Neil_W's half-baked design thread

[jqavins]

If anyone decides to build an up-scale version, it'd be cool to see this fly at dusk:

https://blinkee.com/product/mood-sp...MI5cL-rKPOgwMV_GBHAR0e6ADLEAQYBCABEgJ0XvD_BwE

I love it, and I think I can do better. In that size, I'd want to start with a translucent ball, like a giant ping-pong ball. Then do a hydrodip of four or five colors. Then put a color shifting LED (or a few of them) inside, with the colors shifting randomly (a simple Arduino project). As different colors of light are passed through the different colors of paint, this should make a nice illusion of motion that's irregular, rather than the simple rotating color wheel. The protection of the electronics part is simple at that scale; you just use motors that don't have an ejection charge and use electronic deployment, with the lighting and deployment electronics in the same Ebay.

But I guess this is wandering a little far off topic.

 

[neil_w]

They do make jumbo ping pong balls, not sure if the size off the top of my head. One thing to keep in mind is that the ball is inline with the airframe; for structural rigidity a tube needs to run through the center of it.

If someone is super-excited about hydro dipping and wants to paint me a a ping pong ball, I’ll accept submissions. It’s not a task I’m particularly looking forward to. I can supply the balls (with holes cut) if necessary.

 

[NTP2]

If someone is super-excited about hydro dipping and wants to paint me a a ping pong ball, I’ll accept submissions. It’s not a task I’m particularly looking forward to. I can supply the balls (with holes cut) if necessary.

I might be interested… though I have never done it before.
Ps if you want to talk a bit more send me a PM

 

[jqavins]

Yes, what he said. ^

I'd do it without the holes so you can decide where to drill after the paint is applied.

 

[BABAR]

These probably are not as good as the pictures, but might be fun

first is $8 for 24
second is $7 for 6.
If short term memory works,
they are on Amazon prime.

 

[neil_w]

Quick reader poll on a matter of international importance:

Do you care if a build thread starts off very slowly? Normally I do quite a bit of building before starting a build thread, so that I'll have a good supply of material ready to go at the beginning. I think this gets things off to a better start. If eventually I run out of material and the thread slows down to real time, that's OK. Am I the only one who cares about this? Should I just start a build thread whenever I actually start building, and if it takes a very long time to develop that's OK?

I think I've asked this before but I'm asking again.

 

[techrat]

BigMacDaddy started a TWA Moonliner thread about a year ago and abandoned the project as far as I can tell. That was a build thread I was following and, I guess I'm going to have to build my own if I want one. The point is: I don't think we're in a rush to follow, as many of us have lives and we're reading this while waiting for glue to dry. So real-time is fine. I can keep different threads in my head and I can always scroll back if I've forgotten where I was. No need to post it all at once, we can follow bit by bit -- it's the difference between binge-watching a TV series versus having to wait for the next episode a week later.

 

[neil_w]

That is good perspective, thanks.

 

[terryg]

If anyone decides to build an up-scale version, it'd be cool to see this fly at dusk:

https://blinkee.com/product/mood-sp...MI5cL-rKPOgwMV_GBHAR0e6ADLEAQYBCABEgJ0XvD_BwE

The night launch fanatic in me loves this idea. I wonder if you could do sphere fins the same way you do tube fins.......

 

[boatgeek]

Quick reader poll on a matter of international importance:

Do you care if a build thread starts off very slowly? Normally I do quite a bit of building before starting a build thread, so that I'll have a good supply of material ready to go at the beginning. I think this gets things off to a better start. If eventually I run out of material and the thread slows down to real time, that's OK. Am I the only one who cares about this? Should I just start a build thread whenever I actually start building, and if it takes a very long time to develop that's OK?

I think I've asked this before but I'm asking again.

I'm fine either way. It's nice to get a bunch of content in the early stages, but it's fine to draw it out too.

 

[mbeels]

I agree with pretty much everything techrat said. A slow progression is fine with me. I kind of like the anticipation of waiting for the next update, following along in real time. The only disappointment is when a build thread gets abandoned, but I don't see you doing that.

 

[neil_w]

The only disappointment is when a build thread gets abandoned, but I don't see you doing that.

Ugh, that drives me nuts. Short of losing the ability to post to this forum, I will always follow a build thread to conclusion (up to and including launch). If for some reason I had to abandon a build I would notify such in the thread.

 

[Bill S]

I tend to post up build pics/info in chunks as the project progresses, rather than worrying about putting up stuff as soon as I do it. So its okay by me if you don't do frequent updates.

 

[NTP2]

BigMacDaddy started a TWA Moonliner thread about a year ago and abandoned the project as far as I can tell. That was a build thread I was following and, I guess I'm going to have to build my own if I want one. The point is: I don't think we're in a rush to follow, as many of us have lives and we're reading this while waiting for glue to dry. So real-time is fine. I can keep different threads in my head and I can always scroll back if I've forgotten where I was. No need to post it all at once, we can follow bit by bit -- it's the difference between binge-watching a TV series versus having to wait for the next episode a week later.

+1

 

[OzHybrid]

Quick reader poll on a matter of international importance:

Do you care if a build thread starts off very slowly? Normally I do quite a bit of building before starting a build thread, so that I'll have a good supply of material ready to go at the beginning. I think this gets things off to a better start. If eventually I run out of material and the thread slows down to real time, that's OK. Am I the only one who cares about this? Should I just start a build thread whenever I actually start building, and if it takes a very long time to develop that's OK?

I think I've asked this before but I'm asking again.

It's probably a good idea to have a bit to post at the start otherwise it's going to get filled up with a lot of ra ra well done Neil, before it gets going. As much as I love those.... In between the meat....

 

[jqavins]

Real time is good. If you want to do some of the very early stuff in advance, like choosing and acquiring materials, detailing the construction sequence, everything up to the "OK, here we go" point and posting all of that in the first post, that might be a good idea. After that, I'd rather follow in real time.

 

[lakeroadster]

Should I just start a build thread whenever I actually start building, and if it takes a very long time to develop that's OK?

My vote...
I'll add that I'd like to see the OpenRocket design up front too. It's great to see the conceptualization of the design... like.. well.. this thread.

 

[BABAR]

Ugh, that drives me nuts. Short of losing the ability to post to this forum, I will always follow a build thread to conclusion (up to and including launch). If for some reason I had to abandon a build I would notify such in the thread.

The most (in)famous had to be the Rube Goldberg Lander thread. That one was disappointing big time.

 

[neil_w]

The most (in)famous had to be the Rube Goldberg Lander thread. That one was disappointing big time.

Yes!!!

 

[BABAR]

Quick reader poll on a matter of international importance:

Do you care if a build thread starts off very slowly? Normally I do quite a bit of building before starting a build thread, so that I'll have a good supply of material ready to go at the beginning. I think this gets things off to a better start. If eventually I run out of material and the thread slows down to real time, that's OK. Am I the only one who cares about this? Should I just start a build thread whenever I actually start building, and if it takes a very long time to develop that's OK?

I think I've asked this before but I'm asking again.

Depends.

You and @lakeroadster have an open rocket design from get go, and I imagine a pretty good idea what challenges you will encounter and a plan for them.

Soooommmme of us start with a rougher concept and start building, encountering challenges and hopefully solutions as they arise. I think these builds are more likely to stall (or fail), and are certainly more difficult to follow as the reader doesn’t always have a good “final” grasp of how it’s SUPPOSED to look.

I’m working one where I am just throwing in pics and maybe a few measurements and comments, I’d put it in Area 51 except it seems to have moved to a parallel universe. My plan, IF it works out, is to organize it and re-post it as a new “built” thread.

 

[jqavins]

The most (in)famous had to be the Rube Goldberg Lander thread. That one was disappointing big time.

One might think my two stage Quest Terrier-Orion is another one, but I promise it's just stalled, not abandoned. Stalled for ten years at a time, but I will finish it. Eventually.

 

[neil_w]

If abusing OpenRocket is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

 

[NTP2]

If abusing OpenRocket is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
View attachment 630601

How on earth did you do that to poor open rocket!

 

[neil_w]

How on earth did you do that to poor open rocket!

OpenRocket knows who's boss, that's how.

 

[Raythain]

If abusing OpenRocket is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
View attachment 630601

A NewWay to use OR?

 

[neil_w]

Almost four years later I finally figured out how to do the nose correctly.



Hmm, in super-closeup it's obviously not quite right... I'll have to clean it up later. Good enough for the moment.

 

[jqavins]

If abusing OpenRocket is wrong, I don't wanna be right.
View attachment 630601

Mind sim says it's stable, OR says it's not.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1c5bca0b-7e0a-4482-8956-a5a3a16b0c97

 

[neil_w]

Mind sim says it's stable, OR says it's not.
View attachment 630618
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/1c5bca0b-7e0a-4482-8956-a5a3a16b0c97

That’s purely a visualization exercise, no chance of getting a realistic sim.

 

[jqavins]

Yes, of course. It still reminded me of the Spock clip.

 

[NTP2]

Hmmm did you make fins as walls on a body tube?