Apogee Rocketober Photo Challenge

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Would you like to join the Apogee Rocketober Photo Challenge?


  • Total voters
    12
Oct. 26
26th - Launch Photo - but not of a rocket taking off - The purpose of this photo is to show what other things go on at a rocket launch. Maybe it is of a crowd of people all looking in the sky, or someone prepping a rocket for flight. Or maybe it is a kid running out to retrieve a rocket. What makes a rocket launch fun?
 
27751488_1897183120557900_7303304430610764762_n.jpg
From our club's FB page:
Club honcho Mike retrieves his son's 4" V2 after a successful flight on an H 242 to approx. 3000'.
Launch was at SSS Space Modeling Society, Salome Arizona, Feb. 9, 2018.
He has to fly to the mainland US to launch HPR, no sites in our state.
So you guys that grouse about having to drive over an hour to a launch site....
Consider yourselves lucky!
 
Oct. 27
27th - Favorite Rocketry Meme / Humor - What is it that gives you a chuckle. It is a funny expression on someone’s face that begs for a speech bubble? Or how about a cartoon that relates to your passion for the hobby.
 
Oct. 28
28th - Clusters - Who doesn’t love a rocket with a cluster of rocket engines? Let’s see the private parts of the rocket (the butt end). Do you have some secret sauce that you use to get all the motors to ignite instantaneously?
 
Circa 1968. Mailed my first rocket order with some friends. Included was the Centuri Defender, a 3 engine clustered model.
Shortly after, built an Estes Astron Cobra.

Fast forward to a few years ago, and I cloned both of them:
1028190358.jpg
1028190602.jpg

And a couple of more recent builds:

NCR Cluster Duck clone (1X24mm, 6X 18mm):
1028190415.jpg

And Apogee Flying Machine (1X24mm, 2X18mm with drop off boosters):
1028190616.jpg

As for ignition, I still have a stash of Quest Q2G2 ignitors that are perfect for clusters.
When that runs out I will be trying "enhanced" Estes starters.:D
Laters.
 
Oct. 29
29th - Fins - Is it a rocket with a lot of fins? Or did you airfoil them to perfection? Maybe it is the shape that you find appealing.
 
At the risk being pointlessly repetitious:
full

and
beauty-2-jpg.379367
 
Well, it IS assembled and painted, but not completely finished.
Will have to wait a couple of days to apply the decals.
A couple of small mistakes, but overall quite pleased with the outcome:
1029192142.jpg

Closeup of the embossed skin
1029192134a.jpg

After decaling, may shoot a coat of flat clear, may not.
Haven't decided yet.
Cheers.
 
It is a long way from being done. The center 2.6" tube has been fiberglassed, but I'm considering fiberglassing over the other tubes as well, either with more 5 oz cloth, or 0.75 oz over the whole thing. I still have lots to do.
  • Where the ?? do I put rail buttons? I have a 1/4" lug installed, but I'd like to add buttons.
  • It has a central 29mm motor, and 4 24mm for air starting.
  • It will be dual deploy out of a single break at the nose cone, with a chute cannon on the nose cone bulkhead.
  • I'd like to add a clear canopy, but I haven't found one yet.
  • One more pair of fins yet to be added on the bottom.
PA291531.JPG

PA291530.JPG
 
Nifty. Apparently you quite enjoyed all the tube-cutting for the PD2XL. :)

The clear canopy seems like a big challenge. What size BT is that up there? Are there any clear nose cones you could repurpose? I'm thinking of something like the Estes Phantom, which would work if that's a BT-50 up there.

Got a paint scheme in mind?
 
Yes, between the PD2XL, King Kraken, baby Krakens, and now this, I've done a lot of tube cutting!

That tube is BT-60, I do have a solid white plastic nose cone that has about the right shape. I'm considering vacuum forming a clear one, that is something I've never attempted but would like to try. Having that ability would open up many new possibilities for scratch building.

The Phantom is a good thought, if only it were a bit larger.

Got a paint scheme in mind?

I do, this time.
 

Oooh, thanks for that Neil. That could work, I wanted a slight bubble to the canopy (something a nose cone wouldn't give me), and at 1.8" in diameter it would really be just about a perfect size. Looks like the Quest version has slightly different dimensions. I will definitely check it out.
 
I'm considering vacuum forming a clear one, that is something I've never attempted but would like to try.
I was thinking about that, but didn't want to assume you either had the equipment or would want to buy or build it.

How would you make the form? I've been thinking about that too. My first thought was to use an existing nose cone of the right shape, but that would come out one thickness too big. What about cutting the existing cone in half then filling each half with plaster or alginate?
 
I was thinking about that, but didn't want to assume you either had the equipment or would want to buy or build it.

I don't currently have any equipment for vacuum forming, but I'd be willing to try building it. I recently ended up with a bunch of 1/4" plywood, and it seems like a simple enough setup. The technique will take some practice.

I'm not sure about the form. I think that a slightly oversize canopy would be alright, since I'm only using about half of the result, there will be flexibility in the height and width to accommodate the difference in diameters.

I'm inclined to try carving my own form; I have a specific shape in mind, and I'm no hurry to finish this rocket. I need good winter building projects.
 
Oct. 31
31st - Rocket-Themed Halloween - Do you have a cool Halloween-themed Rocket? Spacey Pumpkin? Or maybe you just want to show off your costume that you’re wearing this year. Let’s celebrate the last day of Rocketober!
 
Back
Top