What did you do rocket wise today?

Onebadhawk
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Finished up an Estes Red Flare I got during the Christmas Sale. I must say the fin can was a bit tricky for an E2X. Got started on a Squirrel Works Spacecruiser FFE. The FFE is a nice looking rocket but may be hard to keep on the field. 2.5 ounce rocket with a 24mm MMT.
 
Getting a paint plan for my near MD 2 stage MPR project.

Booster is a Bt55 with a 29mm mmt and 3 fins. The sustainer is a revision of my Lowtech series, Lowtech 4. Same Bt55 body tube and 29mm mmt and a down scale max q fin.

I can fit a RRC3 and MW T3 gps in the nose cone/payload. Plan to fly G80t - G40w flight this winter on a frozen lake. Looking at about 7500' in altitude.

I will paint the sustainer neon pink with a neon green fin can, and the booster will be neon pink tube and neon orange fin can.

Looking at a 5.5oz liftoff weight on the sustainer and 16.5oz all up weight. Will use the aux channel on the rrc3 for sustainer ignition and apogee charge/cable cutter for the main.

~John
 

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Continued building my original, in the box Estes Staturn IB. I've converted it to "E" power. Pics to follow. A buddy of mine that used to own a hobby shop gave it to me. It had been laying around his garage for about 45ish years. Other than a few dirt dobber nests, it's all there.
 
I received an Estes Saturn V rocket for Christmas. I had talked about how I used to launch and build rockets as a kid so my wife decided to surprise me with this gift...lol It's been years since I've built a rocket so today I decided to join this forum to help me re-enter this hobby. I've done some snooping on the net as well and man have things changed. It's no longer just Estes and Century......lots of awesome choices and ways to go these days.

I can see myself wanting to build some of the larger more powerful rockets down the line and was wondering what launchers are the best made and able to launch more than just the basics. Trying not end up re-buying launch pads.

Also any helpful hints from anyone who has built the Estes Saturn V would be much appreciated.

Jeff
 
Welcome back to the hobby/addiction! I suggest finding a nearby club. That will be the best way to see what the hobby is like now. And the club will have all of the launch equipment that you will ever need.

Assuming you are in the USA, there are two national rocketry associations. Both are great, so just find a club affiliated with one of them near you:
https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/nar-map-locator/
https://www.tripoli.org/Prefectures

There's so much that has changed since we were kids. For example, rocketry simulation software (OpenRocket), GPS tracking, and electronic deployment control (you will probably want to get this as you get into bigger rockets).

When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, I read the quick start guides on the Apogee Components website over and over. One of them in particular was called "I want to fly bigger rockets!" I remember thinking, "They just read my mind!"

But for now, just have fun. There are plenty of build threads on this forum about the Saturn V, but you may want to build a few other rockets to hep you get back in the groove.
 
Finished up 2 of 13 projects started two or so years ago.
Closest to the camera is a stock built Pro Series Patriot (gifted to me never flown), middle is a 24mm mmt #2056 Patriot missile built for either payload, single or double deployment, and last is my upscale of the #2056 Patriot missile, also built as a single or dual deploy and with a 29mm mmt..20200101_151804.jpeg
 
Ulexis said:
Started and finished an easy one today. I needed some that didn't require paint for the winter. View attachment 402442
Click to expand...

I also built a Shenzhou a few months ago (and I posted a build thread here somewhere, too). That was a fun build, though I found the plastics a bit fussy since almost none of the parts fit together out of the box. I still haven't flown mine (someone else's sadly experienced a CATO recently), but it looks great on my shelf. I agree that a break from the paint was a nice change.
 
BDB said:
Welcome back to the hobby/addiction! I suggest finding a nearby club. That will be the best way to see what the hobby is like now. And the club will have all of the launch equipment that you will ever need.

Assuming you are in the USA, there are two national rocketry associations. Both are great, so just find a club affiliated with one of them near you:
https://www.nar.org/find-a-local-club/nar-map-locator/
https://www.tripoli.org/Prefectures

There's so much that has changed since we were kids. For example, rocketry simulation software (OpenRocket), GPS tracking, and electronic deployment control (you will probably want to get this as you get into bigger rockets).

When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, I read the quick start guides on the Apogee Components website over and over. One of them in particular was called "I want to fly bigger rockets!" I remember thinking, "They just read my mind!"

But for now, just have fun. There are plenty of build threads on this forum about the Saturn V, but you may want to build a few other rockets to hep you get back in the groove.
Click to expand...


Thanks very much for the feedback …….definitely plan to build a few easier rockets before tackling the Saturn V, would really like to do it justice when I do start on it.
 
Igotnothing said:
Assembling 3 Eggtimer TRS transmitters. The 13x9" baking dish is a bit small for 3 of them as the angles with the soldering iron get a bit elevated.

There are downsides to "mass-production" of these kits - keeping everything staged for production flow requires more space on the kitchen table than my wife would generally allow. Fortunately, dinner was at another house last night, so she allowed. Getting every joint soldered when adding 9 of the 103 resisters requires a thorough QA check when I think I am complete. It seems that things can get overlooked due to the way-up-close perspective of the magnifier/light mounted on my head.

Two of these will go into a 4" MD scratch-build project, and one into a 38MM GoDevil.
Click to expand...

Igotnothing, I use a steel baking pan for my assemblies. I made some PCB holders that have a magnet on the bottom to stick the the pan. I cut a kerf near the top of the wood blocks I used. Works great & is cheap. I like cheap. ;)
 

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I got started on three projects, a Silver Hawk II, a Scarab, and a Lark. These are unproduced kits. I took the laser-cut sheets that I had for weeks and assembled the xerclods, dihedral jigs, and booms for all three of them. I was a bit thumbs on this, but nothing that's not fixable.

I like the staging vents in the centering rings in that Semroc Omega up there. I was toying with that idea for the Hyperbolic Tangent.
 
Cincy Jeff said:
I received an Estes Saturn V rocket for Christmas. I had talked about how I used to launch and build rockets as a kid so my wife decided to surprise me with this gift...lol It's been years since I've built a rocket so today I decided to join this forum to help me re-enter this hobby. I've done some snooping on the net as well and man have things changed. It's no longer just Estes and Century......lots of awesome choices and ways to go these days.

I can see myself wanting to build some of the larger more powerful rockets down the line and was wondering what launchers are the best made and able to launch more than just the basics. Trying not end up re-buying launch pads.

Also any helpful hints from anyone who has built the Estes Saturn V would be much appreciated.

Jeff
Click to expand...

Hi Jeff, I can't comment on commercial launch systems but for everything from 1/2A to G, a homemade system isn't hard to construct and can be quite inexpensive. A 12V gel-cell is a bit heavy but will light any motor starter on the market. I made such a system using an extension cord, a PVC pipe frame with 1/8" aluminum rod (it whips less than steel), a plastic handy-box and cover to hold the safety interlock and go-button. A simple interlock is an ordinary wall socket, with a plug (from the extension cord) shorted to itself as the interlock "key".

Good luck!
Terry
 
Mostly finished up my 5th rocket today (kept the wifes CriCut busy), a T-22 Assault Breaker based on the BT-80H with a 29mm mmt. Black and silver are vinyl and the red is painted. Other rockets finished were the Estes Recruiter, Baby Bertha, 2056 Patriot Missle (BT60), a 3" upscale of the 2056 Patriot. 20200101_214538.jpeg
 
rharshberger said:
Mostly finished up my 5th rocket today (kept the wifes CriCut busy), a T-22 Assault Breaker based on the BT-80H with a 29mm mmt. Black and silver are vinyl and the red is painted. Other rockets finished were the Estes Recruiter, Baby Bertha, 2056 Patriot Missle (BT60), a 3" upscale of the 2056 Patriot. View attachment 402472
Click to expand...
Nice looking rocket!
 
Kevin O'Dell said:
Continued building my original, in the box Estes Staturn IB. I've converted it to "E" power. Pics to follow. A buddy of mine that used to own a hobby shop gave it to me. It had been laying around his garage for about 45ish years.
Click to expand...

I love the Saturn1B. It was almost too challenging for this teenager some 45ish ago. I think I actually finished it and flew it. I'm not sure though, it was a long time ago. Good luck on your build. Be patient and take your time.
 
rharshberger said:
Finished up 2 of 13 projects started two or so years ago.
Closest to the camera is a stock built Pro Series Patriot (gifted to me never flown), middle is a 24mm mmt #2056 Patriot missile built for either payload, single or double deployment, and last is my upscale of the #2056 Patriot missile, also built as a single or dual deploy and with a 29mm mmt..View attachment 402445
Click to expand...
On your Estes Pro Patriot, did you build it stock with the four engine cluster?
I built mine with a 29mm mount instead. Have flown it up to a H180. Great rocket!
 
John Taylor said:
On your Estes Pro Patriot, did you build it stock with the four engine cluster?
I built mine with a 29mm mount instead. Have flown it up to a H180. Great rocket!
Click to expand...

The actual 2066 Pro Series Patriot was built with the 4x24 cluster (eventually to be flown on 4x AT 24/60's), my 3" upscale of the 2056 Patriot (BT60) has a 29mm MMT. The original PS Patriot I did not build, its was built by SteeleyEyed the individual who designed the Binder Devastator and the Giant Leap Nuclear Sledgehammer, and Giant Leap Crossbow, Brett built it totally stock AFAICT.
 

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