembly, which is ejected, (2) the small glider, (3) the large glider.

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The motor mount assembly will fit into the small glider separately, but this is not how the model is prepped for flight. The user actually has to assemble all 3 pieces at the same time, because the front small glider lug has to engage the large glider forward pin at the same time that the motor assembly 2 aft lugs engage the large glider aft pins.

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Thanks for the comments!

I ordered the space shuttle kit from eRockets last night. I also ordered a kit of "The Point". I have been sort-of fascinated with that one since I first saw one in a Centuri catalog DECADES ago.

I want to try building an X-24 Bug as well, but I'll use the JimZ plans. I have the tattered remains of an X-24 that I built from a kit waaaaay back. It is NOT flyable, but I liked it so much I want another one...
 
Thanks for the comments!

I ordered the space shuttle kit from eRockets last night. I also ordered a kit of "The Point". I have been sort-of fascinated with that one since I first saw one in a Centuri catalog DECADES ago.

I want to try building an X-24 Bug as well, but I'll use the JimZ plans. If have the tattered remains of an X-24 that I built from a kit waaaaay back. It is NOT flyable, but I liked it so much I want another one...
 
Just finished painting this beauty, waiting for the custom Space Force decals on back order. The color scheme was loosely based on the old General Dynamics YF16 prototype. This was a clever and fun build. I added balsa cockpits and stiffened the rear flaps with a cardstock insert.
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The desert just won't cut it for testing this one. I'm waiting for a nice soft LZ!
 
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Thanks for the comments!

I ordered the space shuttle kit from eRockets last night. I also ordered a kit of "The Point". I have been sort-of fascinated with that one since I first saw one in a Centuri catalog DECADES ago.

I want to try building an X-24 Bug as well, but I'll use the JimZ plans. If have the tattered remains of an X-24 that I built from a kit waaaaay back. It is NOT flyable, but I liked it so much I want another one...

The Point is a deceivingly complex build - not hard, exactly, but not as simple as it looks. Don’t go crazy with glue amounts or you can get puckering as it dries. I built the Squirrel Works version of the X-24 very early in my BAR career - flew my original until it caught on fire during launch. 11 year old me thought it was awesome watching its smoldering remains spiral in. I keep meaning to clone up a Centuri Vulcan, there are various .pdf files of the shroud and fins out there on the web.
 
I built this kit in 1975 when it was a Centuri offering. I was to chicken to launch it so I donated it to our Rocket Club advisor. He launched it himself and he said it flew fantastic.
I just ordered another last week to add to my "rockets I had as a kid" collection.
 
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