What did you do rocket wise today?

the rocketry show
SilicdyneTRF
The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I downloaded "FreeCAD", and am working my way through tutorials on YouTube. Seems like a pretty powerful program. But it's so much different than Inventor I'm finding it to be tedious.

What I like most about it is it's not a cloud based program, and no internet access is needed.

FreeCAD.jpg
 
hobie1dog said:
does the parachute fit in the bottom part?
Click to expand...

Yes. The rocket separates at the bottom of the transition. It looks like there isn't a lot of room in the lower section for wadding and the recovery gear, but the MM sticks out the back of the lower tube about 3/4' or so to allow for the "cooling vanes" to be installed. This gives you a little more room in the tube. I'll post more pictures after getting it painted.
 
I did all the fin fillets and the fillets on the launch lugs in the Nano Mag. Today, I will do the LOC shockcord mount inside the nosecone. The bulkplate provided doesn't fit into the nosecone, so I'm deleting it. By deleting it I'll have more room for the recovery.
 
berlinetta said:
I did all the fin fillets and the fillets on the launch lugs in the Nano Mag. Today, I will do the LOC shockcord mount inside the nosecone. The bulkplate provided doesn't fit into the nosecone, so I'm deleting it. By deleting it I'll have more room for the recovery.
Click to expand...

Have you squeezed the nose cone a little? I had to do that to get the bulkplate settled above the shoulder.
 
lakeroadster said:
I downloaded "FreeCAD", and am working my way through tutorials on YouTube. Seems like a pretty powerful program. But it's so much different than Inventor I'm finding it to be tedious.

What I like most about it is it's not a cloud based program, and no internet access is needed.

View attachment 562444
Click to expand...
I've just started tinkering with it too; and Rocketry Workbench. I may splurge on a 3D printer with a portion of my bonus and would definitely need to get familiar with the program more if I'm to use the printer effectively...
 
BigMacDaddy said:
Anyone have a guess about what I am working on?

View attachment 562456
View attachment 562457

Super happy that I finally got these struts modeled -- they really pushed the limits of my 3D design (i.e., I had to learn a bunch of new things to get this done).
Click to expand...
Clearly a lander of some sort. Maybe an upscale?

DigBaddy said:
For a second there I was excited for a flying rubber chicken; then I looked more closely....
Click to expand...
I bet at least one of the oddrock scum has done it. If not, it is now mandatory.
 
jqavins said:
Clearly a lander of some sort. Maybe an upscale?


I bet at least one of the oddrock scum has done it. If not, it is now mandatory.
Click to expand...

Good guess - I am going to give more hints...

I decided to go back to the original engineering drawings to design this strut (drawings were auctioned off a while ago and pictures are online). It was quite a learning journey to figure out how to use the necessary tools in Fusion 360 to make this complex 3D structure from the profiles in the drawings.

1676035120379.png

The full page of the engineering drawing should give it away depending on how easy this is to interpret...
1676035106758.png

1676035194733.png

Planning a BT-80 version of the rocket. Now I just need to design the boat tail that allows the struts to open and close (just for fun -- planning to launch with them open). Nosecone is pretty straightforward in this model.

I have seen some OR simulations (e.g., @lakeroadster) for this but I am skeptical that OR can model this given the shape of the struts and the reliance on drag more than anything else. I am planning to swing test this since I am really hoping the struts themselves provide enough drag to make it stable (clear fin-like inserts are my backup plan).
 
Hmmm, it's famous, or the plans wouldn't have sold at auction. It's old, since the paper is yellow. How old? I'll zoom in. (click click click)

Disney Land, 1968. I've never been a "theme park guy", Disney or otherwise. I'll leave it to others.
 
BigMacDaddy said:
Anyone have a guess about what I am working on?

View attachment 562456
View attachment 562457

Super happy that I finally got these struts modeled -- they really pushed the limits of my 3D design (i.e., I had to learn a bunch of new things to get this done).
Click to expand...
Screenshot_20230210_145842_Google.jpg
I saw this as a model at a Disney exhibit years ago after first getting onto rocketry and wanted to one day build it.

Thanks for saving me the work! ;) :D
 
BigMacDaddy said:
Good guess - I am going to give more hints...

I decided to go back to the original engineering drawings to design this strut (drawings were auctioned off a while ago and pictures are online). It was quite a learning journey to figure out how to use the necessary tools in Fusion 360 to make this complex 3D structure from the profiles in the drawings.

View attachment 562478

The full page of the engineering drawing should give it away depending on how easy this is to interpret...
View attachment 562477

View attachment 562479

Planning a BT-80 version of the rocket. Now I just need to design the boat tail that allows the struts to open and close (just for fun -- planning to launch with them open). Nosecone is pretty straightforward in this model.

I have seen some OR simulations (e.g., @lakeroadster) for this but I am skeptical that OR can model this given the shape of the struts and the reliance on drag more than anything else. I am planning to swing test this since I am really hoping the struts themselves provide enough drag to make it stable (clear fin-like inserts are my backup plan).
Click to expand...
Struts alone should be fine with maybe a bit of nose weight. If not, an easy fix would be to increase the size of the footpads.
 
I just finished painting the red gloss Rustoleum 2X on the top half of the Solar Explorer, the nose cone of the Crossfire, the NC of the Maxi-Alpha, and the NC of the Harpoon, overall satisfied with this rattle can product.
 
hobie1dog said:
I just finished painting the red gloss Rustoleum 2X on the top half of the Solar Explorer, the nose cone of the Crossfire, the NC of the Maxi-Alpha, and the NC of the Harpoon, overall satisfied with this rattle can product.
Click to expand...
I love Rusto 2X, but it seemed to have a period where it was a bit iffy.

The gloss blue I used today that went on well was the same blue that I had two cans of back in 2016 that sprayed out very dull as if it was mixed with flat gray. I wrote to Rustoleum and they sent me a coupon for two new cans.
20230210_142226.jpg
 
Spent an incredibly frustrating morning trying to use FreeCAD to replicate my Saturn V. I'm trying to learn the FreeCAD software. It's buggy and problematic.

This afternoon I downloaded a 30 day free trial of Fusion 360 CAD Software. Since I've been working with Autodesk CAD related products since 1981... I am able to hit the ground running with this software. Familiar icons, familiar operations... pretty stoked about this thus far.

Fusion 360 Test 001.jpg Fusion 360 Test 002.jpg
 
Last edited:

Similar threads

NTP2
What do you do (or did) for a living?
6 7 8
Replies
239
Views
7K
John Kemker
John Kemker
KenECoyote
Is it really a model rocket if you don't launch it?
4 5 6
Replies
158
Views
5K
bjphoenix
B
T
First-time UK Rocketeer looking for help!
Replies
5
Views
253
LD124
L
ljwilley
What do you think of my V2 rocket?
Replies
18
Views
2K
JPalmer621
J
M
Free Almost Free Model Rocket Building Service
Replies
1
Views
970
mh9162013
M

Latest posts

Back
Top