Trident
Retired, plenty of kits
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2009
- Messages
- 888
- Reaction score
- 74
No, this rocket is not 20 years worth of effort, it is a few months of effort spread over 20 years. This thing is not even a teenager anymore, but it is getting ready for its maiden flight this year.
I turned the intake and exhaust pieces around 1990, and then took a few years trying to figure out what I wanted to use them on. The nose cone was the next piece of the solution. I added a short BT-60 to it, then turned a balsa nose block for the shoulder, and added canard wings (one piece going thru a slot in the tube). Next the small cockpit on the nose cone was extended back onto the tube using balsa strips.
I originally thought of making something "Interceptor-like", and kind of departed from there. Instead of forward swept tail fins, I decided rear swept was appropriate, maybe inspired by seeing the Blue Angels back then flying their new FA-18 Hornets. The wings had to taper down to engine pods, using the 4 turned pieces I started with. I think the extensions outside the engines were probably inspired by seeing a Deep Space Transport kit, but I do not really recall.
Next I added a tailcone, which is just a TA-5560 balsa adapter, hollowed out to accept a 24mm motor tube, and the "55" shoulder removed. Then I looked at all the Plastruct styrene strips I had, and started adding pieces to the tailcone (probably inspired by the Interceptor). Next came a scoop on the top. I'd probably leave it off if I could roll back time, but I was kind of in the mood to add more plastic pieces.
All of this ended in 2002. Last year, I painted the nose, finally deciding on an aluminum paint finish. And here is is 2010, 8 years later, and it is finally done.
She will probably launch on a D12-3. I did remember to add a launch lug, but I honestly do not remember if it has a shock cord installed as I type this -- but an easy enough fix if it is missing.
More construction pics on my Rockets link below, under "Antares", if you are interested.
I turned the intake and exhaust pieces around 1990, and then took a few years trying to figure out what I wanted to use them on. The nose cone was the next piece of the solution. I added a short BT-60 to it, then turned a balsa nose block for the shoulder, and added canard wings (one piece going thru a slot in the tube). Next the small cockpit on the nose cone was extended back onto the tube using balsa strips.
I originally thought of making something "Interceptor-like", and kind of departed from there. Instead of forward swept tail fins, I decided rear swept was appropriate, maybe inspired by seeing the Blue Angels back then flying their new FA-18 Hornets. The wings had to taper down to engine pods, using the 4 turned pieces I started with. I think the extensions outside the engines were probably inspired by seeing a Deep Space Transport kit, but I do not really recall.
Next I added a tailcone, which is just a TA-5560 balsa adapter, hollowed out to accept a 24mm motor tube, and the "55" shoulder removed. Then I looked at all the Plastruct styrene strips I had, and started adding pieces to the tailcone (probably inspired by the Interceptor). Next came a scoop on the top. I'd probably leave it off if I could roll back time, but I was kind of in the mood to add more plastic pieces.
All of this ended in 2002. Last year, I painted the nose, finally deciding on an aluminum paint finish. And here is is 2010, 8 years later, and it is finally done.
She will probably launch on a D12-3. I did remember to add a launch lug, but I honestly do not remember if it has a shock cord installed as I type this -- but an easy enough fix if it is missing.
More construction pics on my Rockets link below, under "Antares", if you are interested.
