An 'ode to The Launch Pad Style Build - The Redtop AA Missile

[gdjsky01]

@Daddyisabar "backward fins... " you had me going there... I was like "oh cr*p!"
Haha... had me goin'!

 

[gdjsky01]

I could not find at WallyWorld the exact green for the prototype I am 'modeling' (sort of). And I was too lazy to go anywhere else A light grey (or is it gray?) tube and the olive drab fins should do. After all, it is @Daddyisabar scale! This is the round.

 

[gdjsky01]

Probably do some sort of lame fake monochromatic junk for the seeker head.

 

[Daddyisabar]

I could not find at WallyWorld the exact green for the prototype I am 'modeling' (sort of). And I was too lazy to go anywhere else A light grey (or is it gray?) tube and the olive drab fins should do. After all, it is @Daddyisabar scale! This is the round.

View attachment 533198

Watch out, I could transform into rivet counting scale guy with my euro gray paint chips matching up for perfect hue and texture. 20 point deduction to House Gdjsky for too glossy finish!

 

[gdjsky01]

Watch out, I could transform into rivet counting scale guy with my euro gray paint chips matching up for perfect hue and texture. 20 point deduction to House Gdjsky for too glossy finish!

Fine! Tell me the damn Martha Stewart signature series paint color, or a pantone number. I'll go to a paint shop and spend $200 on a custom pint! And then a few hundred more on a compressor, paint gun, respirator, etc. Nope. On sale (5 years ago) rustoleum gray and last week's olive drab will have to do. Or kick me out of the TLP mid power club!

 

[gdjsky01]

Oooh... I just noticed the forward 'whatever they ares' and the cable tunnel are white... you know how much masking tape that will cost me!????

 

[Daddyisabar]

True scale vs. Sports scale! All TLP builders have to scrounge when it comes to decals and striping tape. Improvise and survive!

 

[gdjsky01]

So I have achieved roughly the grey (gray?) I was looking for. To be honest it's what I had in the cabinet. And it looks suspiciously like the color I used on the Matra Magic 550D. Hmmmm....

I'll do the masking reveal in a bit. Then let it dry for days. Then mask the opposite to shoot the camo green on the finage.

 

[gdjsky01]

Okay I have an issue. The rear fins were not filleted. That means, I think, they'll snap left and right on landings. There is a tail cone that'll hit first, but you've all seen landings with any crosswind component... bouncy bouncy.. end over end... So it's painted/primed already. I could sand away paint and primer and apply fillets. Or I could add some fake wood or 3D printed 'thing-a-ma-jig' to the root centers, sand or scrape away only what is under that thingy, and claim it was 'scale like detail', or just fergit about it, and fix it when something snaps off...

 

[Hobie1dog]

looking great

 

[gdjsky01]

The Redtop rear fins, as documented here MAY be too fragile because your's truly forgot to add fillets (of fish). So I made lemonade (I hope) from lemons and 3D printed 'fin pivot points' that when I scrape away a little paint, and use a little epoxy, will look like a brilliant scale (but fake) detail. You can see there is already paint/primer... but after everything is finished, I can scrap a bit away and epoxy this little nugget on each side and maybe use a silver sharpie to color it. I know... bad scale... I feel like @Daddyisabar will revoke my 'TLP Like' membership...

 

[Daddyisabar]

The true old dude "TLP Like" flyer will improvise and survive. Quick Sharpie touch ups and thick CA with accelerator repairs in the field are cool. A dab of epoxy and a Greeble cover up can be conducted in the privacy of your own home, no one needs to know, especially if it turns out looking great. Very low standards and much fun to be had by sporty scale "LIKE TLP" members. True Mid Power model rocketry!

 

[gdjsky01]

So I painted the fins of the Redtop, but not the scale color I was gonna. Instead I painted them with 'what I got'. I have a lot of old rattle cans. A lot of them are completely clogged and will not spray... I found this tan color I had a bunch of cans of, and lo and behold, it worked. So that is that. Sue me. I will make it up in decal details...

On the pad it'll look the part!

 

[Cape Byron]

A dab of epoxy and a Greeble cover up can be conducted in the privacy of your own home, no one needs to know, especially if it turns out looking great.

As a fellow greebler, I agree wholeheartedly with that philosophical assessment.

 

[OzHybrid]

For sure an awesome looking design. Some really good historical data here: Hawker Siddeley Red Top

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Still remember seeing a Lightning at Leuchars airshow. Sprinted out on full afterburner. Retracted undercariage at 6ft off ground, continued for next to nothing and stood on its tail and went vertical. Awesome.

 

[gdjsky01]

So while I mull over how to fake the translucent nose cone (any ideas from you artists out there, short of some casting, like sodmeister did, is WELCOME!),

• I have installed the rear fin "looks like actuators but are really there it reinforce the fins because i forget fillets before painting",
• And started adding the vinyl decal details.

The whole thing will be light coated with a clear dull coat when done.

 

[OzHybrid]

If you are just doing one and you want a specific size I'd blow mould it. Hot air gun, clear plastic sheet, wooden box. Plenty of youtube vids. PM me if you need any assistance. I'm currently a modelmaker for a living after finishing working for the government.

 

[gdjsky01]

WOW!!! I think I am just gonna TRASH this build. Save the nose cone and stomp on the rest.
I did not realize there are TWO (as in 00000010b) cable tunnels!!!!!!! TWO!!!! Not one. Imagine what would be my sheer embarrassment when I show up to a launch and some little pointy headed geek says, "Is that supposed to be a Redtop? Why are the fins tan? And why is there ONE cable tunnel/attachment point??? Are you just a 63 year old lame idiot???????????????????" (walks away shaking his/her head)


WOW. @Daddyisabar will kick my pitootee from here to Selene. I'll be drummed out of the TLP Corps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the Humanity!!!
WTF

 

[Daddyisabar]

So while I mull over how to fake the translucent nose cone (any ideas from you artists out there, short of some casting, like sodmeister did, is WELCOME!),

• I have installed the rear fin "looks like actuators but are really there it reinforce the fins because i forget fillets before painting",
• And started adding the vinyl decal details.

The whole thing will be light coated with a clear dull coat when done.
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View attachment 536483

Translucent nose cones are tough. Hobby Lobby Christmas orimements? The clear ones designed to put stuff in. Very hard to work with. Clear plastic Easter Eggs? Hosiery Egg packaging? What will it do to your reputation when your macho dude peers catch you buying panty hose? Just buying them for the egg packaging for model rockets...right!

 

[Daddyisabar]

WOW!!! I think I am just gonna TRASH this build. Save the nose cone and stomp on the rest.
I did not realize there are TWO (as in 00000010b) cable tunnels!!!!!!! TWO!!!! Not one. Imagine what would be my sheer embarrassment when I show up to a launch and some little pointy headed geek says, "Is that supposed to be a Redtop? Why are the fins tan? And why is there ONE cable tunnel/attachment point??? Are you just a 63 year old lame idiot???????????????????" (walks away shaking his/her head)


WOW. @Daddyisabar will kick my pitootee from here to Selene. I'll be drummed out of the TLP Corps!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh the Humanity!!!
WTF

It's a hard knocks life being a rivet counting scale fanatic!

 

[lakeroadster]

Translucent nose cones are tough. Hobby Lobby Christmas orimements? The clear ones designed to put stuff in. Very hard to work with. Clear plastic Easter Eggs? Hosiery Egg packaging? What will it do to your reputation when your macho dude peers catch you buying panty hose? Just buying them for the egg packaging for model rockets...right!

Just tell 'em you're getting you're gear together to rob the Wells Fargo Wagon...

 

[gdjsky01]

I have added some more decals/vinyl. About ready to call everything but the nose cone done. I'll use a clear satin coat to seal the vinyl as well as give to a more 'military' look. I may punt on the nose cone and paint if silver... OR I am gonna head to Hobby Lobby (I hate buying from religious nut jobs, but nothing will change one way or the other) and get some 2.3 inch sliver plastic ornaments. Then try and figure out how to mount that into a 3D printed 'nose cone adapter'. Anything I do needs the nose weight in the current nose cone.

 

[gdjsky01]

Keep in mind the main fins are father back than the real thing. So a lot of detail is off.

 

[gdjsky01]

You guys/gals are INCREDIBLE. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby (man I hate them because of their religiosity, but what the 'hell' (hell!! hahahaha)), and a little work in OpenScad, using the tail cone model as a starting point, and look at this!
Wow! @Daddyisabar and @lakeroadster you are scale gurus!! I bow profusely in your general directions!

What you see here is a prototype to get the dimensions correct... I am printing a version with a deep shoulder because I have to have someplace to glue some nose weight in. But when I paint the black PLA gray this thing is gonna ROCK. Okay so I am not being very modest. And I have a new technique for almost all such rounds!

 

[OzHybrid]

You guys/gals are INCREDIBLE. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby (man I hate them because of their religiosity, but what the 'hell' (hell!! hahahaha)), and a little work in OpenScad, using the tail cone model as a starting point, and look at this!
Wow! @Daddyisabar and @lakeroadster you are scale gurus!! I bow profusely in your general directions!

What you see here is a prototype to get the dimensions correct... I am printing a version with a deep shoulder because I have to have someplace to glue some nose weight in. But when I paint the black PLA gray this thing is gonna ROCK. Okay so I am not being very modest. And I have a new technique for almost all such rounds!

Amazing what you can see in a hi res nose ball reflection.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Glad you found a perfect scale piece at the Lobby.

 

[lakeroadster]

You guys/gals are INCREDIBLE. A quick trip to Hobby Lobby (man I hate them because of their religiosity, but what the 'hell' (hell!! hahahaha)), and a little work in OpenScad, using the tail cone model as a starting point, and look at this!
Wow! @Daddyisabar and @lakeroadster you are scale gurus!! I bow profusely in your general directions!

What you see here is a prototype to get the dimensions correct... I am printing a version with a deep shoulder because I have to have someplace to glue some nose weight in. But when I paint the black PLA gray this thing is gonna ROCK. Okay so I am not being very modest. And I have a new technique for almost all such rounds!

That certainly looks fan-freakin-tastic. Well played.

Just like Granny used to say: "Nothing says Happy Holidays like Christmas Ornaments on a deadly rocket powered missile"

 

[gdjsky01]

So I have the vinyl pretty much done. I decided I had veered off the scale highway enough, I'd leave the x-mas ornament support black. Gives is some more character.

 

[gdjsky01]

So I need a little nose weight if I am to fly with a CTI G six grain someday.

As you can see, I cut away the 'aft' part of the ornament. I did that by inserting it in the front pushing it until it was on the ledge that I added when I 3D printed the part, then traced around the rear exposed part with a sharpie. I pushed the ornament back out the front, and used a sawing motion with a fresh xacto knife I removed that rear section.
I roughed up the ornament on the area that is not exposed to give the epoxy something to bite into. Slathered some System III 15 minute in the printed part (I roughed it up as well), and pushed the seeker head (yuk yuk yuk) into the seeker mount.



Also what you see is the 4 ounces of nose weight. I took a plastic mixing cup that epoxy does not stick to and poured in the BBs. Coated the threads on the 1/4-20 eyebolt with lube and inserted it into the BBs. I used some masking tape from one side of the cup over the bolt, to the other side to keep it in place. I mixed up a batch of the System III again, and poured that on in. Then waited 24 hours for a really good cure.

Grabbing the eyebolt and wiggling alot it popped out of the cup.
Then a little persuasion to get the eyebolt to unscrew and I had a threaded weight

As you can see I had a FG bulkhead that I sized to fit into the seeker head 3D printed part (the black part). I just inserted the eye bolt through the bulkhead and screwed it into the weight. I have to do a tad more sanding as I want it a little lower in the seeker support so I can make a fillet.

 

[gdjsky01]

Its now a porky 17 oz! And that is with the dull coat to seal the vinyl and without chute and chute release, that'll be more like 19oz. Not a D12 candidate fo shoor. More like an E30. (EDIT) Nope an E30 barely arms the chure release! F's and above. Oh well, I need a 29/40-120 motor eater... guess I found it!