A different sort of rocket that glides: Profile Depron SA-14 Archer

[tab28682]

While completing the two Douglas profile rocket aircraft over the last few days, I was derailed by a another idea and had to build it at the same time.

Here is a rocket glider that is a good bit more rocket than glider. Also qualifies as an oddroc and a weird sort of clone.

52" long Depron profile RC rocket "glider" SA-14 Archer "clone" with apologies to Matt Steele and NCR....

Scaled up the fuselage strakes a bit to increase the surface area.

Taileron control, but not full flying surfaces. Weight with an expended RMS-RC E6 motor is about 8.75 oz.

Glide tests of a sub scale prototype were quite promising.

There is a R/C plan around of a nice flying profile Depron Sidewinder missile that has an electric motor and prop in the middle of the fuse, with the prop running in a slot in the airframe. I have flown a friends version of this Sidewinder several times. Handing is very decent.

Will be perfectly happy with a modest L/D as I am looking at this as a rocket glider, not a rocket sailplane..... Fun short flights with the model landing very close by!

Ready to go except for rail buttons and a little more decorating.

 

[burkefj]

That's cool Tom, I contemplated something like this but orientation and landing with the symmetric fins made me put it on the back burner, looking forward to seeing it fly.
I think it will glide just fine, my tomahawk cruise missile had very stubby wings, and was really just a cruciform cigar shape with steering fins...similar to this, on the tomahawk, I trimmed the lower fin so that it wasn't sticking down so far...are you just hoping to flare it to a plop down landing to avoid the fin catching and tearing?. I know on a large Ducted fan tomahawk I saw on rcgroups a few years ago, he worked out a hinged lower fin that would pivot backward to fold out of the way.

Frank

 

[K'Tesh]

Nice!

Maybe that's how I should try and tackle my 1/1 scale AIM-9P bucket list build.

 

[tab28682]

Nice!

Maybe that's how I should try and tackle my 1/1 scale AIM-9P bucket list build.

Full scale would be cool.

I need to post some pictures of my full scale AMRAAM project (not a glider.....) I was able to borrow a fiberglass mold that was made from a real inert AMRAAM and lay one up years ago in fairly lightweight fiberglass. It has every screw head and panel line....

The mold owner makes lightweight display models for Raytheon and other defense companies for display and training.

 

[tab28682]

That's cool Tom, I contemplated something like this but orientation and landing with the symmetric fins made me put it on the back burner, looking forward to seeing it fly.
I think it will glide just fine, my tomahawk cruise missile had very stubby wings, and was really just a cruciform cigar shape with steering fins...similar to this, on the tomahawk, I trimmed the lower fin so that it wasn't sticking down so far...are you just hoping to flare it to a plop down landing to avoid the fin catching and tearing?. I know on a large Ducted fan tomahawk I saw on rcgroups a few years ago, he worked out a hinged lower fin that would pivot backward to fold out of the way.

Frank

Not worried about orientation. I have a couple of electric profile foam models that have the same shape for the "wing" and the "fuse". A differentiated color scheme makes orientation no big thing. I am going to make the "top" fin all red on the Archer to help with orientation.

A little reinforcement on the bottom fin ought to handle the landing issue. Really not much worse than the X-15, if any.

 

[rstaff3]

That us pretty awesome. I'd like to see a video!

 

[tab28682]

Video is tough for me to get when flying a model via RC, but might be able to get some the weekend.

I need to rig up a hat with a camera to get at lest SOME video when I fly.

Current plan is to test fly the profile Archer this weekend at Asa.

 

[tab28682]

Had an interesting first flight on the profile SA-14 Archer on Saturday down at the great HP launch in Asa, TX.......

A couple of hand toss glides showed that the Archer was controlable and capable of a landing flare.

Set the model up on the midpower pad and stepped over beside the crowd to a spot with a good view of the model and the landing area. Unfortunately, this was over in the plowed and furrowed part of the field.

The Archer left the pad in a nice vertical climb on the E6....looking good for the first two seconds. Then I shifted my footing in that furrow and just about fell down. Stumbled, looked away from the model, caught my balance, reaquired the model which was now arcing off to the east a little. Then I repeated that entire stumble sequence thing twice more in the next few seconds without ever quite falling down.... argh. Finally got some solid footing a couple of seconds after burnout with the model a fair ways off.

Took a moment to reorient and fully reacquire the model and turned the model back towards me and set up for a landing out in the furrows several hundred feet away. Flared a touch late and ended up compressing the first inch of the nose and the LE of the lower strake on the side of a plowed furrow.

Needs roll rates reduced some more and more elevator throw for better pitch control. With these small tweaks, I think it is going to be a fun model to fly.

After a couple of minor repairs, the Archer will be good to go again.

Pics os the Archer on the pad, leaving the pad and during boost just before I started falling around out in the field are linked below...

Thanks to forum member roberttv2 for caturing them.

Will post the actual images when I get permission from the owner......

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202...d69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507060743869490

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202...d69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507067603202514

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202...d69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507084655387314

 

[burkefj]

Looks great tom, love the pictures, interceptor with cosmic interceptor....too bad, looks like he had a blow through of a motor, thought maybe estes, but looks like a red ejection cap...

Love the dragonship 7 and the archer liftoff photos, how did it fly?

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202592926153245127/Asa2016?authkey=Gv1sRgCMqAmd69-KL-LQ

 

[tab28682]

Maybe this will work better....https://picasaweb.google.com/102202592926153245127/Asa2016?authkey=Gv1sRgCMqAmd69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507347139259570

Looks great tom, love the pictures, interceptor with cosmic interceptor....too bad, looks like he had a blow through of an estes E motor maybe?
Love the dragonship 7 and the archer liftoff photos, how did it fly?

I was typing about that and experimenting with photo links when you posted.... Report above.

That link in your post to the Asa photo thread is actually a picture of my own design 4" x 82" model called the Aquila that had just flown on an I140.

I did not know that someone caught that cool pic of that Cosmic Interceptor with my InteR/Ceptor in the background. And I had missed the Cato of the motor in that same Cosmic interceptor....and you must be right....that HAD to be an E30 Blue Thunder cato by the looks of the photo.

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202...d69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507124577677090

https://picasaweb.google.com/102202...d69-KL-LQ&feat=directlink#6243507164771068418