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I just posted my most recent SpaceX Falcon Heavy (3.0) build at 1:90 scale on this forum. That rocket is ready to fly!
And I'm working on repairs to my SpaceX Falcon Heavy (2.0), and Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Build 2.0 (1:65 Scale BT-70). I'm hoping to fly these all at the next SARG club launch on April 23rd 2022.
In this post, I'm going to work on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy with the goal of consolidating everything I've learned from those projects into my dream build...
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy at 1:65 scale.
Photo note: On Feb 6, 2018 SpaceX conducted their first Falcon Heavy test flight. They used Elan Musk’s red Tesla Roadster as the payload. You can view the actual launch here.
My SpaceX Falcon Heavy 1:65 scale design goals:
**This was introduced on my Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Build 2.0
*** I still plan to paint on the nose cones but everything else is White PET plastic or self adhesive paper printed on a color printer.
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to build a custom launch pad for this project. I'd love to model the strong back and gantry tower, one day...
As I mentioned, the next SARG club launch is April 23rd 2022, so I've only got a couple of weeks to get this baby built. I figured with a deadline of April 23rd fast approaching, it would be more fun (and motivating) to post my progress up to that date rather than wait until I find time to write up this build which might take months.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What I have so far is:
1: A reasonably well working 1:65 scale Falcon 9. The last two launches demonstrated successful ignition of all 9 cores on each launch with successful 2nd stage ignition as well. Issues with flip out fin design and recovery have been remediated in the current build.
2: Designs for the 9 cluster motor mounts for the core an boosters are done and printing complete.
3: The design for the Falcon Heavy at 1:90 scale in FreeCAD, and a method for up-scaling the 1:90 FreeCAD designs to 1:90 is also complete.
What I need to do is:
1: Perform the actual scaling up and printing of the 1:65 scale parts. This requires considerable test printing.
2: Cut the BT-70 (core and booster rocket) and BT-80 (payload faring)
3: Scale AXM paper model rocket skins
4: Design launch system for 27 cluster launch (12 clips?)
5: everything I haven't thought of yet.
Core 9 cluster motor assembly (locked and loaded)
Core and booster lower sections designed and printed:
And I'm working on repairs to my SpaceX Falcon Heavy (2.0), and Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Build 2.0 (1:65 Scale BT-70). I'm hoping to fly these all at the next SARG club launch on April 23rd 2022.
In this post, I'm going to work on a SpaceX Falcon Heavy with the goal of consolidating everything I've learned from those projects into my dream build...
A SpaceX Falcon Heavy at 1:65 scale.
Photo note: On Feb 6, 2018 SpaceX conducted their first Falcon Heavy test flight. They used Elan Musk’s red Tesla Roadster as the payload. You can view the actual launch here.
My SpaceX Falcon Heavy 1:65 scale design goals:
- 27 core, 2 stage rocket (Just like the real Falcon Heavy!)
- 9 cores in center core: 1:E12-0 + 8:A10-0T
- 9 cores in each booster: 1: D 12-0 + 8:A10-0T
- 1 A8-3T in the 2nd stage
- BT-70 body tubes for core and booster rockets. est. 108 cm (42") tall
- Booster separation at booster engine cutoff (BECO)
- Second stage ignition at main engine cutoff (MECO)
- Recovery of boosters and core using rear ejection of the rocket motor tubes
- Magnetic shear pins for booster attachment/separation
- Replaceable parts: minimal use of glue
- Parts designed using FreeCAD software and printed using a Prusa i3 MK3s 3D printer.
- Hidden “flip out” fins for the second stage* based on Tim's design at Apogee Rockets
- Magnetic shear pins for landing leg retention and release
- Articulating landing legs that extend during landing.
- Retracting thrust struts on the core after booster separation
- Movable grid fins*
- Magnetic shear pins for motor retention
- Pneumatic/magnetic booster separation from the core at BECO
- Upright core and booster recovery
- Use of self adhesive paper “skins”* adapted from AXM Paper Scale Models.
- Use of snap-in parts**
- Minimal paint***. On Build 2, a significant amount of effort was spent on painting and wet sanding and I never figured out how to apply SpaceX graphics over the 3D printed parts.
- Hybrid BT-50/BT-20 core motor tube. The BT-20 tube extends from directly above the part that houses the motor to the 2nd stage, which permits more room for the recovery chute. This also allows for more powerful (D and E) motors which Build 2.0 did not.
- Magnetic booster attachment of the upper booster mount with magnetic-puenatic separation (basically I learned in the 2.0 build that puenatic separation alone does not work).
- 3D printed parts using two colors (black and white) in the same part
- Magnetic lower booster attachments.
- Improved reverse recovery mechanisms
- Improved techniques for using tape to secure motor parts.
- Payload: Red Tesla Roadster with Starman
**This was introduced on my Falcon 9 Crew Dragon Build 2.0
*** I still plan to paint on the nose cones but everything else is White PET plastic or self adhesive paper printed on a color printer.
Also, I'm pretty sure I'm going to need to build a custom launch pad for this project. I'd love to model the strong back and gantry tower, one day...
As I mentioned, the next SARG club launch is April 23rd 2022, so I've only got a couple of weeks to get this baby built. I figured with a deadline of April 23rd fast approaching, it would be more fun (and motivating) to post my progress up to that date rather than wait until I find time to write up this build which might take months.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
What I have so far is:
1: A reasonably well working 1:65 scale Falcon 9. The last two launches demonstrated successful ignition of all 9 cores on each launch with successful 2nd stage ignition as well. Issues with flip out fin design and recovery have been remediated in the current build.
2: Designs for the 9 cluster motor mounts for the core an boosters are done and printing complete.
3: The design for the Falcon Heavy at 1:90 scale in FreeCAD, and a method for up-scaling the 1:90 FreeCAD designs to 1:90 is also complete.
What I need to do is:
1: Perform the actual scaling up and printing of the 1:65 scale parts. This requires considerable test printing.
2: Cut the BT-70 (core and booster rocket) and BT-80 (payload faring)
3: Scale AXM paper model rocket skins
4: Design launch system for 27 cluster launch (12 clips?)
5: everything I haven't thought of yet.
Core 9 cluster motor assembly (locked and loaded)
Core and booster lower sections designed and printed:
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