Astrobee 500

[vjp]

I pulled out Peter Alway's "Art of Scale Model Rocketry" the other day, and that Astrobee 500 caught my eye yet again. So I decided to give a whack at it. This one's upscaled a little bit from the plans in his book. It's built with BT-60, BT-70 and BT-20. The nose cone is the Estes plastic cone supplied with their "Yankee" kit (it's available in their BT-20 nose cone assortment pack too).

The booster has a 24mm MMT, the sustainer an 18mm MMT. The BT-20 'Asp' section tube passes through the upper shroud section to the bottom of the JT-60 coupler which serves as the shoulder, so theoretically I *could* still turn this into a 3-stage bird, just like the original Astrobee. I'm thinkin' about it...

 

[Stymye]

looks great !

 

[loopy]

Very cool!

 

[Micromeister]

Look'in Good Vince!
That's another on the LONG list of micro scales to come imagine the sustainer at 6mm.

 

[vjp]

Wow, can you really stage micromaxx's? I would love to see a MMX version.

I have decided to go for broke here, and make the Astrobee 500 an all-up, 3-stage rocket. For the first flight, I'm envisioning a C11-0 in the booster, followed by a B6-0, and a 13mm A3-4T in the Asp sustainer section. Keeping the aft end of the sustainer light should enhance stability, since it will be a cone-stabilized design.

Yesterday I glued on the launch lugs and filleted the fins. Today's agenda is to make the nozzle shrouds and glue in the 3rd stage 13mm MMT and the recovery system.

 

[Micromeister]

May I suggest building and finsihing at least a couple spare sustainers at the same time you finsih it rest of the model. I've seen many a two stage scale bird fly once, sustainers never to be seen again. you might want to rethink the A3-4T to a 1/2A3. The only time I flew my 3X upscale Laser-X staged 3 D12 booster and A8-3 sustainer I finially found it with the 6 foot streamer about 20yds south of RT-15...launched for Middletown. that's almost 2 miles Can you imagine where that C-11/B6/A3 will put the sustainer? You might even want to look at C-11/ A8/ 1/2A3 to keep it in sight

 

[sandman]

I finially found it with the 6 foot streamer about 20years south of RT-15.

COOL!! Time travel!!!

I couldn't resist it!

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by sandman
COOL!! Time travel!!!

I couldn't resist it!

Ah! fingers faster then brain....sorry yards, not years.

 

[vjp]

Ah, I just checked the range box and I do have a few 1/2A3-4T's. I do want to keep the first attempt as low as possible.

I have some B14-0's, which would make a perfect 1st stage motor, but I can't fly these at a club launch, of course. A B6-0 might work o.k. for the 1st stage but I think a C11-0 will give it a more vertical flight profile off the pad.

Re. the 2nd stage - I haven't seen A8-0's anywhere, do they even exist? I have some A10-0's, but like the B14's, these are no longer certified.

 

[Micromeister]

Yeah, sorry: I have some and some 1/2A6-0 as well, 1/2A3-0S and many many others A3-0T anyone? Which I fly all the time. Well not as much since I stated flying Micros but I wouldn't hesitate to fly my old booster stock at Sport launches.

What the heck could I fly in my mini-manchee-III? A10-0' s you bet'ch ya!