Paper Ogive Nose cone?

[Rex R]

well if you haven't glued it together yet, I think I would treat it like a TLP nose shroud. coat the inside with a thin coat of epoxy(whitch would glue it together), and the outside with thin CA. then handle with care. thats what I did w/ my WAC Corporal's tailcone.

[McKailas Dad]

This is my 5.25in, ~2:1 Ogive-ish nose cone....

Still in the dry fitting stage. What you see is just taped together. 112.5 grams FWIW

I'm pretty happy so far, for my first attempt.

[Orion]

I'm pretty happy so far, for my first attempt.

It looks good.

I tried to find 11 x 17 cardstock yesterday with no luck. I hope to try my hand at it, too.

[powderburner]

I tried to find 11 x 17 cardstock yesterday with no luck.

Not many office supply stores carry cardstock in anything larger than 8&1/2x11 but it might be worth a few phone calls

A few copy shops might have it (kinkos?, etc), again could be worth a few phone calls

Your best bet will be to find a local printing company. They often have large sheets of cardstock. They might be willing to sell you a few sheets, or even just give you one. I think it comes in a basic size several times larger than 11x17 but beggars can't be choosers?

Don't forget the sheets of 'posterboard' that you can find at the dollar stores and craft stores. Most of that stuff is not quite the same as cardstock but it might do for a quickee test build?

[gpoehlein]

11 x 17 is tough, but there are a couple of alternatives for large transitions.

The first is light poster board or illustration paper. Take a piece of 110# card with you to an art supply store (Hobby Lobby, Michaels or Blick) and see if you can find some illustration board that is about the same weight. That stuff usually comes in sizes like 24 x 36. You can use the carbon transfer method ("color" over the back side of your pattern with a soft lead pencil, the tape the pattern to your card and trace around the pattern - that will transfer the pencil lead to your card so you can cut it out.

The second is easier and works great if you way to print color or graphics on you transition - do the layout in illustrator or some other draw program that lets you create the full sized item. Then "cut" the transition into halves, thirds or even fourths. (divide the arc number by 2, 3 or 4). Just put a glue tab on each piece and glue the parts of the transition together (if printing a solid colored transition, you can just do one half of the transition, each with a glue tab, and print out two copies). When building a large paper nose cone from stepped transitions, I find that making a tub core that is almost the length of the cone and a series of centering rings will both strengthen the cone and also keep it round.

[Orion]

I've found it online for $17.75 per 250 sheet pack plus shipping of $8.99. I also use it for long tubes that I make with my students. So, I'll probably order two packs.

[McKailas Dad]

I used "Caroliapad UCreate Premium Poster Board" I got at my local Walmart. It's 22x28in. and was less than a buck a board (sheet?). Linky

This seems just a tad thicker than the "Ghostline"...

Looks like you could order it online from Walmart as well.

Next, I will be attempting a ~5:1, or 26 1/4 long, ogive PBNC. (poster board nose cone )

[RWmarlow]

Paper "ogive" or tapered nose cones were used for these two all household scrap builds Semroc style BC-17567 and Semroc style BC-15081 and a construction photo

[rocketguy101]

I used this technique to build "Miss Atomic Bomb 1957" -- basically a stretched BT-80 V-2 w/ bomb-like fins.

I originally started out like you mention above, using longitudinal strips, but did not like the way they turned out. I used the thin WalMart poster board like you describe, and regular Elmers' white glue.

At the NARCON in Kansas, we toured the Cosmosphere and I saw the the real V-2 was not built with long strips, but panels that were closer to the transitions like you are using. I came back home and drew up a series of transitions that approximated the ogive shape. I was too lazy to build another rib structure (from mat board), so I glued the transitions down over the existing "strip cone" and ended up with a wrinkly surface that needed lots of filler!

I had the rib structure for the tailcone built, but not covered, so it looked a little better with the transitions. But I used curved ribs with the ogive shape, and discovered it still wrinkled...I think using ribs with straight edges that match the transitions would turn out even better.

The finished model is heavy with all the filler, but it flys pretty nice. It is pretty overstable with all the fin area and heavy nose, so I have to make sure I aim it downwind if it is very windy (which is about all the time in Oklahoma )

So, I guess great minds think alike...good luck on your build. I was surprised I got away with approximating an ogive with as few conic sections as I did...from 5 feet away it looks like a stock Estes V-2 nose and tail!

[GDJ]

Right now I wish I had a 3D printer......I've had ZERO luck making my own paper nose cones, but I will try this technique.