Quest - Shuttle Intrepid Gallery

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Micromeister

Micromeister

Micro Craftman/ClusterNut
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A couple years back I decided to gather up, build and fly all the "SST type Shuttle Kits" I could find.

One of them is an offering from Quest Aerospace. Shuttle Intrepid is a kind of match for Estes Orbital Transport in that the Tiny Glider rides piggy back on the HUGE mothership.
I decided it needed some sort of interesting paintjob as the mothership is kinda on the Plain Jane side. Looking as some of Southwest airlines colors I came up iwth this scheme.
While the model flys pretty well the TINY Glider can be a BEAR to get trimmed right but once there is seems to stay "tuned" fairly well. I've had pretty good luck with it sort of circling the mothership on the way down landing within about 15feet of each other. Still a slightly larger orbiter would make recovery a bit easier for those flying alone.
A pretty nice kit, aside from the tiny orbiter issue.

460lp02a_Shuttles Fleet-b_all 3 on Rack_05-26-07.jpg

461lp01b-sm_Shuttle Intrepid at ignition 1st flt_05-26-07.jpg
 
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Isn't this a repro of an old Centuri design?
 
JAL3 said:
Isn't this a repro of an old Centuri design?
Click to expand...
No. Centuri had the SST Shuttle-1. In that model, the glider rode upside-down underneath the carrier rocket.

72cen042.jpg
 
THat was not the one I was thinking of. It was this one.

74cen44.jpg
 
Great idea with the southwest paint scheme !

I did mine pretty much by the package , and agree the glider took some tweaking but it puts in a decent gentle glide circle..

front2.jpg

belly2.jpg

back2.jpg
 
JAL3 said:
That [Centuri SST Shuttle-1] was not the one I was thinking of. It was [the Centuri Space Shuttle].
Click to expand...
The Centuri Space Shuttle and Quest Shuttle Intrepid are similar, but on the Centuri Space Shuttle, the small glider is attached forward versus aft on the Quest Shuttle Intrepid.

When I first saw the Quest kit, I thought of the Centuri kit. Several years ago, Blast From the Past Rocketry was kitting a clone of the Centuri. I have it and the Quest kit in my round-tuit pile.

FWIW, IMO, the Centuri SST Shuttle-1 compares closely with the Estes Orbital Transport.

Doug

.
 
In the Centuri Space Shuttle, both sections glided back for recovery. I don't think that the booster of the Quest Intrepid does that; I think it comes back on a parachute. (Just checked; yup that's what the catalog shows.)

You are absolutely right, Doug. The Centuri SST Shuttle-1 has much more in common with the Estes OT.
 
plano-doug said:
The Centuri Space Shuttle and Quest Shuttle Intrepid are similar, but on the Centuri Space Shuttle, the small glider is attached forward versus aft on the Quest Shuttle Intrepid.

When I first saw the Quest kit, I thought of the Centuri kit. Several years ago, Blast From the Past Rocketry was kitting a clone of the Centuri. I have it and the Quest kit in my round-tuit pile.

FWIW, IMO, the Centuri SST Shuttle-1 compares closely with the Estes Orbital Transport.

Doug

.
Click to expand...

I'll take your word for it. I don't have either one but the images struck me as similar.
 
John:
The intrepid and Centuri Space Shuttle Kc-6 are two very different animals.
About the only thing they have in common is the fact that the Mothership is alot larger in diameter then the Orbiter with a rounded nose.

Other then that they are Different in so many ways. Intrepid like Estes OT's orbiter is just a parasite glider riding on the motherships back.
Like both Estes Orbital Transport and Centuri Space Shuttle-1 all three are boostered by the motor located in the Mothership. This is NOT the case with the Centuri Space Shuttle Kc-6 where the motor and streamer recovered ejection pod is located in the Orbiter atop and forward on the mothership.
Kc-6 also involves a very interesting slidelock system mating the power pod, Orbiter and mothership.

As Mark mentioned both Orbiter and Mothership recovery as Gliders with the mothership turning in some rather impressive times for it's size. After a good bit of alteration to the orbiters wing location, I have almost matched the glider times between both Orbiter and mother ship and circlular trimmed them to land within about 20feet of each other.

Can't say the same for the intrepid, first few flight landings were within 15feet, with the mother ship coming down under chute (I have it teathered to come down horizontally) combined with the tiny glider, they sometimes seperate pretty well during recovery. I've trimmed its orbiter into a fairly tight circle but it still has a tendency to wonder:)
 
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Micromeister said:
John:
The intrepid and Centuri Space Shuttle Kc-6 are two very different animals.
About the only thing they have in common is the fact that the Mothership is alot larger in diameter then the Orbiter with a rounded nose.

Other then that they are Different in so many ways. Intrepid like Estes OT's orbiter is just a parasite glider riding on the motherships back.
Like both Estes Orbital Transport and Centuri Space Shuttle-1 all three are boostered by the motor located in the Mothership. This is NOT the case with the Centuri Space Shuttle Kc-6 where the motor and streamer recovered ejection pod is located in the Orbiter atop and forward on the mothership.
Kc-6 also involves a very interesting slidelock system mating the power pod, Orbiter and mothership.

As Mark mentioned both Orbiter and Mothership recovery as Gliders with the mothership turning in some rather impressive times for it's size. After a good bit of alteration to the orbiters wing location, I have almost matched the glider times between both Orbiter and mother ship and circlular trimmed them to land within about 20feet of each other.

Can't say the same for the intrepid, first few flight landings were within 15feet, with the mother ship coming down under chute (I have it teathered to come down horizontally) combined with the tiny glider, they sometimes seperate pretty well during recovery. I've trimmed its orbiter into a fairly tight circle but it still has a tendency to wonder:)
Click to expand...

As I said, it was the superficial likeness of the images that struck me. I've never seen either one up close. In fact, I didn't used to care for the way either one looks. That's changed a bit for me. I begin to gather some interest.
 
JAL3 said:
As I said, it was the superficial likeness of the images that struck me. I've never seen either one up close. In fact, I didn't used to care for the way either one looks. That's changed a bit for me. I begin to gather some interest.
Click to expand...

I do agree: It took me more then 20 years to get around to building the Space Shuttle Kc-6. Wouldn't have given intrepid another look if I hadn't been trying to collect all the various offerings of SST shuttles back in 07.
Never really cared for the style of either. but I have a new found appreciation for all the "design" that went into the Centuri Kc-6 model. It's a very interesting build.
 
Sorry Stymye I completely Missed your post!
Yours came out super as well. I have to say the taping to add interest to this otherwise pretty plain Jane model is a bit of a chore. but as can been seen in Stymye's photos it's time will spent.
 
You chose a great theme for a build project. Shuttle-style boost gliders are really cool. :)

I'll have to give micro-scale rocket-boosted gliders another go. My first scratch efforts weren't too successful, but I'll keep tinkering with them. Dealing with that very unglider-like sharp, short burn of the MicroMaxx II is tricky, though.
 
MarkII said:
You chose a great theme for a build project. Shuttle-style boost gliders are really cool. :)

I'll have to give micro-scale rocket-boosted gliders another go. My first scratch efforts weren't too successful, but I'll keep tinkering with them. Dealing with that very unglider-like sharp, short burn of the MicroMaxx II is tricky, though.
Click to expand...

Mark:
Interesting you should talk about Micro-scale SST boost gliders. Recently i've adding the Kc-6 to the plans page of the MicroMaxRockets group and have the Centuri SST-1 and Quest Intrepid (with glider revisions) on the drawing board. our old standby Orbital Transpart in T2+ size as been in the file a long while.
It is my belief the piggy-back or belly mounted gliders should by no more trouble then their full size counterparts...well with the exception of recovery LOL!!! but the Kc-6 Space Shuttle may present some Pop-pod ejection challanges that I haven't had time to fully address. Should be a fun build even if it doesn't fly all that well. I'm also considering multi-motor strap-on clusters for all three of these T3 and T4 size models. Keep us posted on your experiments. Micro Gliders are fun, just hard to keep if you have long grass to contend with:)
 

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