Will you be entering this model in competition?
If you are interested in learning more about the pad components and tower bases that I use, I encourage you to read the following article on the NAR website:
https://www.nar.org/contest-flying/fai-spacemodeling/construction-techniques/tower-launchers/
Will you be entering this model in competition?
...in the 1970's got some noses (Which Estes sold separately. IIRC) and BT-101 to use for other model projects.
James - Will the "blisters" between the fins get opened up? Aren't those some type of gas vent on the 1:1?
Note the spider at the top of the tower, which provides juuuusssttt enough clearance for the V-2 fins.
View attachment 322735
What about opening up those vents would have required any forethought? Can't you just open them up with a Dremel? Though it would have been cleaner/safer to do prior to finish.
For those wondering, at the 2015 tryouts for the World Space Modeling Championship U.S. Team, James had a bit of fun with his scale altitude model. After setting his model up in the pad, he walked back to signal the RSO that he was ready to launch. What he forgot was that he had left his roll of tape at the pad. No big deal, he'll get it later, right? Except he had left the roll of tape on top of his launch tower. The rocket flew through it and ripped all three fins off rather neatly, and he had a cartwheeling scale model sans fins.
Since I had to embarrass the master modeler a little, I will also say that I am very much enjoying the build and am learning a lot from your threads. Thanks for the online tutelage and awesome build thread, James.
Except he had left the roll of tape on top of his launch tower. The rocket flew through it and ripped all three fins off rather neatly, and he had a cartwheeling scale model sans fins.
Since I had to embarrass the master modeler a little, I will also say that I am very much enjoying the build and am learning a lot from your threads. Thanks for the online tutelage and awesome build thread, James.
Here's a quick video of the Bumper WAC model flying at the Austin Area Rocketry Group launch today:
[video=youtube;To3Xm8nswmQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=To3Xm8nswmQ[/video]
The flight and landing were perfect, although all eyes were on the booster rather than the sustainer. That means that the sustainer is still out in the field somewhere, making the decision to build a spare second stage a wise one. The booster sustained a bit of post-landing damage after the chute reinflated in the wind, but the bruises aren't anything that can't be repaired and repainted.
Enjoy,
James
although all eyes were on the booster rather than the sustainer.
Sorry to hear that. I had a pretty decent line on it. :-(
When the bumper WAC takes off, does the engine burn the nose cone any?
Does this cause the need for a repaint of the nose cone every flight?
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