gpoehlein
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I'm ready to announce my newest paper rocketry idea - Project Paper.
Recently, there has been several people asking about paper rocketry and how to get started. The Ultimate Paper Rocket Guide is a great resource and a great place to start. However, I got to thinking about how we can take paper rocketry to the next level. With regular (i.e. Estes) rockets, you can always kit bash existing models, or buy parts and scratch build what you want. With paper models, you pretty much have to build them as they come. So, I thought "what about making a parts collection so people can mix and match the parts and build whatever model they want with paper?" The result is Project Paper.
To start, I have created a couple of nose cones, some tubes, fins and other parts to get people started. I intend to add to these as I draw more parts. I'm starting with paper clones of Estes parts, since that is the standard that many kit bashers and scratch builders start with. Later on, I want to clone some Centuri parts as well.
I should also point out the conventions I am using. I am using metric for tube sizes, so BT-5 = CT-13 (CT for Cardstock Tube), BT-20 = CT-18 and BT-50 = CT-24. Similarly, nose cones are CNCE-xx (Cardstock Nose Cone Estes).
I started out with a couple of 18mm nose cones (the CNCE-18B and CNCE-18N) and a 24mm nose, the CNCE-24K. The letter configuration matches the balsa nose cones listed in the 1974 Custom Parts Catalog. Likewise, I've started with both CT-18 and CT-24 tubes. The CT-18 has two of the same tubes for now, while the CT-24 page has both a generic tube with markings at all the standard tube lengths up to 9.5" (the longest I can get on a sheet of card stock) and an 8.5" tube with certain markings from a vintage 3FN rocket that uses the CNCE-24K. The CNCE-24K page has two nose cones on it - one in white and one in red. I also have a fin page with a certain style of swept back fin on it as well, one fin in black and two in white. These should go with the 8.5" CT-24 tube nicely! :wink: The last page is a collection of parts needed to build a model with either tube, such as 13mm and 18mm motor tubes, centering rings, motor blocks and launch lugs. To cut a tube or LL shorter than the max, line up a metal ruler along the appropriate cut marks and cut the length before cutting out the part.
Suggestions are welcome and needed. These include:
* Color schemes for fins, tubes and nose cones
* What other nose cones you want to see next
* Other directions this thing can go.
Oh, and the files are unlocked PDF files - if you have a program that can open PDFs and edit them, you are most welcome to do so - consider this an "open source" project.
If people like this and want more, I'm considering opening a Project Paper website to host all the files and present them in a "catalog" fashion. At first, however, I will post them here for everyone's enjoyment.
So, comments, suggestions and ideas are all welcome.
Recently, there has been several people asking about paper rocketry and how to get started. The Ultimate Paper Rocket Guide is a great resource and a great place to start. However, I got to thinking about how we can take paper rocketry to the next level. With regular (i.e. Estes) rockets, you can always kit bash existing models, or buy parts and scratch build what you want. With paper models, you pretty much have to build them as they come. So, I thought "what about making a parts collection so people can mix and match the parts and build whatever model they want with paper?" The result is Project Paper.
To start, I have created a couple of nose cones, some tubes, fins and other parts to get people started. I intend to add to these as I draw more parts. I'm starting with paper clones of Estes parts, since that is the standard that many kit bashers and scratch builders start with. Later on, I want to clone some Centuri parts as well.
I should also point out the conventions I am using. I am using metric for tube sizes, so BT-5 = CT-13 (CT for Cardstock Tube), BT-20 = CT-18 and BT-50 = CT-24. Similarly, nose cones are CNCE-xx (Cardstock Nose Cone Estes).
I started out with a couple of 18mm nose cones (the CNCE-18B and CNCE-18N) and a 24mm nose, the CNCE-24K. The letter configuration matches the balsa nose cones listed in the 1974 Custom Parts Catalog. Likewise, I've started with both CT-18 and CT-24 tubes. The CT-18 has two of the same tubes for now, while the CT-24 page has both a generic tube with markings at all the standard tube lengths up to 9.5" (the longest I can get on a sheet of card stock) and an 8.5" tube with certain markings from a vintage 3FN rocket that uses the CNCE-24K. The CNCE-24K page has two nose cones on it - one in white and one in red. I also have a fin page with a certain style of swept back fin on it as well, one fin in black and two in white. These should go with the 8.5" CT-24 tube nicely! :wink: The last page is a collection of parts needed to build a model with either tube, such as 13mm and 18mm motor tubes, centering rings, motor blocks and launch lugs. To cut a tube or LL shorter than the max, line up a metal ruler along the appropriate cut marks and cut the length before cutting out the part.
Suggestions are welcome and needed. These include:
* Color schemes for fins, tubes and nose cones
* What other nose cones you want to see next
* Other directions this thing can go.
Oh, and the files are unlocked PDF files - if you have a program that can open PDFs and edit them, you are most welcome to do so - consider this an "open source" project.
If people like this and want more, I'm considering opening a Project Paper website to host all the files and present them in a "catalog" fashion. At first, however, I will post them here for everyone's enjoyment.
So, comments, suggestions and ideas are all welcome.