FlisKits: Sneak peek! (Scale!)

dwmzmm said:

You could just build more models while you're waiting......

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True Estes and Quest has several nice new kits, many include PLASTIC Nosecones

I'm kidding Build a Nantucket Sound, Tiddlywink, and/or a Dead Ringer while you wait!

(I have a feeling I am a Dead Ringer now!!!)
Jim -> :bangpan: <- Doug

Who would have thought...

The first time I saw that model was in the motel room at the Whitaker launch in 2000.

I just sold Jim one of my Saturn 1b kits, yes, there was a time when Jim Flis bought kits!

Then mine was the only Saturn 1B kit available. KOSROX had just discontinued his 1/70th scale kit.

Now there are (I think) about 8 different scales of Saturn 12b kits available.

This truly is the "Golden Age"!

sandman said:

Who would have thought...

The first time I saw that model was in the motel room at the Whitaker launch in 2000.

I just sold Jim one of my Saturn 1b kits, yes, there was a time when Jim Flis bought kits!

Then mine was the only Saturn 1B kit available. KOSROX had just discontinued his 1/70th scale kit.

Now there are (I think) about 8 different scales of Saturn 12b kits available.

This truly is the "Golden Age"!

Click to expand...

What would be REALLY kewl would be to put together a display at NARAM showing all of the scales currently available of the S1B, or perhaps all of the scales that have *ever* been available. That would be awesome!

jflis said:

Ed an I go back a ways. I helped him with a couple of designs (an egg lofter shroud with custom logo's/decoration for example). When Brian and I started FlisKits we called Ed to talk about "rocket companies" as we knew we would value his feedback.

He had only one piece of advice for us...

..."don't do it"... LOL

We didn't listen...

Click to expand...

Now that's funny!!! He gave the same piece of advice to me. Guess I listen just about as good as Jim does. :roll:

I'd love to see a pic of a Flis 1b next to a Sheri's 1b. The Flis could probably fit inside one of Sheri's F-1's.

Sheri - Can you identify each of the Saturns in the comparison pic?

I'm curious....

-Kevin

troj said:

Sheri - Can you identify each of the Saturns in the comparison pic?

I'm curious....

-Kevin

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This is just a guess, but I would guess, from the left to the right

Dr. Zooch's 1/245?, Appogee's 1/70, Sheri's 1/48, and Estes 1/100

Happy Flying
Mike Dickinson

mikeyd said:

This is just a guess, but I would guess, from the left to the right

Dr. Zooch's 1/245?, Appogee's 1/70, Sheri's 1/48, and Estes 1/100

Happy Flying
Mike Dickinson

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's what I think, too, but was going to let Sheri answer that herself.....

I will definitely be buying one. The 1B is one of my favorite rockets.

Well, we have another club launch tomorrow (CMASS) and I just finished another rough boilerplate to test the nose weight option. This is an option where you have two choices on the type of stability options you want:

1. Use a separate "stabalizing fin unit"
2. Add enough nose weight such that the scale fins will be enough (best for scale competition)
   

In the instructions (if you opt for nose weight) I have you drill a 1/4" hole 1 1/2" deep into the base of the nose cone. Based on today's findings, that will now become a 3/8" diam hole 1 3/4" deep (to hold enough clay). It takes a lot of nose weight to get the CG right for the fins to work. The beauty is that this is not intended to be a high flier. Rather it is intended to *look* good.

I have only ever flown this design with the separate fin unit. I know she will fly with the scale fins as that is what Jay did for his competition entry of this kit. I added enough nose weight to bring the CG about 1/10" *higher* than what Jay has on his build (just a little buffer to be safer )

I will be flying this tomorrow and we'll see how she does.

Here are some pix of the latest boilerplate build (note, a very rough build to test some steps in the instructions):

• One fin cut and shaped
• Fin with the fin wrap (imagine this *times* eight... )
• The "skill level 3" launch escape tower (cut out pattern, folded and glued)
• Here is a close up of the tower attached to the model
• Actually looks quite good at arms length

I'll post more tomorrow!
jim

Well, we have success!

The first flight was unstable, but not by much. Adding a little more nose weight solve that problem in a big way and I got some great flights on 1/2A3-4T and A3-4T motors. I am very pleased!

Here are some pix (from different flights)

• Saturn 1B on the pad
• LIFTOFF! right past the CMASS flag
• Under full (8") 'chute
• Soft landing, ready to go again

We had a great day of flying. You can see the whole photo album by clicking this link.

Here a a few of mine. I got a sequence of four or five frames of it in the air without being able to see the rocket in the viewfinder.

NIce, and thank you. It was good having a few camera's on that little beast

jflis, have any news or updates on the release of the Saturn 1B?

Just "new kit nerves" for such an involved little rocket...

Here's the scoop:

• Documents printed and received
• Body tubes in
• 2 custom parts ordered and expected soon (see below)
• Web pages should be done this weekend

NOTE: A couple of custom parts were ordered a bit later than I had hoped. As a result they won't be in until we leave for LDRS. That being the case we won't be able to kit the kits up until we return on Sunday.

I would expect to be able to begin shipping Wed or Thurs after LDRS.

My hope is to put the kit up for pre-orders before we leave. This will only happen if I get the shipping confirmation on the missing parts. Keep watch

One of the parts we just got in last week were the plastic rods needed for the Launch Escape Tower. The attached picture shows the 0.020" (thick ) and the 0.010" rods used in this assembly.

We've also made a decision that results in a change to the kit that was made AFTER the documentation was printed (so we will be including an errata sheet...).

For stability we provide 2 solutions:

1. Separate (removable) fin unit
2. Adding nose weight to allow the scale fins to stabalize the model

In our flight testing we discovered that clay wasn't dense enough to get the CG in the correct place so we switched to lead shot. Unfortunately we will not be able to supply the lead shot in the kit, so the kit offers that option (the nose cone is even pre-drilled), but you will have to supply your own ballast.

Keep watch over these forums and our web site for coming announcements
I hope this helps!
jim

Oh my word those plastic rods are thin!

Jim,

Appreciate the update. You make it sound like we are going to get a great Saturn 1B.

Thanks in advance.:roll:
Frank.

Well, after much work (spaning 7 years, actually) and gnashing of teeth, the Saturn 1B is now ready for pre orders

You can find out more By clicking this link to the S1B thread.

Thank you all for your strong support as we worked to get this kit out. I have several other scale models of the US manned space program on the board for future release. This is our most complex to date (not just the "kit", but getting such a kit into production). I am glad that it is now out there.

Hopefully all that work was worth it

jim

Pantherjon said:

Oh my word those plastic rods are thin!

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I've been working on the tower using those plastic "rods" (the fat one's the size of a hair, and the skinny one's, well...) and finally found something even more painful and frustrating to build than the Estes/Semroc Saturn towers. You'll definitely need magnifying lenses on the ol' eyes when building this. I can't imagine how Jay Marsh pulled it off on his, soldering with wire no less!

jflis said:

In our flight testing we discovered that clay wasn't dense enough to get the CG in the correct place so we switched to lead shot. Unfortunately we will not be able to supply the lead shot in the kit, so the kit offers that option (the nose cone is even pre-drilled), but you will have to supply your own ballast.

Click to expand...

Why can't you provide the lead shot? Is it because lead is toxic? Could you use BB's instead? Or maybe a screw with a washer?
Maybe switch from balsa to basswood for the nose cone. Solves the weight problem, and also makes it easier to finish.

BobCox said:

Why can't you provide the lead shot? Is it because lead is toxic? Could you use BB's instead? Or maybe a screw with a washer?
Maybe switch from balsa to basswood for the nose cone. Solves the weight problem, and also makes it easier to finish.

Click to expand...

basswood doesn't weigh enough so you would still need nose weight and basswood is a bear to cut and keep clean.

Looking into the problems of shipping a product containing lead became too much of a headache so I stopped in favor of meeting our release date.

Steel (bb's, screw's and such) not dense enough. The weight needed to balance the model is nearly the same as the model weight itself. You will be surprised at how heavy it is with the nose weight. The nose weight needed is about 19 grams or about 0.67 oz....

Remember, most Saturn 1B models either have over sized (non-scale) fins or a lot of nose weight...