Lakeroadster's Model Rocket Bucket List .... Design Thread

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lakeroadster

lakeroadster

When in doubt... build hell-for-stout!
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The Firebolt XAQM-81A

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force posted an article about a Teledyne Ryan XAQM-81A Firebolt on their Facebook page today.

Here's a photo..

Firebolt USAF.JPG

This AQM variant had a hybrid motor.. Just looking at pictures the rocket seems to be much more sleek looking than the 37A style that Madcow sells?

I spent some time researching and then designing a BT-60 based 24 mm powered version today.

FIREBOLT 0001.JPG
Firebolt DWG.jpg

Open Rocket sim says about 560 ft on a D12-5, 1260 ft on a F-44W.

Open Rocket Sim.jpg

A Storm Approaches......
Open Rocket Photo Studio.jpg

_____________________________________________________________________

Ended up using a pine nose cone with a 1/2" bolt in it to get the stability right.

Another rocket for the bucket list.

Check out this video I found while doing research... way cool.




 
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Very nice, and the scale color would offer great visibility. Is that one long boat tail in the rear? How would you do the external inlets and scoopy bits?
 
mbeels said:
Very nice, and the scale color would offer great visibility. Is that one long boat tail in the rear? How would you do the external inlets and scoopy bits?
Click to expand...

Yes it's a 12" long boat tail, lathe turned from balsa with a 1" bored hole through the center.

Ye Ole Scoopy Bits: Made from body tubes and balsa.

I can buy 2" x 3" x 12" balsa blocks here locally as the raw material..... Just the right size to mate up to BT-60.

I was thinking the air inlet could be made like a whistle.. so it would screech on the way up ;)
 
It's good to have local access to balsa. I used to live close to a very well stocked hobby shop (actually I worked there and got an employee discount). I assumed that they were everywhere, that turns out not to be the case!

lakeroadster said:
I was thinking the air inlet could be made like a whistle.. so it would screech on the way up ;)
Click to expand...

That's a terrific idea, I hope this one is near the top of your bucket list!
 
I posted a picture a long while back of a Firehawk being recovered. I think it was on YORF. Let me see if I can find it.
IIRC it was a different livery than the standard Jayhawk. Black, white and red I think.
Is that extra ventral fin for stability purposes?
 
lakeroadster said:
Yes it's a 12" long boat tail, lathe turned from balsa with a 1" bored hole through the center.
Click to expand...
You could save some weight by rolling it. The same turning technique you're planning can make a mandrel instead. The parallel wound paper won't be parallel when rolled on a cone, so you make extra length on both ends then trim the result to length. Since it's 12 inches long, one sheet of 11×17 paper will do you just fine.

Construct your motor mount with different size CRs and insert it from the top.

Turn or 3D print a special purpose coupler to join the cone to forward tube.

EDIT: OK, I just looked at the picture on YORF. With the people in it for scale, I now want to build a 1:1 K or L motor scale model.
 
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jqavins said:
You could save some weight by rolling it. The same turning technique you're planning can make a mandrel instead. The parallel wound paper won't be parallel when rolled on a cone, so you make extra length on both ends then trim the result to length. Since it's 12 inches long, one sheet of 11×17 paper will do you just fine.
Click to expand...
That is cool. Can you point to any examples of folks making rolled cones?
 
No, I'm afraid I can't. I just know that if you try to roll a tube without a mandrel (I don't mean for rocket use here) you almost always end up with a tapered, if only slightly. And you can definitely hand roll a stemless funnel. So there's no reason you couldn't do that on a mandrel to get the taper exactly as you want it.
 
kuririn said:
The description sounds like a cardstock boat tail ( a BIG one). Don't need to make a mandrel, just plug in the parameters in this bot and it will generate a template for you:
https://www.payloadbay.com/index.php?page=Tools&action=TRANS
Click to expand...
No, jqavins was talking about rolling a cone like a paper tube. That would yield something like but much stronger than a standard transition shroud, something suitable as a structural component.
 
jqavins said:
You could save some weight by rolling it. The same turning technique you're planning can make a mandrel instead. The parallel wound paper won't be parallel when rolled on a cone, so you make extra length on both ends then trim the result to length. Since it's 12 inches long, one sheet of 11×17 paper will do you just fine.

Construct your motor mount with different size CRs and insert it from the top.

Turn or 3D print a special purpose coupler to join the cone to forward tube.

EDIT: OK, I just looked at the picture on YORF. With the people in it for scale, I now want to build a 1:1 K or L motor scale model.
Click to expand...

I can see the advantage for a fella that wanted to make multiple rockets. But for a one off scratch builder I see it as more work, with the end product being a rocket that will fly higher but is much weaker and more difficult to build.

The thick balsa boat tail makes fin attachments easy and robust. Cut a 1/8" slot in the boat tail, and glue in the fins (I've got lots of "full size" woodworking tools).

I created this detail to help explain my initial thoughts for construction:

Firebolt Outline Schematic.jpg
 

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