20 MILLION MILES TO EARTH

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hornet driver

hornet driver

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Well I've decided to do it. I drew up a rough set of plans last night--1/1 scale Length worked out to 36.5 in--span is right at 14 in and the widest part of the body is 5 in:y: If you like squat rocket this might be the one! I'll start in earnest after Black Friday. I laid a 29mm retainer down and a yardstick for scale. Final measurements were based on the tailcone being 2.5 in across. This left me enough room the recess the retainer and bury the lugs in the body. All other measurements were pulled from the initial tail cone and scaled up.---DSCF0207.JPGDSCF0211.JPGDSCF0212.JPG---3f8253ccc2cdac308c4e514462cfebdfb4a7949miles.jpg20 mill.jpg----in case you don't recognize it!
 
:w: I can't wait to see how this one turns out! At that size, you could probably fly high power motors in it. :D
 
Rocketbuilder said:
:w: I can't wait to see how this one turns out! At that size, you could probably fly high power motors in it. :D
Click to expand...

Yea, I thought about that but I'm gonna build it lite? It looks draggy enough it should be low and slow. I'm playing with the recovery right now--I have lots of room for a chute/chutes. Thinkin about having the whole front section come off for recovery--I'd hate to put a seam in that slick body--We'll see
 
Whats the deal with the mutant geico?
You should protect yourself against mayhem like that.
Anywhoo....
:pop:
 
Looks like a gargoil godzilla? Are the fins 90 degrees from one another?
 
bill2654 said:
Looks like a gargoil godzilla? Are the fins 90 degrees from one another?
Click to expand...

Yea, 90 deg--no bottom fin --challenging ehhh ! As I look at the pics of the actual model , it looks like they used several--normal--and each was a bit different but not by much! I sorta gunched then all together for my plans. The Godzilla/ Gieko----that's me without my Box-o-wine !!
 
hornet driver said:
Yea, I thought about that but I'm gonna build it lite? It looks draggy enough it should be low and slow. I'm playing with the recovery right now--I have lots of room for a chute/chutes. Thinkin about having the whole front section come off for recovery--I'd hate to put a seam in that slick body--We'll see
Click to expand...

How about using a rear ejection system but separating mid body?

The rear half of the rocket makes up the pod, with the boom extending far into the nose. Load your nose weight on the anterior tip of the boom, in front of the centering ring. Your attachment point of the recovery harness is at the mid portion of the boom at the separation point. Depending on the model and the weight of the engine casing and fins, you may be able to balance this so the rocket falls with the tail/pod either horizontal or even nose end of boom first, taking stress of the fins at landing. Your long dorsal fin is attached to the tail half and recovers with the tail/pod section. So you have no seam (or rather, you take advantage of the natural seam at the mid portion of the rocket. The nose cone will have a separate attachment to the boom, it should end up being pretty light, as it does not carry the nose weight that may be required for stability.20MRocket.jpg
 
BABAR said:
How about using a rear ejection system but separating mid body?

The rear half of the rocket makes up the pod, with the boom extending far into the nose. Load your nose weight on the anterior tip of the boom, in front of the centering ring. Your attachment point of the recovery harness is at the mid portion of the boom at the separation point. Depending on the model and the weight of the engine casing and fins, you may be able to balance this so the rocket falls with the tail/pod either horizontal or even nose end of boom first, taking stress of the fins at landing. Your long dorsal fin is attached to the tail half and recovers with the tail/pod section. So you have no seam (or rather, you take advantage of the natural seam at the mid portion of the rocket. The nose cone will have a separate attachment to the boom, it should end up being pretty light, as it does not carry the nose weight that may be required for stability.View attachment 104304
Click to expand...

Honestly, That's really close to what I'm thinking! I figure the body is just an aeroshell--the rocket is underneath---so shed the nose and float it down mid body--in theory I should be able to save the fin damage and I have a ton of space for the chute/recovery system!
 
krusty said:
What about a clear bottom fin?
Click to expand...

Frankly I'm not fond of clear fins --that said I should be ok with the layout as it is--I may have to make a small aero adjustment for the large vertical stab---that might be a moving target! I figure worst scenareo--it makes a wide arc--I hope.I guess I could move the thrust center up a bit as I did on another build but I think this one is big and slow enough not to need it. Hmmm, more thought needed.
 
hornet driver said:
Frankly I'm not fond of clear fins --that said I should be ok with the layout as it is--I may have to make a small aero adjustment for the large vertical stab---that might be a moving target! I figure worst scenareo--it makes a wide arc--I hope.I guess I could move the thrust center up a bit as I did on another build but I think this one is big and slow enough not to need it. Hmmm, more thought needed.
Click to expand...


Don't see a frontal or tail view. On the lateral views you show here, the lateral fins appear to be a bit "south" of midline (opposite the huge dorsal fin.) If you take a bit of "engineering" license and moves these a bit more "south"/ventral, and maaaaaybe add a bit of, I guess it would be reverse dihedral (angling the tips of the lateral fins "south"/away from the dorsal fin) you may have enough to counter the dorsal fin. Sort of like the tail of the F4 Phantom.

Obviously you HAVE three fins, so that rule is covered. The Corkscrew has an extremely asymmetric ring fin placement and flies fine although it spins. I have tried the same with the Triple Sec, again extremely asymmetric ring fin, and this one flew straight as an arrow with no roll at all.

Any chance of building a simple version of this with the same fin configuration and flying it to check for stability before you commit to the final model?
 
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BABAR said:
Don't see a frontal or tail view. On the lateral views you show here, the lateral fins appear to be a bit "south" of midline (opposite the huge dorsal fin.) If you take a bit of "engineering" license and moves these a bit more "south"/ventral, and maaaaaybe add a bit of, I guess it would be reverse dihedral (angling the tips of the lateral fins "south"/away from the dorsal fin) you may have enough to counter the dorsal fin. Sort of like the tail of the F4 Phantom.

Obviously you HAVE three fins, so that rule is covered. The Corkscrew has an extremely asymmetric ring fin placement and flies fine although it spins. I have tried the same with the Triple Sec, again extremely asymmetric ring fin, and this one flew straight as an arrow with no roll at all.

Any chance of building a simple version of this with the same fin configuration and flying it to check for stability before you commit to the final model?
Click to expand...
The fins are right on the centerline--I think you might be looking at the lug placement---not well defined. As far as angling them down--anahedral--I'd like to stay true to the original if possible. I've done other rockets with an , hmmm, airplane look and had no problems. That said on my Boxster I mounted the motor just a tick over the centerline---It had a lot of asymetry---and worked out fine. This thing is more like shooting a fire plug up--if I were going with something more powerful I might worry more, given the increase in speed and the associated drag. I probably will build a smaller--Test bird-- maybe 13mm--just as a proof of concept .
 
great choice of rockets... here is another based on the same... nibbles the astrocat!

[video=youtube;60UQMtebOnU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60UQMtebOnU[/video]

[video=youtube;StWvKpbJkKc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWvKpbJkKc&feature=related[/video]

I know it does not quite look like it but i assure you thats where the inspiration for the rocket came from .
 
Stubby, airplane like rocket with 90 degrees separation, no bottom fin, a canard fin way up front, crazy, crazy, crazy. Gonna pop it up there with a composite motor ain't ya son. . . got a computerized simulation or are ya just a wishin' and a hopin' it is gonna fly good? . . . Yes sir, hope simmed it many times. I have plenty of nose weight and power. The launch rod is long, there is no wind and no children are in the danger zone. Many young men who can run fast with fire extinguishers, pumps and flappers present. At least 5 seconds of pure model rocketry entertainment guaranteed!

Such is the life of the airplane rocket flyin' oddrocketeer.
 
That is how I solved the problem...
Two extended LL stand offs at 120 and 240 degrees. Looks cool and works just fine.

hornet driver said:
The fins are right on the centerline--I think you might be looking at the lug placement---not well defined. As far as angling them down--anahedral--I'd like to stay true to the original if possible. I've done other rockets with an , hmmm, airplane look and had no problems. That said on my Boxster I mounted the motor just a tick over the centerline---It had a lot of asymetry---and worked out fine. This thing is more like shooting a fire plug up--if I were going with something more powerful I might worry more, given the increase in speed and the associated drag. I probably will build a smaller--Test bird-- maybe 13mm--just as a proof of concept .
Click to expand...
 
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Wow, sorry guys, I've been so busy I did'nt even check back on my own thread--Nibbles is too cool, great flight too---I had forgotten--thankfully --about 5 million years to earth---and Daddy, I think your real close with your estimation of the real launch event!
 
Dried marshmellon root?
Thats big $$$$ on the street.
Whos got their hand in the Marshmellon Jar now....:lol:
 
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Scotty Dog said:
Dried marshmellon root?
Thats big $$$$ on the street.
Whos got their hand in the Marshmellon Jar now....:lol:
Click to expand...

Damn, caught again. I'm feeling woozy and creative at the same time . This was a good crop---needs wine!
 
At first I thought your wife made you go to one of those "candle parties" and you bought a few in Lavender Rosehip and Vanilla Mango :eyeroll:

Don`t ask me how I know this and how much they cost.Can a speedy divorce not follow soon enough afterwards ? LOL

So when do we see some building ?


Take care


Paul T
 
Playtime starts Monday night! Barring any changes I have Tues and Weds off.The deck needs something that looks like snow anyway!
 
The Semroc VF-261 has a fin layout like this.

Still working on this one. Been a lot of sanding and coats of sanding sealer so far.

VF-261.jpg

VF-261 fins.jpg
 
RodRocket said:
The Semroc VF-261 has a fin layout like this.

Still working on this one. Been a lot of sanding and coats of sanding sealer so far.
Click to expand...

Like the looks of that!! A lot!! That profile is Oh so very close to the 20 mill. I like the fin pods being pushed back a tad like that. Mine might be chute catchers--we'll see. Ya know, looking at that, I might be able to add a tick of anahedral and still pull it off. I'll give some thought to it! I know yours is smaller than mine but the scale-up is damn close. Your likely to get yours up before mine--like to get a flight report if you don't mind? Makes me want to start tonight.
 
Well it had been quite awhile since I worked on it and had forgotten to update the low power thread I had started. Not in a hurry to finish just yet. Want to get it really smooth and it is getting closer with each coat of sanding sealer.

Your thread actually made me get it out and post the pics because they do look so similar. Just been working on too many projects.
 

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