What did you do rocket wise today?

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I completed a project that has been slowly coming together for a few months. I have 3D printed a rocket. Entirely 3D printed, no cardboard body tube. I used two Estes 24mm screw-type motor mounts, and the inside of the motor mounting area is lined with a cardboard tube for the sake of easy insert/removal of motors. I plan to launch it out at a friends big open pasture this spring. The weight is setup to be able to fly with a pair of Aerotech E-15 single use motors, and still be a bit below the maximum liftoff weight. But for good measure I will likely fly with a pair of E-20 instead. I will have my altimeterone on board, and hopefully between now and then I can score a jolly login chute release. It will make recovery much easier. This is the second version of nosecone for this rocket, this one is setup to house an 808 keychain camera. I hope the video is cool.

1205182028_HDR.jpg 1205182028a_HDR.jpg 1205182029_HDR.jpg 1205182029a_HDR.jpg 1205182029b_HDR.jpg 1205182030_HDR.jpg
 
Assembled my birthday present from October:

IMG_1032.jpg

IMG_1046.jpg

IMG_1047.jpg

IMG_1051.jpg

IMG_1059.jpg

IMG_1054.jpg

I’ve gotta say: this is the most fun LEGO kit I’ve ever built... [emoji12]
 
Did you happen to see this build that I did about 2½ years ago? 3D printing the whole thing would certainly have been easier.
...and heavier. @jkaechler, how tall is that thing and how much does it weigh? What material? It looks cool, definitely want to see some flight video.

The design is definitely a good one for 3D printing, since almost none of the parts (other than fins) would be easy to fabricate any other way.
 
The design is definitely a good one for 3D printing, since almost none of the parts (other than fins) would be easy to fabricate any other way.
The body "tube", as I demonstrated, is possible but not so easy. And it would get easier with practice; anyone who builds lots of frame-and-skin airplanes would probably not have too hard a time of it at all.

For the nose cone, frame and skin could also be done, but 3D printing is way more practical because of the compound curve. It could also be carved out of solid balsa.
 
What did I do rocket wise today? Lemme tell you. I built a couple of super awesome painting racks so I could finally paint my STM012, Mini Comanche 3 and Mean Machine. In between paint coats I sat on my butt and watched rocket launches on youtube all day. Why? Because it's my birthday and I get mondays off and the wife doesn't. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER. Oh ya, and yesterday, I found a Mega Der Red Max kit online and ordered it. Sweeeeet[emoji114] 20181210_105701.jpeg20181210_162827.jpeg20181210_151412.jpeg
 
What did I do rocket wise today? Lemme tell you. I built a couple of super awesome painting racks so I could finally paint my STM012, Mini Comanche 3 and Mean Machine. In between paint coats I sat on my butt and watched rocket launches on youtube all day. Why? Because it's my birthday and I get mondays off and the wife doesn't. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER. Oh ya, and yesterday, I found a Mega Der Red Max kit online and ordered it. Sweeeeet[emoji114] View attachment 368811View attachment 368812View attachment 368813
Happy birthday!

Sounds like an ideal day. Well deserved.
 
...and heavier. @jkaechler, how tall is that thing and how much does it weigh? What material? It looks cool, definitely want to see some flight video.

The design is definitely a good one for 3D printing, since almost none of the parts (other than fins) would be easy to fabricate any other way.
The liftoff weight should be roughly 1KG including the two motors, the chute, and the camera. if it has the altimeter or a chute release on board then add a few grams for those./ It is about 28 inches tall i think.

Me and some friends are planning to launch our various mad scientist projects out at one guys pasture in Feb. I hope to post the video.
 
What did I do rocket wise today? Lemme tell you. I built a couple of super awesome painting racks so I could finally paint my STM012, Mini Comanche 3 and Mean Machine. In between paint coats I sat on my butt and watched rocket launches on youtube all day. Why? Because it's my birthday and I get mondays off and the wife doesn't. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER. Oh ya, and yesterday, I found a Mega Der Red Max kit online and ordered it. Sweeeeet[emoji114] View attachment 368811View attachment 368812View attachment 368813
Now that, sounds like a well-deserved "me" day. Nice painting rack, too!
 
It wasn't today, but I whacked together an Eggtimer Proton over the weekend.
 
Well I made the mistake of reading the eRockets newsletter email I got today. Darn it if they didn't have the LOC 4" Goblin on sale for $80.00.
I tried to fight it....... but I lost.

It should arrive on Friday or Saturday, judging by my past experience with eRockets.
 
Well I made the mistake of reading the eRockets newsletter email I got today. Darn it if they didn't have the LOC 4" Goblin on sale for $80.00.
I tried to fight it....... but I lost.

It should arrive on Friday or Saturday, judging by my past experience with eRockets.
You fought the LOC and the LOC won?
 
Nice. That is one of two (!) kits in my build pile. Dunno why I've been reluctant to start on it. Will be my first glider, maybe that's why.

In one of the other threads about it, someone added a boat tail. I think it’s a good addition.

IMG_0671.jpg

I also sanded the leading edges more than instructed, but again, I like the look.
 

Very nice. Are you going to do catalog paint & decals?

My SkyDartII died this summer. Thinking of modifying the engine pod for the rebuilt/reconstituted version, to make more room for packing the chute and to get the nose-weight up into the nosecone.

skydartskinnypod_a.png

I like the look of the round-nacelles. If I cannot salvage the nacelles from the wreckage, might go that way.

edit 1: typo
edit 2: The tailcone is cool
 
Last edited:
What did I do rocket wise today? Lemme tell you. I built a couple of super awesome painting racks so I could finally paint my STM012, Mini Comanche 3 and Mean Machine. In between paint coats I sat on my butt and watched rocket launches on youtube all day. Why? Because it's my birthday and I get mondays off and the wife doesn't. BEST. BIRTHDAY. EVER. Oh ya, and yesterday, I found a Mega Der Red Max kit online and ordered it. Sweeeeet[emoji114] View attachment 368811View attachment 368812View attachment 368813
You are AWESOME!
 
Very nice. Are you going to do catalog paint & decals?

My SkyDartII died this summer. Thinking of modifying the engine pod for the rebuilt/reconstituted version, to make more room for packing the chute and to get the nose-weight up into the nosecone.

View attachment 368920

I like the look of the round-nacelles. If I cannot salvage the nacelles from the wreckage, might go that way.

edit 1: typo
edit 2: The tailcone is cool

Looks like a good idea for the motor pod.

The round nacelles are just BT20 scoop cut and split lengthwise. Mine aren’t quite symmetric, blast it. Maybe a couple little balsa shims under the wing would have helped keep the upper edge in place.

I’m thinking close to stock paint- but with black underwing and leading edges. And probably black boat tail.

I used payloadbay for the tailbone. BT50 to BT20 by 0.65”. 0.63 would have been better - I had to sand a little. Hand notched for the elevator hold down and the engine hook.
 
Gorgeous! If I were you I wouldn't paint the wings and tail at all, just stain and gloss coat to show off the beautiful wood work.

I'm all for hiding sins with paint.

I didn't mention it above, but for others thinking of adding that little tail cone - move the split centering ring aft about 1/32-1/16". It will support the base of the tailcone better. Wish I had thought to do that.

Also, you may note that I added a little wedge up by the nose cone. It looks a little like a nose skid, but I really meant it for rubber-band launching.
 

That's great. Though I would be tempted to go whole hog with an automatic BB gun and try to shoot them down.

With this design, does dynamic air pressure keep the wings folded back during boost? I have a mental image of the wings slowly opening as drag balances rubber band tension - drag dropping off, wings opening up to the point they can rotate into glide position.
 
With this design, does dynamic air pressure keep the wings folded back during boost? I have a mental image of the wings slowly opening as drag balances rubber band tension - drag dropping off, wings opening up to the point they can rotate into glide position.

Yes. Although, my recollection, was that the opening of the wings was abrupt -- kind of a "snap" as they rotated into place. It is, however, a very old recollection.

It is pretty far down my project list, but I have drawings for the glider. After the Gyroc Upscale, after the Peck Polymers Gipsy Moth, after the Grism Heliospectrometer, after the router table, after the Maslow CNC assembly, after the NACA RM10 and Upscaled RTF Banshee, after...after...

There were kits available, for a while

https://makezine.com/projects/make-31/folding-wing-glider-rockets-up-glides-down/

Nostalgia is a dangerous thing.

I found a box of TAB Publishing books while moving stuff around in my attic. © in the 1970s and early 80s. When I received the books, I didn't have the tools, the skills, the funds, or any way to get parts. I want to build ALL of these things now.

20181212_093253.png

By "automatic BB gun" you of course mean this

popsciBBad.png

I don't think I ever wanted one, except in the vague way that I wanted Pet Sea Horses or a Silver Hawk Knife or 100 Toy Soldiers in a Genuine Pasteboard Footlocker (and all the other crap advertised in the comic books and the back pages of Boys Life) -- but it made a definite impression when I was impressionable.
 
BC28CDF0-3F26-4BF8-8DCA-552A3C3395DA.jpeg Designed a Terrier booster in solidworks for the Wildman Sandhawk. No funds to start it yet. Just a mental break from reality right now. Plan to stage it someday. Find out Dec.17 if I graduate. Also solidworks a 38mm k1127 project yesterday a sub min.
 
You might think about a version with about a ten degree ramp. It would just have the fins visible at the bottom of the frame.
The keychain camera I have has an angled lens so that's what I designed it off of. I'll definitely get to work on an angled version for normal keychain cameras.
 
Back
Top