Ah....I love a good one hour build.

[marvSRG]

I'm the type that has many ideas, but either not the materials or the time and/or energy to put these ideas to work. Most of my building is kits (mostly mod'ed), an occasional nice scratch, and many "quick", usually unique scratch low/midpower rockets built from my stash of various rocket parts that has built up from the past. Tonight I actually put one of my ideas to work, and after pilfering through my many cut up parts, I built my latest unique design- "Sick Monkey".

Sick Monkey is the idea that I had for a spin stabilized finless rocket. I built this one from various Estes and Quest parts (18mm and 13mm tubes, and 13mm nosecones), a part of an Aerotech tube, an Aerotech igniter tube from an RMS kit (one of the tubes the igniters come in...the thick 1/4" kind), and a capsule, body tube and coupler from a failed Estes Mercury Redstone. The result is a finless, Mercury capsule-topped rocket with two spin rockets on the side. It was inspired by the Air Force X-17 rocket, and a design that I saw on EMRR. It will boost on two C6's and is spun by two A10's. Oh, and it has an internal 1/4" lug. All that's left to do is paint and a bit of nose weight. But it only took an hour...just in time to paint tomarrow and fly on Saturday @ the ROCC launch this weekend. It should be fun and pics, and maybe a vid will come.

And can anybody guess how I got the name?

 

[wwattles]

Originally posted by marvSRG

And can anybody guess how I got the name?

Would you be referring to Able or Baker?

WW

 

[marvSRG]

You're on the right track.

 

[astronboy]

Sounds interesting.... how about a pic?

 

[marvSRG]

Sounds interesting.... how about a pic?

They're coming.

 

[karatekicker271]

YAY marv!! i get to see a new rocket! my friends comin along so cool lol.

 

[marvSRG]

Cool deal, Karate. I look forward to seein' ya. Yeah, wwattles, you were close enough. Because the rocket has a Mercury capsule, I was referring to Ham, who flew in a Mercury capsule as a shakedown flight for Alan Shepard. So that's where "monkey" comes from. Sick is due to the fact that the rocket is finless and spin stabilized. That, of course, would lead to a rather sickening ride if this rocket was full scale

 

[Steward]

It''s funny that this would come up just now...
I spent about 1/2 hour today studying the capsule that they used for Abe and Baker... (space and rocket center, huntsville al)
It may have been state of the (art) at the time, but it was incrediblly primative by what I think of as current standards...
That would have to make those monkeys sick...

 

[marvSRG]

Cool steward! Now didn't Ab;e and Baker fly on a Jupiter Missile? I can't remember. I know it was either that or a Juno II (which is a variant of it). Well, it's also a possibility that they also flew in an Atlas or Restone. But off the top of my head, Ham is the only one I know for sure that rode in a Mercury capsule which I believe was on a Redstone as well. Any other Mercury monkeys?

Oh, another interesting note- my buddy Chris, another TRFer (Rocketfreak) was at Huntsville yesterday! Just missed out on a random TRF collision. Haha. I bet you had fun- that place is awesome, especially with the fully stacked Saturn V and that really cool tower ride (forgot the name).

 

[Steward]

I'm not sure... I believe it was a jupiter... just not sure about the "C" I think "HAM" (a much larger chimpanze) went up on an Atlas... The only mercury capsule that wasn't on a redstone...

also they have Grissoms capsule there... on loan...
That's a trip... but of course it's missing the hatch...

I should wear my TRF shirt more often...LOL

 

[marvSRG]

Well, she "flew" on two A10's for spin, and one of the two C6's for "boost". The A10's gave it an awesome, awesome spin, but the one C6 #1 didn't have enough power to move it , and #2, it pushed it in one direction causing it to bind up on the rail. Then the 'chute popped out on the pad. Also the spin was so great that it ripped the spin rockets off...even with them being held down with a butt load of wood glue and two wood screws. But it wasn't too bad, actually kinda cool, and now I know what to fix. It's actually almost completely unscathed...only the spin rockets have to be reattached, and I'll cant them upwards this time. I'll try to get some pics.

That was actually the least of my failures on Saturday. I misfired another C6 (one of three) and the central F21 of my clustered Estes Shadow (Naked Shadow IV), causing a pathetic lawn dart from maybe 50 ft. Then I pulled a real dumb mistake by relying on the F20W airstarts in my Ultimate to pop the 'chutes...after a good plugged G80T boost, only one F20 lit (still a real nice airstart), but I forgot that, unlike my THOY Night Hawk, only the center motor tube is unplugged! So of course the one F ejected on time, but no chute! Nice lawn dart, though. Oh well...we all run into our mistakes and have bad flights. Well, maybe except for Carl...

 

[karatekicker271]

ya that spinner was cool!! lol.. but doesnt it jus stink we that lawn darts happen. u could hear them everytime!!