AVI Astrosport Star Warrior clone

Found the plans for the Star Warrior on Ye Olde Rocket Shoppe and thought it looked pretty cool, so I have been working on a clone. Made a few changes: 24mm min diameter, fins are 1/8 in basswood papered with label paper and a different shock cord mount.

Here are a few pictures of how it looks so far. I tried to get the ventral fins into a curved shape, but that didn't go so well, so they are flat as original.

Still need a few pieces glued on and painted, but is almost done.

Thinking of using a few of BradyCross's decorating techniques to spice it up a little, as the original decals don't seem to eb in existance anymore.

It sims at about 1500 feet on an E9, so it should be fun to fly, until it lands on the tar up at Muncie and snaps off the fins.

Nice job!

les said:

Nice job!

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I agree ,looks very sleek ,very cool design.You`ve done a fine job on it !

I`m starting to get into rockets with wings and fins ,not so boring and it`s different.

How long is the rocket ?

Paul T

It was designed to be 46.35 inches long. Haven't measured it as built, but it's in the ballpark.

I LOVE seeing these old designs come back to life!

Great job so far!

Thanks to all. I hope to get it ready for painting before the end of the year, but I don't expect to paint it until in the spring. Although, today would have been a good day to open the garage door and paint out there. Weather has been funny this fall/winter so far.

Madison Alum said:

Thanks to all. I hope to get it ready for painting before the end of the year, but I don't expect to paint it until in the spring. Although, today would have been a good day to open the garage door and paint out there. Weather has been funny this fall/winter so far.

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You may be in the same boat as me ,all my painting will have to wait until spring ,and that will be a huge backlog !

That`s a good long kit ,it`s going to be nice to see that take off !

Paul t

After I add a few more things to it, I may coat it with primer and fly it this winter. I did that with a couple of rockets last year and didn't fumigate myself too badly, although it'll probably be on a C or a D, as there is only one direction on the local soccer field that has any room to drift. Fortunately, that is the way the wind blows most of the time.

Got the first coat of primer on the Star Warrior, after having added some do hickeys and thingys a la bradycros' Fly Me thread. They didn't come out nearly as well as his, but give a little more interesting look to the plain front end. A little sanding and another coat of primer and it will be time to pick a color scheme. Or maybe take it out next weekend and fly it in primer.

Finally got another decent day to paint and decided it was time to get some done, as Monday it's back in the 30s. Was going to paint the Star Warrior black, but a clogged nozzle made a splattered black look which I think looks pretty cool, so I left it that way. Once dry, the dohickeys and thingys will be silver. Then clear, then fly!

Got the clear coat on the Star Warrior. With a chute, it will be ready to fly at Muncie on April 20th.

Glued the launch lug on the Star Warrior today. Took it to the ROCI launch April 27 and had it ready to go, out at the pad and said to my self, well @#%@, how am i going to launch this?. Fortunately, someone asked the question of whether or not I could use the 1/4 inch rod we had on the mid/hi power pad running through one of the phaser tubes. That worked beautifully, but I think that it will be better off with a launch lug in the correct position. Hope to launch again this coming weekend.

Madison Alum said:

Got the clear coat on the Star Warrior. With a chute, it will be ready to fly at Muncie on April 20th.

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May I copy this one to the gallery?

I love it ! Very nice build !

Gives me an idea to build one for myself !


Paul t

JAL3 said:

May I copy this one to the gallery?

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No problem. Here's a shot with a better background. For some reason, the shot of it's first launch turned into a picture of a chain link fence. Hopefully, I'll get a shot of it out on the pad and taking off next weekend.

sodmeister said:

I love it ! Very nice build !

Gives me an idea to build one for myself !


Paul t

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Thanks. I found the plans on Ye Olde Rocketshoppe, but couldn't find any decals, so I just winged the paint scheme. It flew pretty good, but turned into the wind.