SA-14 Archer Upscale Flight Video Posted!!!

Using the NCR 2.56" SA-14 Archer as a base, this will be slightly larger in diameter but basically a 2X version. 96" tall, approx 16-19lbs,
5.5" LOC Tubing, LOC Long Nose Cone and Av bay, 1/4" Birch Plywood fins and strakes, 54mm Motor Mount. Full redundant electronics using
RRC3/RRC2+ Altimters. Nothing earth shattering about the build. Typical 4FNC rocket with strakes. All parts are in minus the chutes. Will wait to get final build weight then order them. I cut all the fins on a table saw.
Here is a dry fit picture from this past weekend.

SHARP!

Slots cut


Forward CR w/U-Bolt and MMT epoxied in


Business end of the MMT


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Fins are tacked, been moving a little slow on this one. Also have the mid airframe coupler epoxied in, then I can start on the fillets (internal and external) and filling spirals.
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Quake, yes they are. I was going to go thicker ply or balsa on the strakes for true upscale (the current NCR Model has 1/8" Ply fins and 1/4" balsa strakes) but decided to just go with all the same ply. It actually didnt change the sim at all. Av-Bay goes together this week. I'm considering having the booster section/fin-can come down on its own chute, then the nose and payload/av-bay on another once it seperates at main deployment.

Look forward to seeing this go up. I love the Archer/Standard Missile's lines.

Haven't been able to get much done lately, mounted the altimeters on the sled, need to make a couple bulkheads, nose cone is filled, sanded and ready for first primer coat. I'll snap a couple pics this afternoon.

First strake tacked on, thats an 8 foot workbench!
Picked up the 6 Grain 54mm case for it yesterday from AMW. (Thanks to my Girlfriend Hollie for the $100 Gift Card!)
I also cut a new av-bay sled to accomodate the two batteries for the redundant altimeters.

84" parachute came saturday from Julie at Spherachutes, Excellent to work with and High Quality all the way as usual!

Do you have the new decal set?

Shrox, I went a little different for decals, no secrets on this build. The rocket will be Navy Grey with a white nose cone, I had Mark make me a set of the Madocw Pike 5.5" decals, but changed the name from AGM-33 Pike to SA-14 Archer and changed the serial numbers to be "NAR 95846 L2" (which is my NAR number and Cert Level) and print a few of these:
Kind of like the way the Patriot missile had the red, white and black scheme when it was displayed and delivered. The original Archer was white with the red white and blue symbols, this is the "production" paint job! Fancy doesnt make missiles more effective!!

All four strakes are on. laid out where they went and removed the glassine from the cardboard and epoxied them on. Going to try and get all the external fillets done this weekend. More pics to come.

Sucks that there are currently no MDRA launches scheduled. Will you be premiering this at Red Glare?

Had anybody been up to Higgs lately to see if the crops are still green?


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Not that I've heard. Can they still get Central for October? I know there are two back-up locations, too, right?

Robert was at Higgs about a week and a half ago, plus last launch on sunday Maggie said the crops are the same color as the crops at Central - Green.
In previous years the BOD has negotiated with Central to keep flying there until Higgs is ready. I would expect to see a tentative launch schedule
in the next week or so. Probably for October, possibly even include November at the Sod farm. Until Nature says its time to harvest at least.

I had set the maiden voyage for Red Glare for this thing, but I can fly it on smaller "K"s or big "J"s to around 3500ft. As mentioned above I got the 6 grain case for it, but also have a 4 grain. Plenty of motor choices for this big bird.

Let me know when you're going to launch it, and if I plan to be there, I can help you get it to the pad and on the rails if needed.

dkingsley was saying that the beans near him on the shore were starting to yellow because it had been so dry, but we are supposed to get a bunch of rain over here today which will make it impossible to harvest. And they don't dry out very quickly because they are so densely packed. November may be a possibility, but I'd say October will be at the Sod Farm.

...which is good, because I am not even close with my Red Glare builds yet.

For comparison, NCR's current model. 2.65" diam. 47" tall.
Mine: 5.5" diam. 96" tall

Started filling all those spirals using a technique wfcook told me about. Only have a short section done but I really like this method alot better and it uses less bondo.
And, as you can see, started filling and sanding that long nose cone.
Got all the holes drilled on the av-bay sled for the altimeters and battery holders.
Also got all the holes drilled on the av-bay bulkheads for the U-bolts, terminal blocks and e-charge wells.

qquake2k said:

That is a good looking ship!

Click to expand...

Thanks Quake! I have to be real careful having it dry assembled with the ceiling fan on!! (dinged the NC once already!) Thankfully its getting cooler and I dont need it on anymore. LOL

Great looking upscale, looking forward to seeing your progress.

Sorry I havent been posting much here on the build, but have been making progress. I want to finish it and get it in the air on the 12th on a 4 Grain K then a 6XL L at Red Glare. Put the internal fillets in last night as well as got the Av-Bay a little farther along. All holes are drilled for the Charge wells, terminal blocks, Altimeters and Battery holders. Also got the first coat of primer on the nose cone, should be able to sand and fill and get a second heavy coat on tonight. I can't decide if I want to paint the NC the same gloss grey of the rocket or White like you see alot of grey missiles. (Thinking along the lines of the Phoenix, grey with white NC and maybe a yellow stripe around the air frame as well???)

Awwww, why not the 11th? I never make it out on Sundays. :cry:

Too much to do on Saturday, my Lodge is having our annual Pancake Breakfast from 7-11:30, then I'm helping at a yard sale to benefit the Lily Pond Foal Rescue at 2pm in Dunkirk, MD. no time to fly on saturday. And I'll miss all of November's launch.

If you can, see if Peter will put a video on the YouTube page.

Av-Bay is almost complete, I'll have the wiring done tomorrow afternoon.
Pulled all eight external fillets on the main fins last night as well, too tired to take pics so I'll take some more tomorrow.
Won't be working on it tonight, I'm heading to the Orioles game, Game 1 of the ALDS!