What did you do rocket wise today?

[KenECoyote]

Got Carport?

Got a one car garage and 5 cars.

 

[lakeroadster]

Got a one car garage and 5 cars.

Planning 101 I've got 5 vehicles, and 6 spaces for them.

 

[BigMacDaddy]

View attachment 580866
Decaled this little jewel…they were NOT user friendly!

How well do those bottom pads / struts survive landings? Does it come in nose first? I ask since I am working on my Moonliner and worried about struts breaking.

 

[Fishhead]

I'm attempting to finish up old projects before I even THINK about starting something new. Yesterday I finished sanding my Estes QCC Explorer with an eye toward painting it today, but I got drafted to cover a later shift, so it may not happen. Got the decals for the Estes Ricochet and Indicator clear coated, and unmasked the Indicator. I'll need to touch up a few spots, but nothing too daunting. It should be ready to decal at some point this weekend. The SLS Moonraker got primed, and sanding will start in earnest after dinner. Then I have to think up a paint scheme. Bleah. Finally, the Estes Python got fully sanded and ready for the first coat of white tonight. IF we fly this weekend, it should be in the mix, not finished, but itching to see some skies.

 

[prfesser]

Finished the pigment/dye part of the paint on MASE-85, just needs clear coat. The anodized colors come out a bit better on Metallic Silver base coat (nose cone) than on Aluminum (airframe and fin). The silver has a lot of sparkles that make the finished color pop a bit. (Part but not all is the reflection from the sky.)

Railbuttons etc. and she's ready to fly.

 

[Tech 68]

Used a Krylon "Short Cut" can of "Chrome" to simulate the seeker on my 38mm Sidewinder. Was going to mask off the rollerons to spray, but just didn't have the patience. I'll just use a brush and Flat Black. Like to have it ready to fly for the June 3 AARG launch. Having had Level 3 "tunnel vision", I haven't flown much of any "fun stuff" for way too long.
Messaged the designer of the Sidewinder short kit to see if he happened to have a Coefficient of Drag number I could plug into a "sim" for motor delay. I used .75 for the first flight but the delay seemed a bit long. I'm guessing 2 or 3 times that because of the canards. If I don't hear back from him, I'll take a SWAG.

 

[bad_idea]

Finished the pigment/dye part of the paint on MASE-85, just needs clear coat. The anodized colors come out a bit better on Metallic Silver base coat (nose cone) than on Aluminum (airframe and fin). The silver has a lot of sparkles that make the finished color pop a bit. (Part but not all is the reflection from the sky.)

Railbuttons etc. and she's ready to fly.

View attachment 581307

That's not a paint scheme I would ever have thought of, but it's gorgeous!

 

[Cape Byron]

I'm hurt. You want me to stop doing the one thing that gives my life meaning?

My wife made me give up redheads. Professionally, at least.

 

[bad_idea]

Glassed the body tube for my latest 4x24 cluster

Unwrapped it from the mylar today and trimmed it. It turned out fairly well, but . . .

in the hopes it won't meet the fate of the last two versions of this design.

Naturally, I broke one of the centering rings for that rocket, trying to widen the fin notches to accommodate the newly embiggened fins, which I had also glassed. So back to the drawing board for a new set of centering rings with notches wide enough for the now-thicker fins.

In some better news, I did manage to widen the slots in the rings of another project, so that one may actually get built fairly soon.

 

[teepot]

The big wing rocket is ready for the details. I put the four fins on the short fat rocket. Fillets later today.

 

[rharshberger]

Planning 101 I've got 5 vehicles, and 6 spaces for them.

I have a two car garage....3 cars...none in the garage. Not giving up the shop in the garage.

 

[BigMacDaddy]

Took someone's advice and added shock absorbers to the struts on my TWA Moonliner design. I did not have exactly the correct size spring but that is easily rectified. Should help the struts survive many landings.

 

[KenECoyote]

More work on the Dragon Rocketry 4" Viper.
It went surprisingly quickly until I hit the canopy (which I wanted to make entirely out of plywood).

 

[KenECoyote]

Also trying to see how it looks shorter vs. stock kit. I think I prefer the stock kit length.


That's a yoga mat!

 

[GrouchoDuke]

Redesigned a rocket (again). 3d printed more rocket stuff. Tested more electronics stuff. Talked with several rocket people. Moved my work schedule around so I could spend more time getting ready for NSL. Decided to ignore my newly broken tooth so I can get rockets ready & go to NSL.

From late last night... Made a lot of progress on a mid-power build. It looks like a rocket now.

 

[Hobie1dog]

Read some more of the ICBM Freedom Launch article in the 2010 "Rockets" magazine

 

[Sooner Boomer]

Redesigned a rocket (again). 3d printed more rocket stuff. Tested more electronics stuff. Talked with several rocket people. Moved my work schedule around so I could spend more time getting ready for NSL. Decided to ignore my newly broken tooth so I can get rockets ready & go to NSL.

From late last night... Made a lot of progress on a mid-power build. It looks like a rocket now.

View attachment 581360

I *like* that! I might have to see what it looks like upscaled a bit to high power.

 

[GrouchoDuke]

I *like* that! I might have to see what it looks like upscaled a bit to high power.

Thanks. Feel free to mod it up! (OR file attached)

(Making this a 38mm fiberglass rocket with a 29mm MMT would be easy & fun. It's not that different than lots of other designs out there.)

 

[GrouchoDuke]

...paint mask image for anyone looking to do this for their rocket.

 

[lakeroadster]

I have a two car garage....3 cars...none in the garage. Not giving up the shop in the garage.

I guess if the garage is used for something truly productive, that is used on a nearly daily basis, it makes sense on some level. But it would seem more logical to build a "shop", and use the garage, as a garage.

For most folks, vehicles are probably the 2nd most expensive purchase they make. Many folks pile their garages full of useless crap, and leave their expensive vehicles out in the elements?

 

[Tobor]

I guess if the garage is used for something truly productive, that is used on a nearly daily basis, it makes sense on some level. But it would seem more logical to build a "shop", and use the garage, as a garage.

For most folks, vehicles are probably the 2nd most expensive purchase they make. Many folks pile their garages full of useless crap, and leave their expensive vehicles out in the elements?

"This is the way"

 

[caheaton2]

Not really today, but last night....hope that's close enough . First thing I did was (upon my wife's orders....she was having friends over) was to clear the dining room table of my latest build....a Semroc Sprite. It's at the step where I'm ready to glue the ring. I moved it to my office upstairs...kinda cramped for table space there but I may just go ahead and finish it there.

Next up, following dinner (and while my wife and her friends were playing their weekly dominos game) I headed to the local park in our subdivision to get in a few flights. The winds had calmed to near zero so I didn't want to let the opportunity pass me by.

First up as an Alpha VI on a Quest A3-4. The motor didn't quite fit in the engine mount, so I used some masking tape for a friction fit. The flight was uninspiring and felt a bit underpowered, the flight path arced considerably leaving a trail of brownish gray smoke and a distinct hissing sound different from the Estes motors. Ejection was just past apogee.

The next flight was the Alpha VI on an A8-5. This flight was straight up with ejection coming a touch late, but acceptable. More satisfying than the A3-4Q (which in hindsight I guess I should have compared with an Estes A3-4...I have one of those jammed into an old expended 18mm engine casing that I haven't used...I've used engine casings as adapters in a pinch when I didn't have my normal adapters handy.)

Next up was a Quest Super Bird. This guy went up on a B6-2. Ejection came early and caused half the shroud lines to pull loose from the chute on the rocket's lower section. Both parts landed safely, so a successful launch. Even though the B6-2 is officially approved for this guy, I think I'll leave it off my list of motors (unless I have a payload loaded).

The final launch of the evening came with the Estes Chiller on a C6-5. The rockets weren't drifting much due to the lack of wind, so I figured I'd push it with the C6, and if I lost it the rocket is easy to replace . This was the most satisfying launch of the evening...the rocket flew straight up with a satisfyingly "longish" burn and flew out of sight. I faintly heard the ejection but did not observe it (a gray, hazy sky didn't help) but a moment later I saw the parachute appear directly overhead. I watched as the chute slowly grew in size. It wasn't until about maybe 150' up or so that there was any noticeable drift....with the rocket drifting very slowly and landing gently about 50 to 75 feet from the pad. The stock chute on the Chiller seems to be a bit oversized, but makes for an entertaining descent when the conditions are right. Not sure of the altitude since it went out of sight, but Estes claims a max of 600' and Rocksim listed 750'.

Overall a successful evening, but sadly my wife lost $20 in her dominos game ;-) .

 

[KenECoyote]

I guess if the garage is used for something truly productive, that is used on a nearly daily basis, it makes sense on some level. But it would seem more logical to build a "shop", and use the garage, as a garage.

For most folks, vehicles are probably the 2nd most expensive purchase they make. Many folks pile their garages full of useless crap, and leave their expensive vehicles out in the elements?

I live on 1/3 acre with the backyard in 3 levels because I live on a lake. I'm also 50mi from NYC, so it's not like I can easily afford 5 acres. (Edit Add: My current 1/3 acre property is estimated to be worth almost a half million.)

Also it's well accepted to leave cars parked outside and very few houses here have more than a one car garage and many of the garages are tiny and built in the 1920s. My house actually didn't have a garage and I built one as large as I could while maintaining a driveway on the side for guests (lake properties here are often narrow strips).

However, you would probably be considered a pretty poor neighbor if you leave your storage stuff out in the yard.

I also have a 18' boat and SXS. I think I need a hangar.

 

[Hobie1dog]

I live on 1/3 acre with the backyard in 3 levels because I live on a lake. I'm also 50mi from NYC, so it's not like I can easily afford 5 acres.

Also it's well accepted to leave cars parked outside and very few houses here have more than a one car garage and many of the garages are tiny and built in the 1920s. My house actually didn't have a garage and I built one as large as I could while maintaining a driveway on the side for guests (lake properties here are often narrow strips).

However, you would probably be considered a pretty poor neighbor if you leave your storage stuff out in the yard.

I also have a 18' boat and SXS. I think I need a hangar.

Living on lakefront property. It was my dream to do that since the 7th grade, but will never happen

 

[KenECoyote]

Living on lakefront property. It was my dream to do that since the 7th grade, but will never happen

I grew up in slum apartments - no heat, no hot water, no both in the winter... rats galore, home invasions, attempted robbings, gang intimidations.

It gave me the determination to do what I had to in order to raise my child in a better environment than that crap.

There's always going to be others with more or better and we're supposed to have dreams of having those too, but we should also be very aware that not everything works out as wished and planned.

Even rich people have problems and depression... look at all the famous stars, singers, actors, etc. that died younger than us.

It's good to focus on the really important things in life that aren't material*.

*Except rockets!

 

[Hobie1dog]

There's always going to be others with more or better and we're supposed to have dreams of having those too, but we should also be very aware that not everything works out as wished and planned.

It's good to focus on the really important things in life that aren't material*.

That's the difficult struggle I face every day. Must be in my DNA

 

[Pinetree]

My garage is full of motorcycles, so the car sits outside.

Started on Der Max.

 

[Hobie1dog]

My garage is full of motorcycles, so the car sits outside.

Started on Der Max.

Pictures of the motorcycles PLEASE

 

[DigBaddy]

Loaded up for weekend:
F24W
H165R
G138T
G53FJ
I180W

Hope to burn them all.

 

[Pinetree]

What, these old things?