2 of 3 fresh ones - Szegre

Here is rocket number 2 (of 3) fresh out of the oven. This one is kinda fun. It's called Szegre.

It's a scratch built "3F2NC". I used Giant Leap (plastic) nose cones for both the NC and the tailcone, because I really wanted as long an ogive as possible. There is also a short section of Quantum tube in the center. Fins and rings are AC ply, and I used a Slimline retainer.

Specs: 3" diameter, 32" long. 29mm motor. Weighs 32oz. dry (everything but the motor). Motor eject / single deploy so I won't fly this super high - sims in from 1300'-3800' on G through I motors.

Like many of you would know from V2s, this thing required a LOT of nose weight. I had to add 13 ounces before it was stable enough to feel safe. I probably overdid it, but this rocket is about style, not performance. If a larger G motor can lift this up over 2000', that's plenty for me.

Paint - what a nightmare. I tried so many different strategies, I lost count. I started over again, and again, and again during the finishing process. In the end I'm still not really pleased with the results, but at least it looks good in these (virgin) pictures. ANY sort of handling at all makes a major mess of things - by the time this actually flies, it will likely look war torn and battle scarred just from transporting and getting ready for launch. Ah well.

But again, this rocket is about fun. At least I get a kick out of it. Enjoy.



If you like what you see, check out my other two new rockets just completed - thread titles are "1 of 3" and "3 of 3" (I'll be posting all three this evening).
thanks for looking, s6

Wow! Great looking design and a beautiful paint job. Nice work!

This one is awesome, my favorite of the three. The other two are beauties too, but a sweet retro ship always gets my vote!:drool:

Nice Job! A unique Retro rocket look. What does Szegre mean in Hungarian?

I love that retro look. I have been thinking of doing the same thing with my 4" NC's

For real, good-looking metallic paint, I'd go with plastic modelers' paints. Testors paint often comes in little aerosol cans, which is almost as good as airbrushing it on properly; the metalizer series of paints are stunning and quite durable. Very expensive, mind you, but amazing

Spectacular job, though!

CCotner said:

For real, good-looking metallic paint, I'd go with plastic modelers' paints. Testors paint often comes in little aerosol cans, which is almost as good as airbrushing it on properly; the metalizer series of paints are stunning and quite durable. Very expensive, mind you, but amazing

Click to expand...

I did try Testor's and honestly was not all that pleased with the look. Although I'm not sure if it was from the "metalizer" series you mention - it was a "chrome" though. "Durable" sounds very interesting to me, however. The problem I have with the current finish (which I may redo AGAIN!) is durability. What you see here is Duplicolor "Chrome" that I bought special from an auto finish dealer. It does look great, but you basically can't touch it AT ALL. Even the slightest touch makes a fingerprint - which on actual metal would be no big deal as you can simply polish it off. Not so with this paint - ANY sort of polishing, wiping, dusting, cleaning makes things much worse. This is true when using a polish/cleaner or dry. I also tried to gain some durability by using a clear coat - nope, that pretty much ruined the "chrome" look as well. Of course an early attempt at wet sanding really made a mess. For the photo shoot, I was really careful to pick it up and move it with cotton gloves, and to wrap it in a clean towel for any sort of transport or simply laying it down - this resulted in all kinds of fabric patterns on the finish.

I'm pretty much resigning my self to the fact that I've got a couple of pictures where it looks alright, but from here on end it will deteriorate quickly no matter what I do. A launch is really going to do some damage.

JStitz said:

Nice Job! A unique Retro rocket look. What does Szegre mean in Hungarian?

Click to expand...

Well, the translation is "nail".

However, that has nothing at all to do with the name of this rocket.

s6

Uh..OK then. Never mind.

Interesting-I had heard only wonderful things about duplicolor paint. What clear coat did you use that reacted with the duplicolor? (Not duplicolor-brand, I presume.)