I have this halloween decoration I want to launch....

[Kira_Majeric]

I found a decorative Pumpkin last year, and I really want to launch it!!

My husband thinks I should talk to some of the Oddroc guys before I start ripping the pumpkin's guts out to fit the motor mount. He thinks this pumpkin should be stable and come down under chute... ^ _ ^

Has anyone ever made a rocket out of just one foot tall (Maybe 16") Pumpkin decoration?? If so, can you give me any advice of how to make it stable??

I was thinking 54mm motor (just for fun), and my husband is suggesting 38mm. And what are the best fins to use. I was thinking about using something clear as to not take away from my lovely pumpkin.

What do you guys think??

Thanks in advance for any help you have to offer!

~Gina

 

[dixontj93060]

Search user ECayemberg (the flying pumpkin expert).

 

[ECayemberg]

Kira,

Plastic pumpkins fly well. Just give them lots of fin area that sticks out from the pumpkin diameter and some weight up top.

Here are a few photos to get your gears turning. I use a specific pumpkin that unfortunately is no longer made. It is 21" in diameter and over 2 feet tall.

Pyro Pumpkin II is on the left. It flew on an L666 skid a few years back at Midwest Power. The timer failed to fire the charges and it had a hard landing. Many parts of that rocket were used to create Pyro Pumpkin 2.5, which will fly on a 75mm 4 grain sparky this weekend at Midwest Power. On the right is my original Pyro Pumpkin, which flew at pretty much every Midwest Power since MWP3. I retired it after the recovery system finally gave out last year.

Pyro Pumpkin I uses rear ejection, single motor ejection rear deploy. A flashlight installed in the stem provides noseweight and illumination.

It glows!

It flies too!

And on a good day, it recovers gently and lands on it's legs

Good luck with the Pumpkin project!

-Eric-

 

[dixontj93060]

As an alternative, consider an alien (little green man) which is essentially a standard rocket with a green plastic skin, i.e., motor deploy and standard nosecone/parachute configuration.

 

[jadebox]

We had this flying pumpkin at the last TTRA launch:

​

It flew well.

I didn't build it and didn't get a close look at it. But, based on my years of experience flying furry, multi-legged rockets I can recommend that you first build the main structure of the rocket with a motor tube, body tube, and "fins" (legs). Like this:

​

(There are eight legs because this was the insides of one of our "Akavish" spider-themed rockets.)

Once you have a firm foundation, add the pumpkin.

​

We used a foam ball for the head of our Akavish, but you could use the pumpkin the same way.

Our first Akavish was built the other way around. We started with a foam ball and inserted a motor mount into it. Then we glued in the legs and made room for a parachute. Not only did it not fly very well, but it came apart after one flight. That's when we decided that the foam ball (or pumpkin in your case) should be just a facade over a more durable structure.

The photos above are of one of the smaller members of our Akavish family which flies on 29mm motors. Your one-foot tall pumpkin is about the size of our larger "Big Daddy Akavish" which flies on 54MM I through J motors. But, the idea is the same.

I hope this helps ....

-- Roger

 

[DavieRockets]

I stacked 4 different sized polyurethane foam pumpkins over a 54mm motor tube. The smallest is the nosecone. I then used two centering rings to reduce the rear end to a 7" long 38mm motor tube. I used Lexan for the fins. The fins go through slots in the bottom pumpkin and then through slots in the wall of the 54mm tube to butt up to the 38mm motor tube. Epoxy and 1/4" wood dowels form the fin fillets between the 54mm and 38mm tubes. Got the pumpkins at Michaels.

8" OD
21" tall
36 Oz. dry weight

 

[El Cheapo]

Ask and you shall receive. It's kind of buzzkill sometimes to think you have a great Idea for a bird only to find out Its been done a bazillion times before. The good and bad of TRF.

 

[angel_phil]

very interesting..

 

[o1d_dude]

Boosting pumpkins...who knew?

There is certainly a wide range of circular/globular objects in the photos above.

Kinda wish Kira hadn't brought this topic up as now I'm thinking of making my mark on the flying pumpkin world.

 

[jadebox]

Ask and you shall receive. It's kind of buzzkill sometimes to think you have a great Idea for a bird only to find out Its been done a bazillion times before. The good and bad of TRF.

Even though other pumpkins have flown, that shouldn't stop Gina from persuing her own project. I'm sure it'll be unique and will attract a lot of attention if she flies it at an organized launch.

-- Roger

 

[El Cheapo]

My Halloween mini pumpkin rocket has been half built for over a year. Every time I come come up with something pretty unusual I can almost guarantee Jeff in AZ has already done it. I was speaking more in general terms. I'm sure she knows Its been done or she wouldn't have posted the question the way she did. Holiday odrocs are awesome. Ya just hv to wait til next season to fly them :-(

 

[ndzied1]

You guys are late to the halloween party. Look to the future...

 

[Kira_Majeric]

Boosting pumpkins...who knew?

There is certainly a wide range of circular/globular objects in the photos above.

Kinda wish Kira hadn't brought this topic up as now I'm thinking of making my mark on the flying pumpkin world.

We can drag race them!!