Lakeroadster's Warhawk

[lakeroadster]

A BT-300 Odd-Roc as an homage to the mighty WWII P-40 Warhawk.

24MM power and rear eject.

 

[lakeroadster]

 

[lakeroadster]

Nose Cone

We tore down some railing a while back and the posts were redwood. I selectively saved portions of the posts that were still in good shape. I used a section of one of those posts to make the Warhawk nose cone.

Redwood has a tendency to pull out some of the wood grains if being cut on a lathe, so it still needs some wood filler, but all in all, it came out pretty well.

 

[jmasterj]

Looks cool! I love the redwood nose cone. I'm kinda sad you have to paint it!

What makes it an odd-roc, though? Rear-eject?

 

[lakeroadster]

Looks cool! I love the redwood nose cone. I'm kinda sad you have to paint it!

Thanks.

What makes it an odd-roc, though? Rear-eject?

Well.. because it's a rocket, that I designed from scratch, and I'm odd?

It's a rocket, based on airplane. And it's not a simple 3FNC or 4FNC... or as the title of the sub-forum states: "Rockets that are just "different".

 

[Daddyisabar]

A P40 was my first airplane oddroc! Best paint scheme of all time.

 

[techrat]

I'm guessing the wood nosecone is heavy, as I cannot imagine that any rocket that short is stable. But then again, it has 5 fins. And your sim shows the CG as the base of NC shoulder, even with an motor in it, so therefore, the NC weighs more than the motor.

Makes me re-think what I did to my Lil Squat. I thought I threw too much weight into the nose, but maybe I didn't. Going to need to throw a motor in it, and give it a swing test.

 

[lakeroadster]

I'm guessing the wood nosecone is heavy, as I cannot imagine that any rocket that short is stable. But then again, it has 5 fins. And your sim shows the CG as the base of NC shoulder, even with an motor in it, so therefore, the NC weighs more than the motor.

Makes me re-think what I did to my Lil Squat. I thought I threw too much weight into the nose, but maybe I didn't. Going to need to throw a motor in it, and give it a swing test.

The base drag is what helps with stability of the design. More on that here: Apogee Peak of Flight Newsletters 154, 158, 162

And a Lil Squat also has base drag, but Lil Squat is an already proven design. What's your concerns with it?

 

[Daddyisabar]

Squat rockets of traditional design from a trusted kit manufacturer can get by with a lower stability margin. But then there are those who convert them to silly airplane oddrocs.


These were kit bashed from a Estes Spaceship One so not as abhorrent to the RSO. Not as squatty as yours so a bit more margin. Nose weight and thrust rule!

 

[lakeroadster]

Structurally Papered Basswood - SPB

Using Gorilla Wood Glue and 11 mil Printer Paper, I papered some 1/8" Basswood for the fins and centering rings for the Warhawk.

Since the layers are clamped it's more than just a cosmetic papering. The clamping creates a structural bond, just like gluing and clamping two wood boards together.

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[lakeroadster]

Drawing Set and Papered Basswood

Pulled the papered basswood from the fixture and created the Drawing Set.

 

[Sandy H.]

View attachment 535709

Awesome project (typical for you), but I'm curious if you considered making the exhaust decal a bunch of little protrusions, likely made from launch lug material instead of just a decal?

Obviously it would be more work, but you don't seem to shy away from doing things that are hard to accomplish, just for the sake of doing something different.

Looking forward to the completion of the build!

Sandy.

 

[lakeroadster]

Awesome project (typical for you), but I'm curious if you considered making the exhaust decal a bunch of little protrusions, likely made from launch lug material instead of just a decal?

Obviously it would be more work, but you don't seem to shy away from doing things that are hard to accomplish, just for the sake of doing something different.

Looking forward to the completion of the build!

Sandy.

Sure, why not? I'll give it a go. Thanks for the suggestion.

 

[Cape Byron]

Awesome project (typical for you), but I'm curious if you considered making the exhaust decal a bunch of little protrusions, likely made from launch lug material instead of just a decal?

Styrene tube works well.

 

[lakeroadster]

Cutting the Fins & Centering Rings

Used my Scroll Saw to rough cut the fins and then finished the edges using our combo disc/belt sander.

For the centering rings I used a 1" wood boring spade bit and rough cut the o.d. on the scroll saw. Once I glue up the motor mount / spool I'll true up the o.d. of the centering rings on the wood lathe. This ensures the spool will fit tightly into the bore of the C-300 Coupler.

 

[Hobie1dog]

There's simply no way for me to describe how envious I am of your computer work and ability to make all of your custom parts, "You are the man"

 

[lakeroadster]

Motor Mount Sub-Assy

Glued the rings to the BT-50H yesterday. Turned the centering ring O.D.'s on the wood lathe today, and now adding glue fillets.

​

 

[lakeroadster]

Slotting the Body Tube For Fins & Motor Mount Kevlar Tube

For this rocket I'm slotting the TST-300 for the fins and gluing the fins to the internal coupler. Not as good as TTW that attaches to the motor tube, but gluing the fins to the heavier wall coupler makes the attachments stronger, should be plenty strong for this build.

 

[techrat]

I notice you're using "washable" glue. I always avoided that, as I felt that if my rockets got a little wet, they'd disassemble.

 

[lakeroadster]

I notice you're using "washable" glue. I always avoided that, as I felt that if my rockets got a little wet, they'd disassemble.

You are absolutely right.

No worries, I'm a Gorilla Wood Glue guy. But I do use the white school glue for gluing couplings into body tubes. It doesn't grab like wood glue.

 

[lakeroadster]

Nose Cone Ballast

I'm using the shank and threads of a 5/8" steel bolt as the ballast for the nose cone.

 

[lakeroadster]

Attaching Fins

 

[Daddyisabar]

Such wonderful technique!

 

[lakeroadster]

Gun Barrels and Fin Fillets

Pew, Pew, Pew...... Pew, Pew, Pew.

Gun Barrels are made from 1/8" poplar dowels. I beveled them on my table top disc sander, and am attaching them with wood glue.

I bought some fondants to help with making fillets. they work pretty well and create a more uniform radius than just using a finger.

​

 

[lakeroadster]

Launch Lug - Belly Tank

The CG on this rocket is pretty far forward. I had originally planned to tuck the lauch lug beside the ventral fin. Then I remembered that the P-40's sometimes used belly tanks. So I profiled the 3/8" lift lug, oddroc style, to give it a bit more of a belly tank look, and moved it forward, on the lower c/l.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Gun Barrels and Fin Fillets

Pew, Pew, Pew...... Pew, Pew, Pew.

Gun Barrels are made from 1/8" poplar dowels. I beveled them on my table top disc sander, and am attaching them with wood glue.

I bought some fondants to help with making fillets. they work pretty well and create a more uniform radius than just using a finger.

View attachment 538028 View attachment 538029View attachment 538030
View attachment 538031 View attachment 538032​

Browning machine guns on a model rocket is TIGHT!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Launch Lug - Belly Tank

The CG on this rocket is pretty far forward. I had originally planned to tuck the lauch lug beside the ventral fin. Then I remembered that the P-40's sometimes used belly tanks. So I profiled the 3/8" lift lug, oddroc style, to give it a bit more of a belly tank look, and moved it forward, on the lower c/l.

View attachment 538043 View attachment 538044

A Belly tank on a model rocket is TIGHT!

 

[Daddyisabar]

Variable pitch propeller blades? Ring & Bead sight? The DUKE in the cockpit? Tail wheel and aerial antenna? Air intakes? My Greeble Greeble Greeble, I made it out of clay...

 

[MadRocketer]

Do you really need to paint the nose cone? That’s some nice looking redwood. The rings themselves look a little cockpit-like.

 

[lakeroadster]

Do you really need to paint the nose cone? That’s some nice looking redwood. The rings themselves look a little cockpit-like.

I guess I could just stain it. Here's a stool I made for our fireplace. I used a red stain that would probably work for this rocket.

But I'll probably just paint it Testor's Gloss Dark Red.

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