An 'ode to The Launch Pad Style Build - The Redtop AA Missile

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gdjsky01

Kim's Rocketeer
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Regrettably I have sold much of my TLP kits. Medical bills pile up. While it may seem like rocket kits can't get close to that, a decent TLP kit can fetch a tank of gas to get to the doctor's offices.

So here is the round off wikipedia.

We are going for a 'roughly' 28.5% scale rocket. BT-80. Basswood fins 'slightly' larger than the should be. A 3D printed nose cone and tail cone. And perhaps the front of those conduits. I'll omit the rail mount

I have an Openrocket file I'll share in a bit. Openrocket's simulation UI sucks moose vomit through a straw. But it does not crash like ROCKSIM does.


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So here's the images of most of the 'kit'. 3/32 basswood fins. The 3D PETG nose cone. Baffle (still on the fence about that). And the 29mm MMT (which I will make sure can take a 24mm adaptor). Not quite a complete kit yet. I like to 'make a kit' first, then start the build.

Still have to print the tailcone and figure out where I want to split the body tube to have my recovery options.
 

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I am hoping to figure out how to make one good Skita cutter from the 3 I have. So I can cut some marking/decals. And I am really struggling with FreeCAD to make things like those fairing nodules. Otherwise, TLP would have made this a 24mm MMT kit or a 2x24. I'd rather go 29mm and adapt down.
 
I miss the good ole days of abundant, cheap TLP kits on ebay where it was just me and some dude from California that would bid on the lots of TLP kits vendors were dumping! Where are all the TLP haters and bad reviews to bring the prices down? Now OOP TLP kits are loved and sought after.
 
As promised, I think, here is the ORK file. I am not sure if I want to do a break in the BT. But for now I am going with the tried and true "put a centering ring in the front to hold the laundry forward. Keep in mind the fins and placement is a "That Seems About Right" deal. As there are no comprehensive drawings I have found on the web. Just started with 2.6 inch tubing as the basis and with a 9.1 inch diameter that scaled to 28.5% give or take.
 

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I miss the good ole days of abundant, cheap TLP kits on ebay where it was just me and some dude from California that would bid on the lots of TLP kits vendors were dumping! Where are all the TLP haters and bad reviews to bring the prices down? Now OOP TLP kits are loved and sought after.
Yeah I sold a bunch for more than any sane person would pay. I wish I had opened them and scanned the fins and such... but then they would not have been NIP. I'd love to find scans like that.
 
Thanks for the inspiration, another one for the build pile. :computer:

I scaled it down a bit to a BT-55 body tube for LPR/MPR. Looks to be a good flier.

2022-07-04 Open Rocket Simulation Red Top .png

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The tailcone printed in PETG which is a little more resistant to higher temps than PLA. As you can see from the OpenSCAD drawing, it's really just the nose cone with a cylinder cut out of it. :bravo:


It's not scale I imagine, but then the Estes motor retainer fits purrrrrrrfectly. This is, as I said, 'semi-scale'.
Like, "In the likeness of". Or "In the spirit of." Or "Kinda sorta looks okay."
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I miss the good ole days of abundant, cheap TLP kits on ebay where it was just me and some dude from California that would bid on the lots of TLP kits vendors were dumping! Where are all the TLP haters and bad reviews to bring the prices down? Now OOP TLP kits are loved and sought after.
Yeup, they sure are. And people are taking advantage of it for sure.
Rumor has it, the owner has a bunch of kits in his building.
I'm waiting for those to come out of hiding.
That is, IF I get out of my current situation!
 
There is really no need. By now the copyright by the original owner is dead. Just scan the fins or other templates. Everything else is easy to replicate. Alas I sold mine as MIP. So I could not open them.
 
So as the images above in previous posts show, I filled the spiral groove with spot putty. I don't stress about it. Better an effort than none.
The motor mount is done
The baffle install.
Those rings are to hold the screw eye and the recovery stuff forward. I'll use the dremel to make the holes equal. I am doubling up to make sure its strong enough when the Kevlar cord reaches its limits.

Oh the JB Weld was to install a retainer on my long forgotten Rocketry Warehouse Nike Smoke build. And the rolled up decals are for my long forgotten Aerotech Arreaux build. Amazing what you find after find years hidden in the garage.



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Well its been a few days... did you miss me? Of course not...

So the recovery bulkhead is in, and the MissileWorks 3 meters of 3mm thick kevlar cord attached.
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The fins are on. Yes yes... the grain is wrong on the main fins. I thought that with basswood it would (sic) not matter. I used some basswood that I had lots of, but it was only like 10cm wide by 55cm long... But it is a little 'flexy'. I think before I do anything more drastic, I'll just soak them in thin CA.

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The nose cone is about 90g (3.2oz). A bit more porky than needed. But then I can use a CTI G (if the fins will stay on).
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Now to figure out what I am gonna do about the cable tunnel and those leading edge fairings.
 
So I have been slowly workin on this. I used triangle pieces I created on a belt sander (aka sort of triangle shaped) to fillet the forward fins were a PITA. I had to use quite a bit of spot putty. I am not real happy with them. But good nuf for now. I am working on 3D modeling a loose model of the thing just forward of the fins.
 

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So I am at a quandry. I am not good enough with any cad software to create the complex pods on the leading edge of the fins. :(
I just have no idea where to start. All sorts of curves and angles.

So I guess I am left with manually sanding balsa blocks. Not that I can't use a few emery boards and such... and even build it up from slices. But odds are each will be a snowflake.:confused:
 
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So here is the only conduit I am installing. I think that this is covered when mounted to the aircraft. Or not. It'll look bitchin'

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Sealed with some titebond and sanded. Fillet drying. Then we'll fine sand a little bit and hit it was some primer.
About 15oz right now. 425gm. Portly fo sure.

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Primed once... which as usual exposed issues in the surface... worked on... then primed again.
Which shows issues. But not as severe as the previous coat. As in 'good enuff'
Will let dry for 48 hours
Then the gray body tube, and the sort of olive drab fins.
Then the vinyl cuts is I can make the cutter come alive.
Then the clear coat.
Then the moment of truth... we think :)
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