Trident I missile build

[Madison Alum]

Here I sit, thinking I have a lot of painting to do, so instead I have been working on a new project, a scale of the Trident I SLBM. I really couldn't put my fingers on any good dimensions, but I found a few drawings with length and diameter and have kind of winged the rest.

I am looking at using 1/8 inch thick lexan for the fins and to counteract all of that weight in the back, a bunch of weight in the nosecone.

Overall length is about 35 inches with a diameter of about 5.4 inches.

Nose cone made of balsa, plus weight comes in at roughly 19 ounces.

So my first question is will the standard Aerotech ejection charge push out the nose cone and a 58 inch chute. (As you can see from the rocksim info, it is only marginally stable without a motor. With an H242T, margin goes to 0.69. So More weight will be added in the front)

Chute may seem too big (and maybe it is), but currently my estimated weight is over 2000 grams.



I've attached the rocksim layout.


Thanks,
John

[aerostadt]

Nice looking design! I have had mixed results with clear plastic fins. I think the thicker the clear plastic fins the better. I assume that the fins are TTW. Good question about the ejection charge. Roachwerks does a good job with custom balsa nosecones. You will probably need extra nose weight for stability and to carry the chute out. Off the top of my head it is hard to say for sure about the chute being carried out by the nosecone. There is always the backyard ejection charge test. It is pain to set up, but can save a lot of grief in the long run.

[judo]

Diameter was 74" tapering to 72" at the equipment section. I don't remember the length of the aerospike. I handled the C-4 from '89 to '95.

[Madison Alum]

Diameter was 74" tapering to 72" at the equipment section. I don't remember the length of the aerospike. I handled the C-4 from '89 to '95.

I was on the Madison from 86 to 90. Crawled around the ejection chambers more than a few times and got to see the inside of a few equipment sections and stick my head in some innerstages.
Always wanted to due a test launch, but never looked forward to refurbing the tube afterwards, so I guess things turned out OK.

Where were you out of?

[judo]

I was on the Madison from 86 to 90. Crawled around the ejection chambers more than a few times and got to see the inside of a few equipment sections and stick my head in some innerstages.
Always wanted to due a test launch, but never looked forward to refurbing the tube afterwards, so I guess things turned out OK.

Where were you out of?

USS Henry Clay (SSBN 625G) '88-'89 out of Charleston/Holy Loch.. I did the last two gold crew runs before decom. First one was after ERP; 28 day patrol, 12 days alert. Second was regular length. Following that I did two years on Canopus (AS-34) in Kings Bay and three years at SWFALT. I did another 15 months aboard Chicago (SSN 721) out of San Deigo. They sent me way the heck out there because I wouldn't re-enlist for another six to go D-5 school and another 4-year sea on a Trident II boat. Until I got there, the Chicago thought my orders were a typo; They'd never had a Missile Tech on board before. They were expecting a TM, not an MT.

I had a roommate on the Madison during that time but I don't remember which crew. You'd remember him. Last name of Marston, aka "Firestarter." They were underway and he was duty laundry queen. A lint fire started in the dryer. Marston steps out of the laundry room into the lounge and calls away the fire over the 4MC, but doesn't say a word to the off-duty crew actually sitting in the lounge.

[Madison Alum]

Here it is, almost Memorial Day, and I haven't done squat on any of my builds. Haven't done any more painting on my Tripod or Diamondback upscale. Haven't put the noseweight in my Renegade or started prepping either of my Togs. Haven't made a launch pad for my Helix.

Work pays for all the fun stuff (and the necessary stuff), but sometimes she's a cruel mistress. And sometimes just cruel.

I did take a half day off last week and went to my daughter's school to launch some rockets: Fliskit Green Crayon, Fliskit Tumbleweed on a 1/4A, Fliskit Fric and Frac on a C6/B6, Fliskit Thing a ma Jig on an A8, Art Applewhite 18mm Hourglass on a B6, Art Applewhite 24mm Delta on a C11, Estes Ricochet on an A8, Estes Mean Machine on a C11, Dynastar Grappler on a D12 and a Quest Starhawk on an A8. Mostly low to the ground flights to keep the rockets in a small field and to keep the smoke and noise down low so it would be cooler. I had fun, as did most everybody else. The sophisticated 6th graders were glad I was there because it got them out of class for a while.

Sorry, no pictures. Charged the camera the night before and left it sitting on the counter.

But I did spend a little cash, getting the parts together for my Trident I. Got the LOC tubing, some 1/8 lexan and a really nice looking nosecone from Roachwerks.
(Thanks, Gordon, it came out really nice looking)

This weekend, I'm heading home to New Hampshire to see my mom (family in tow), so I won't be getting anything done on the projects for a while, or get to go to the next 2 ROCI launches (1 of 4 is not a good start for the year).

But the summer is here, good painting weather mostly and late light, so progress will be made.

[Madison Alum]

Nice looking design! I have had mixed results with clear plastic fins. I think the thicker the clear plastic fins the better. I assume that the fins are TTW. Good question about the ejection charge. Roachwerks does a good job with custom balsa nosecones. You will probably need extra nose weight for stability and to carry the chute out. Off the top of my head it is hard to say for sure about the chute being carried out by the nosecone. There is always the backyard ejection charge test. It is pain to set up, but can save a lot of grief in the long run.

Thanks. I've contacted Roachwerks about the nosecone. Hopefully he can come up with something with just the outline of the nose fairing I was able to provide him. The fins are TTW and there is a bunch of extra weight in the nose and will probably be more to get good stability (I've asked for the nosecone to be hollowed out to allow the weight to go as far forward as possible while maintaining some wall thickness on the balsa). Have never done one of the ejection charge test before, but thus might be the time to learn how.
John