I agree. The Viking fins would be a lot easier (I just bought sixty of them) but... no half measures!Yours are better, IMHO
I agree. The Viking fins would be a lot easier (I just bought sixty of them) but... no half measures!Yours are better, IMHO
Like a rocket with broken fins? (After the first flight.)What does it look like with the green fins turned around?
I've tried various combinations of the Viking fins, both flipped and not, and none of them especially appeal to me.I'll play around some more with fin orientation and placement later tonight — maybe I'll find something I like that uses the Viking fins and saves a lot of work.
that was my first thought as well when it came to the lug, it’s small enough that you’d have a very hard time noticing.I tried spacing the fins evenly with no extra gaps. Of course, that doesn't leave enough room for the launch rod, let alone the lug. (If the rod would fit, I'd just put the lug higher on the body.) I'm thinking I can mount one of the fins to the lug (I'd cut .173" off the root of that fin); by making it one of the long (green) fins, the lug will be pretty well hidden between the short fins. I expect there'd be plenty of strength with the lug basically wedged between two short fins, especially if I can get fillets down there around the long fin.
I'm leaning this way instead of the gaps because, well... no half measures.
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Thanks to David Qualman, I was able to recall more details and found the design (still looking for the fin guide).38? I'd like to see that rocket and/or jig if you can provide a photo.
Donk! I've seen a few driving around here. For some reason it's usually a hoopty on those wheels — $700 car riding around on $5000 worth of ridiculous wheels.I found the inspiration behind this Rocket design. I hope you build it, we need more fun Rocketeers and fewer over Serious Rocketeers.
My BT-80 V32 rocket was destroyed 2nd flight (CATO) nose cone salvaged and reused. Fin guide disappeared in last move38? I'd like to see that rocket and/or jig if you can provide a photo.
The old V32 model (and my up scale BT-80 version) glued the launch lug between fins.I tried spacing the fins evenly with no extra gaps. Of course, that doesn't leave enough room for the launch rod, let alone the lug. (If the rod would fit, I'd just put the lug higher on the body.) I'm thinking I can mount one of the fins to the lug (I'd cut .173" off the root of that fin); by making it one of the long (green) fins, the lug will be pretty well hidden between the short fins. I expect there'd be plenty of strength with the lug basically wedged between two short fins, especially if I can get fillets down there around the long fin.
I'm leaning this way instead of the gaps because, well... no half measures.
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I'm definitely building it. I got some 1/32" basswood today, and I've found a local rocketeer with a laser cutter to help.I say build it.
OK your dad is awesome.Still haven't started assembly (too many other projects to deal with first) but I shared the idea with my dad and showed him the jigs and fins. His response: "Let me know when you're going to fly it. I want to see what it's like when that many fins come fluttering down."![]()
+1OK your dad is awesome.
That's pretty cool! It gives me hope that my fins will actually work even with such narrow gaps between them.Thanks to David Qualman, I was able to recall more details and found the design (still looking for the fin guide).
The "V32" model rocket
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/a-foggy-memory-of-an-old-design-called-the-v32.152966/
In which case you may end up with either a 3FNC or a 4FNC!. His response: "Let me know when you're going to fly it. I want to see what it's like when that many fins come fluttering down."![]()
You could also get the fin locations engraved on the tube by the laser machine. I fixture would make mean that's not really necessary, but it could still be a big help.you can probably get the jig 3d printed, and the fins cut by @DragonRocketry you probably should make the body tube as large in diameter is you can at the LPR scale so the spacing is larger.
I'd go with 1/32" birch ply.Alternatively, you could do 1/32" basswood for the fins... You'd need a skinny, round-ended tool to get between the fins and do the fillets though.
I agree yours are better, but not by much really. I think the Viking green fins and your yellow fins would be better still. But it's splitting hairs.Viking fins are fine size-wise, but I think I still like mine better. What do you think?
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As you can see, I do like @lakeroadster's yellow and green fin scheme, at least for helping visualize what's going on in pictures. (It probably won't be the final colors I'll choose. Still leaning towards "generic" for that.)
You mean like this?Let me guess, you're also not going to make each fin a different color?
That was something I tried and discarded. Even tried sliding them forward and back. The distinction between the two fin positions gets lost and it just looks like a "fan" of combined fins.I wonder what it would look like with alternating forward swept and rear swept fins.
I guess I'll take the strikethrough off of this part:With a hair over 3/32" of an inch between fins (.098), how are you proposing to get the glue into the joint, without getting it all over the fins?
What type of glue will you be using? Wood glue? What type?
If you glue every other fin, that would appear to be doable, but then when it comes to gluing the rest, it seems nearly impossible, especially with the height of the fins.
I use an oral syringe to apply fillets, and it's tip is 0.19"... and that's about twice the diameter of what is needed.![]()
This comes with 22 gauge needles, which have 0.7 mm OD. Others range from 0.45 to 1.1 mm OD (from Wikipedia). The gap, 3/32" (thanks, John) is almost 2.4 mm. Of course, it would be difficult to push glue down a needle like that, so get the largest needle that will fit (there are probably some larger than are listed on Wikipedia) and use the thinnest glue, e.g. Elmers School Glue. (Some say that School Glue is not strong enough for LPR, but I have demonstrated that it is with my Office Supplies rocket; it used nothing but School Glue and survived an F motor, an F44 if memory serves. That flight suffered a shock cord break, so the airframe came in ballistic, and the glue joints survived that too. [The body tube did not.])For fillets, my thought is to drip some white glue in between fins and let it self level into a single fillet for both of them. The launch lug could go further out between a pair of fins, just as you say.
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Obviously, not to scale.