SubAtomic PileDriver

[Rschub]

I built a Minnie-Magg for my level 1 and flew it a lot this past year. I had a few "issues" with motor ejection, so for next year I decided I needed a new rocket to try electronic deployment. I could have just bought a payload bay and an extension for the Minnie-Magg, but that seemed boring.

So I have been looking through the forum and came upon something called a Nuclear Sledgehammer:


This seemed really cool, but quite large, and not made anymore. Also, the construction was seemingly very complicated, I like the simple LOC construction.

Then I got to thinking that the sweep of the rear fins was nearly the same as my Minnie-Magg and.........


The parts here are a complete 5.5" Minnie-Magg kit, a Wolverine body tube [34"] that is sold separately, a long LOC nosecone with the weight system, and the LOC 5.5" altimeter bay.

I had Scott at Dragon Rocketry cut the wings and the extra bulkheads I needed. The view of the interior:

I plan to build the entire fin can outside the body tube like I did on the Minnie-Magg, just looking for a warmer day.



I didn't want to call it a Nuclear Sledgehammer so the name seemed appropriate for a smaller version.

 

[cwbullet]

Any chance this might be a future kit?

 

[Rschub]

Any chance this might be a future kit?

It is already mostly LOC parts. I also told you who has the cad files to laser cut the 3 custom parts......
It's also a blatant rip-off of someone else's design, so I have no plans to sell it.
Keep in mind that is hasn't flown yet and I am a complete noob at rocket design, CAD only makes you look smart. It could be a real clunker.

 

[cwbullet]

It is already mostly LOC parts. I also told you who has the cad files to laser cut the 3 custom parts......
It's also a blatant rip-off of someone else's design, so I have no plans to sell it.
Keep in mind that is hasn't flown yet and I am a complete noob at rocket design, CAD only makes you look smart. It could be a real clunker.

It is not sold, so I am not sure it is a rip-off.

 

[Rschub]

OK, "Inspired by". I think I will just build it and fly it first. That sounds fun.

 

[Hobie1dog]

cool looking

 

[rharshberger]

Here's an original Nuclear Sledgehammer...I'm on the left, the rockets designer on the right. There were only 11 ever kitted and sold. I also have the 5.5" original prototype which looks to be made with Loc type parts. The 7.5" version was VERY expensive to produce and pretty complicated, the wings and fins were built up from a honeycomb composite overlaid with fiberglass or in my rocket Carbon Fiber, the fin/wing cores were edged with MDF leading and trailing edges. The design is also fairly short and stubby and with those wings it requires a fairly large amount of noseweight. As for difficulty level...yep its an advanced build.

Your version has some significant changes in both wing shape, and vertical stabilizer shape, and you have the forward canards and a long ogive nosecone instead of a short one. AFAIK Giant Leap Rocketry still owns the Nuclear Sledgehammer design.

 

[lakeroadster]

Very wicked looking rocket. Well done.

"Pile Driver" is an ominous name though, for folks that have ever seen actual piles being installed ... kind of like a lawn dart.

 

[Rschub]

Here's an original Nuclear Sledgehammer..

Thanks for the comments! I have read your posts, and several more on the N.S. This forum is a fantastic resource! For instance, I know that CWB has an original he should be working on.
I thought briefly about doing a 7.5 in version, but it's just too big for my circumstances. I am sticking with LOC 5.5 for my designs for now.

I find when designing stuff that the more commonality you can use, the easier it is. In this case the fins are M.M. fins, the "elevators" just have a notch cut out for style. The Wolverine body tube has the same slot dimensions as the M.M. so the fin can will slide right in with added slots for the wings. I put the canards on just to fill the fin slots in the M.M. body tube. I had the extended nose cone already for use on the M.M. if I go for level 2 next year. The wings I just added a strake. The rocket is also a bit longer than "scale" to balance out all that plywood in the back [81"]
It should work.

"Pile Driver" is an ominous name though,

Well, my Minnie Magg is named Purple People Eater, This rocket's name is an attempt to undo the jinx.

 

[cwbullet]

It is very nice. Great design. I think a 7.5“ would be a fun build.

 

[DragonRocketry]

Any chance this might be a future kit?

There are talks of doing a 4" dia version very soon. Working with Rick on some final designs issues and then I will be doing a prototype build. If all goes well with this one, maybe in the future we will do a larger dia kit.

 

[cwbullet]

Cool. It is very similar to the Sledgehammer.

 

[rharshberger]

Cool. It is very similar to the Sledgehammer.

Actually its closer to a mashup of the Nuclear Sledgehammer and its stablemate the Giant Leap Crossbow (both designs by Brett Simpkins, and further similarities with the Binder Devastator...wonder why....)

 

[DragonRocketry]

Cool. It is very similar to the Sledgehammer.

There has been some design changes since the original design to help with not having to add so much nose weight. This is not a stubby rocket but is not a giant either, more of a mid road length. Once I finalize the design with Rick, I will post a rending of it. Trying to keep it simple to build and easy to fly.

 

[Rschub]

I would like to thank Scott for his interest in taking this on. It's interesting to see the behind the scenes checking and validation from an experienced guy of my half baked idea.

 

[DragonRocketry]

Here is Subatomic Piledriver. 4" dia, 66.8" tall, 54mm motor mount and dual deployment.

 

[Bruiser]

I like the look of this one. Seems a little shorter, has three forward fins and the rear fins look slightly different.
Was thinking about amid-power BT-80 version


-Bob

 

[jqavins]

It's also a blatant rip-off of someone else's design...

"Plagiarism is basic to all culture." -- Charles Seeger

 

[Rschub]

"We are like dwarfs sitting on the shoulders of giants. We see more, and things that are more distant, than they did, not because our sight is superior or because we are taller than they, but because they raise us up, and by their great stature add to ours."

Anyways.... It looks like it will be warm enough this weekend to start building it.

 

[DragonRocketry]

Final design. Ready to start cutting and making parts.

 

[Rschub]

I finally got back to this today. Assembled the fin can and cut the body tube to slide it in. It took several hours just to find all my tools again.





Tomorrow I will do some fiberglass layups to firmly attach the plywood fins to the motor mount tube.
This is how I did it on the Mini-Magg:


Since Dragon rocketry has a 4in SubAtomic PileDriver, I think I will rename this the Atomic PileDriver, it being 5.5 in.

 

[Rschub]

Update: the rocket is structurally complete, I wanted to prime it over the weekend, but it was cold/raining.

I am working on the electronic deployment system, it will be dual with RRC3 and RRC 2.

This is my first attempt at ED, so I am taking my time. I would like to launch the rocket at URRG in a few weeks, so I am feeling a little time pressure.



I don't have a picture of it, but I used the West system 610 tube epoxy with filler for the fillets, and it is the best thing ever.

https://www.rocketryforum.com/threa...em-six10-thickened-epoxy.177025/#post-2374120
I did the "top" one night, and the "bottom" the next night, but I could have easily done it all at once.

I also used it for other things by just squirting it into a cup unmixed and mixing with a tongue depressor, it cured fine.

I had Scott at Dragon Rocketry make me a few 3D printed parts to jazz it up a little, the canards and a tail cone, they came out perfect.

This is the nosecone I will use; I borrowed it for my Level 2 Cert flight.



I hope to have more updates shortly.

 

[bjphoenix]

Plagiarism is basic to all culture

I don't know about that, but the fin shapes are intriguing. I'm going to play around with this in open rocket for one of my upcoming builds.

 

[BABAR]

Since Dragon rocketry has a 4in SubAtomic PileDriver, I think I will rename this the Atomic PileDriver, it being 5.5 in.

better than Subterranean Pile Drive.

 

[Rschub]

Well, if you want decals you need a theme, perhaps this:

 

[burkefj]

If you are a fan of this design this looks like a pretty good option.

 

[Rschub]

We can't all waft along the ether like a soap bubble.

 

[burkefj]

We can't all waft along the ether like a soap bubble.

Now that's funny

 

[Rschub]

I really like your designs, I am sad I missed out on the Vulcan bomber.

 

[Rschub]

I made some progress over the weekend, did some work on the e-bay:


I have decided that I hate drilling cardboard, laser cutting really spoils you:




The west epoxy sands really well, but the primer shows there needs to be more work done around the slot:



I might leave these 3D printed parts red, haven't decided yet. If it does fly this weekend, It will be in primer.