Is there a lettering protocol (direction) in rocketry?

[majordude]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

 

[stealth6]

It depends on if you use motors, or engines.

ssixsixsix

 

[prfesser]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

The second arrangement is REQUIRED BY LAW!! Violators shall be POKED with the SOFT CUSHIONS......followed by a session in THE COMFY CHAIR!!!

I've never heard of a preferred direction, though the second arrangement means that reading is in the direction of travel. It is of course the more rational, more logical andIDontKnowWhatTheFumeImTalkingAbout....

 

[tsmith1315]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

I bet you weren’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition!

 

[MidOH]

Comfy chair?
COMFY CHAIR!

It's always the top option. I used to prefer the other option, like a ship or boat moving, but it just doesn't look right. Ever.

 

[MALBAR 70]

Yup, option one for me every time.

 

[Titan II]

Here are some definitive answers.

 

[lakeroadster]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

Wow... I totally misinterpreted what you were asking...... Never mind...

 

[roytyson]

Letters go in the direction of flight, end of the debate.

 

[GlenP]

And the US flag always has the Stars on the top left, umm never mind.

 

[rharshberger]

And the US flag always has the Stars on the top left, umm never mind.View attachment 545993

It would look goofy if the flag was reversed...flying backwards.

 

[BEC]

It would look goofy if the flag was reversed...flying backwards.

And on the other side of the airplane, of course it all reads the other way, and the flag still has the field forward.

 

[sriegel]

I bet you weren’t expecting the Spanish Inquisition!

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

 

[lakeroadster]

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!

 

[rharshberger]

was wondering when somebody would post that skit..

 

[smstachwick]

I’d say anything is fair game. Me personally, I generally like to read the letters in the direction the rocket will be going.

 

[OverTheTop]

Personally I prefer option 1. When I store rockets horizontally I usually face them to the right. Maybe it is also the same way that is the convention for drawings, with text either horizontal or read from standing to the right of the page .

Scale is, of course, whatever way they did it originally.

 

[K'Tesh]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

For my commercial build, I had it both ways, on opposite sides of the rocket. That way, it is correct side up when viewed from either side (presuming that it is hung properly).

 

[MAT2000]

Direction of flight seems more natural. The Estes Quasar decals always seemed a bit off. I think at some point they changed the orientation.

 

[ThirstyBarbarian]

I always use option 1, with the text reading from the aft end forward toward the nose:

> WORD >

The exception would be letters oriented along the axis of the rocket so that the letters are right side up on the launch pad. Then the words need the be read from the top down:

^
U
N
I
T
E
D

S
T
A
T
E
S
^

 

[BEC]

In looking at the models on the desk here in front of me, all of them — three Alphas, three Nova Payloaders, a Super Mars Snooper, a No.2 Skywriter and an MPC X-2 Invader — are configured with “option 1”. The only other model with lettering on the body is a 1/200 Saturn V, which of course reads as @ThirstyBarbarian posted just above. The Multi-Roc’s lettering is all on fins or the glider wing, and is right side up as the model sits there, as you’d expect.

For whatever that’s worth…..or not.

 

[Cape Byron]

< fins - ABCDE - nose >

< nose - ABCDE - fins >

Or either?

I use the second option.

 

[cwbullet]

Any way you want to do it. They can read it from apogee anyway.

 

[waltr]

If a scale model of a Sounding rocket then most seem to have the lettering in both directions on each side. This way when the rocket is horizontal on the launch rail the lettering is readable from either side.

 

[BABAR]

Outside the box solution is to translate into Klingon or Kilrathi Or some other Alien language which nobody can read anyway. Then you can go either way, so long as they don’t use capital letters.

bonus points for whoever can identify the source of the Kilrathi reference without Googling. Of course, also implies you are old.

 

[BABAR]

I always use option 1, with the text reading from the aft end forward toward the nose:

> WORD >

The exception would be letters oriented along the axis of the rocket so that the letters are right side up on the launch pad. Then the words need the be read from the top down:

^
U
N
I
T
E
D

S
T
A
T
E
S
^

Agreed

 

[neil_w]

I use the second option.

!tcerrocnI

I say we dogpile on all the good (?) folks who choose option two,

 

[smstachwick]

Outside the box solution is to translate into Klingon or Kilrathi Or some other Alien language which nobody can read anyway. Then you can go either way, so long as they don’t use capital letters.

bonus points for whoever can identify the source of the Kilrathi reference without Googling. Of course, also implies you are old.

Wing Commander. No Google, Scout’s Honor.

 

[bobbyg23]

Only acceptable way is bottom to top!

 

[BABAR]

!tcerrocnI

I say we dogpile on all the good (?) folks who choose option two,

and be careful to avoid certain names, like LANIRU.

Bottom line: it’s YOUR rocket. Pick what looks good to you and don’t worry about any so-called rules or conventions.

Outside competition, you only need to satisfy one person with your rocket. You.