Two Stage Nike Hercules

Built me a LPR two stage Nike Herc, the gap stage is over six inches and vents out through one of the booster tubes. Its just 18mm to 18mm and it scales out pretty accurately with BT-50 booster stage to a BT-60 top stage.

Only thing I need to work out it a reliable recovery for the booster stage. It is heavy and aerodynamic enough, it comes strait in like a missile and it did get a bit of damage to the top coulper. It also took some weight to the top stage to get it stable for flight.


TA

It might be too late for this model, but it might be possible to use one or more of the four motors in the first stage to eject the trans-stage section and have a parachute in one of the first stage motor tubes. I did this with the Sandman's Nike Hercules (all 24 mm motors) and it worked well.

It's just a center 18mm in the booster stage. At the time four cluster booster seemed a bit overkill with this small of a rocket. I does sound like a plan though.


TA

Nice ,very nice !

Of course you know how much I love missiles ,so you knew I was going to say how much I like this one !

You did a great job T ,is that a scratch build ?

I hope your weather over there is being nicer than mine ,so you can do some painting and flying........although I think you said it was raining.


Cheers


Paul T

Throw a Mylar streamer in one of the side tubes, so that it can be pulled out when the booster motor fires.

Very pretty. I'd love to see the plans if there are any.

WOW! that looks fantastic!

thobin said:

Built me a LPR two stage Nike Herc, the gap stage is over six inches and vents out through one of the booster tubes. Its just 18mm to 18mm and it scales out pretty accurately with BT-50 booster stage to a BT-60 top stage.

Only thing I need to work out it a reliable recovery for the booster stage. It is heavy and aerodynamic enough, it comes strait in like a missile and it did get a bit of damage to the top coulper. It also took some weight to the top stage to get it stable for flight.


TA

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That is an awesome looking Nike Hercules... looking forward to range reports, pics and video.

sodmeister said:

Nice ,very nice !

Of course you know how much I love missiles ,so you knew I was going to say how much I like this one !

You did a great job T ,is that a scratch build ?

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Thanks, it is scratch just got some numbers off the web and punched it out. This is mostly a prototype to overcome the gap staging concerns and recovery of the booster stage. And get some design elements worked out.

awseiger said:

Throw a Mylar streamer in one of the side tubes, so that it can be pulled out when the booster motor fires.

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That was my original idea, I'm not so sure it would do enough to get a tumble effect. It seems to me that it will just guaranty it to land coupler first. A small 10" chute may be in order.

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

Very pretty. I'd love to see the plans if there are any.

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I don't have plans for it but I am considering a small run of kits, just as soon as BMS gets back online. I would like to go all balsa too, just have to get the nose cone drill to allow nose weight or just add some washers, idk. Its stable with the booster but the top stage is not with out the weight.

As you can see there is plenty of room for a parachute in one of the booster tubes just put it on the side of the staging vent hole and it should push it out. That's the next test. It was going to be originality a 24mm booster but I changed it mid construction. As light as it is it just didn't seem necessary.


TA

It looks great! :drool: You said the sustainer is BT-60, but it looks like it has a transition at the top, so is the nose cone an NC-55?

Rocketbuilder said:

It looks great! :drool: You said the sustainer is BT-60, but it looks like it has a transition at the top, so is the nose cone an NC-55?

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Yup. Its an Estes PNC-55 I have a million of them. (ok 6 or 7)

TA

If you get to the point of selling kits, I want one.

thobin said:

Yup. Its an Estes PNC-55 I have a million of them. (ok 6 or 7)

TA

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Thanks for the info. I have about a million of those, too. :tongue:

Cookie the Dog's Owner said:

If you get to the point of selling kits, I want one.

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Me too!