Von Braun Ferry Rocket

[SteveNeill]

Thanks Neil. the centering rings are depron too just like burkefj used in his builds. That will lighten the load a great deal.

 

[aerostadt]

There are 2 versions of the WVB space ferry. One has the glider forward canard as modeled on this thread. On page 42 of Hagerty's "SpaceShip Handbook" (2001) the author shows an LPR version of this model built by Ryburn Ross, which he claims flew straight and stable. There are few other details. There is a static picture of the model on the pad and the author says that all 4 rear fins are the same size providing lots of fin area.

The other version is the glider with a delta wing (which I modeled). Interesting enough, on the front cover of the Sport Rocketry magazine dated September/October 1995 (Vol. 39, No. 4) is an HPR version of this model taking off. The take-off looks good, but there is no description of the flight. There is a small inset on about the fourth page describing the model as Larry Street's 6 foot tall model, which flew at LDRS 14 on an I211 motor. There are no other details.

 

[burkefj]

I know Larry I'd ask him but we sort of had a falling out...

There are 2 versions of the WVB space ferry. One has the glider forward canard as modeled on this thread. On page 42 of Hagerty's "SpaceShip Handbook" (2001) the author shows an LPR version of this model built by Ryburn Ross, which he claims flew straight and stable. There are few other details. There is a static picture of the model on the pad and the author says that all 4 rear fins are the same size providing lots of fin area.

The other version is the glider with a delta wing (which I modeled). Interesting enough, on the front cover of the Sport Rocketry magazine dated September/October 1995 (Vol. 39, No. 4) is an HPR version of this model taking off. The take-off looks good, but there is no description of the flight. There is a small inset on about the fourth page describing the model as Larry Street's 6 foot tall model, which flew at LDRS 14 on an I211 motor. There are no other details.

 

[SteveNeill]

I might build a smaller model, no RC just a test bed and see what happens and adjust accordingly as I go along before I build a larger version.

My big problem is the MPF or even just depron. The Model Plane Foam site claims that their hands are tied on shipping. I question that seriously. I was going to order 23 bucks worth of foam. 8 2x4 ft. sheets of 6mm. 23 bucks right. With shipping it was 75 dollars. To me that's extortion.

So I spent a great deal of time on the net and so far have turned up little except smaller sheets that won't help me that cost nearly 5 bucks a sheet. I may end up using the dollar foam 2x4 sheets I can get. The paper comes off easy and sometimes the sheets are pretty smooth but not always.

Does anyone have a source for this stuff that won't cost me a arm and a leg?

 

[burkefj]

the problem is dimensional weight the sheets are big and that's just what they're charging them, the best way is to just get full 16-sheet box and see if you can share with someone at the RC club you belong to, or if you don't need the sheets that big just email him and tell him that you'd like the sheets cut in half and ship that way and he can use a smaller box and it'll probably be cheaper.

I might build a smaller model, no RC just a test bed and see what happens and adjust accordingly as I go along before I build a larger version.

My big problem is the MPF or even just depron. The Model Plane Foam site claims that their hands are tied on shipping. I question that seriously. I was going to order 23 bucks worth of foam. 8 2x4 ft. sheets of 6mm. 23 bucks right. With shipping it was 75 dollars. To me that's extortion.

So I spent a great deal of time on the net and so far have turned up little except smaller sheets that won't help me that cost nearly 5 bucks a sheet. I may end up using the dollar foam 2x4 sheets I can get. The paper comes off easy and sometimes the sheets are pretty smooth but not always.

Does anyone have a source for this stuff that won't cost me a arm and a leg?

 

[mikec]

The Model Plane Foam site claims that their hands are tied on shipping. I question that seriously.

The vendor is completely transparent about where the shipping costs come from -- see https://www.modelplanefoam.com/index.php/shipping-information/ If you seriously doubt that it's true, check USPS and Fedex shipping costs yourself. You might be able to save a little if the sheets are cut to stay below the Fedex limits, ask the vendor (but they may already be doing this for shipments to the west.)

I've never used this stuff and I can't say if it's that much better for your application than other foam core you can source locally.

 

[burkefj]

My comment is that foam core is heavier than foam sheets, and you have to deal with paper and paper delamination, I don't like it but ymmv.

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks for all the input once again. I did read that and it's kinda of appalling that the shippers charge so much for this because of width and girth. Yes they are transparent and I bet it doesn't help their business much that the shipping rates have been raised so much. I just got a model airplane balsa kit from the UK and the shipping for that was around ten bucks. But evidently that was do to the size of the box. It has little to do with weight.

And I do know the difference between foam board and actual model foam. I use to get it at my local hobby store but it's been discounted.

The idea of going in with someone and cutting the pieces down is a good one. I will write to them. Thanks Burk for that. You guys are great!

 

[aerostadt]

I found the Ryburn Space Ferry on Google.

https://www.lunar.org/gallery/ross-WvBFerry.shtml

 

[SteveNeill]

Thanks. It shows it works even with the large wing span. Thank you!

 

[tab28682]

I did a little work on this one when I was active in rocketry back in 2014-2017. I downloaded one of the paper models and did a little design work. I never liked the delta winged XR-1 von Braun shuttle version nearly as much as the big swept wing canard version, even though it was a much more practical design.

Was not going for the full stack, just a RC RG of the shuttle. Fuse done with hand rolled Depron cones in laminated 1MM Depron. (still have a few sheets.)

Plan was to make the canard at the correct size, but have it free to pivot and streamline in the airflow so it would not have any aerodynamic pitching effect on the aircraft, thus making it a simple swept flying wing and allowing a more aft CG.

Going to be pretty draggy, but would be fun to fly it and see that classic shape in the air.

Still going to do it, but have 4-5 RC rocket gliders in various stages of completion ahead of it.