The Sort of Silly Idea That Only I Would Be Dumb Enough To Come Up With...

[Grif Ingram]

Just a weird idea...if one were willing to accept a nose cone rather than a flat plate with a spike, for safety reasons...if one were to take one of the free card models of the Mercury capsule available on the net (and doesn't someone do a card version of this capsule set up as a nose cone?) and put a motor in the bottom of the capsule section, and a clear tube up the middle of the escape tower (cutting out the gaps in the card model's escape tower!), with the parachute in the escape rocket, would this arrangement be stable as a model rocket? Maybe it could be the second stage, with a Little Joe or Redstone or Atlas? Maybe I should have arranged my thoughts a bit better before posting, but I think the meaning is just about clear...
Grif

[dave carver]

It would be an aeroshroud-type of rocket and I see no reason it wouldn't fly. However, most likely will wobble due to no dampening from not having fins.

But it will go up

[BobH48]

There is a 1/48 scale paper Apollo capsule that one of our club members converted that way and it flies nice and straight with no wobble.

He has it separate at the tower and it's so light it only uses a small streamer.

The model can be found here:

http://jleslie48.com/apollo4802.pdf

[MarkII]

http://www.oldrocketplans.com/kosrox/apollo/capsule.htm

MarkII

[mikeyd]

Mercury as asked

http://www.delta7studios.com/flying_delta_7_rockets.htm

[dlazarus6660]

Here is a better Mercury Redstone paper model, more detail, enlarges very nicley(sp?)I printed to the limits of a single page(capsule)Approx 230% which makes the tube about 3-5/16 of an inch diameter.

Link:

http://www.cardinspace.com/images/models/cis2mr3.pdf

[spacecadet]

I've flown Ton Noteboom's Little Joe in a similar way but with as a 2-stage. I believe it would fly well in good conditions, but unfortunately they're not always available in Scotland in late August, so it flew, er, less well, but safely,

[Pem Tech]

Another good idea Grif.....
Post a thread when you build this thing.