Balsa nose cone much denser on one side; affect flight much?

[modeltrains]

Hey Y'all;
If a balsa nose cone is much denser on one side; will that affect flight much?
That is an answer I expect I should know but today is one of those days my really messy health has the genius side of my brain out on holiday.
Here's a video showing how much off balance it is.
It is a minute long, which may be overkill, but oh well.
I'm pretty sure a bit of filler and primer isn't going to cause something this dramatic: the situation just didn't mentally register until I'd hit this point.
Note tonal variation in wood color on base: I'd wager that marks a change in wood density.
Sunward's Galactic Wave kit nose cone
https://youtu.be/V_33pTErRmk

 

[Daddyisabar]

The Galictic Wave has a canopy, at least the old kit with the plastic nose cone had one. Put the canopy on the light side. Should not impact flight at all. Any weight up front is good on that kit. Build it 24mm or use D13 reload motors.

If no canopy, put the heavyset side of the cone on the side of the model with the least drag. That would be the belly of this airplane like rocket as I recall.

 

[modeltrains]

Okay. This kit with balsa nose cone has instructions which don't seem to mention a canopy, and do not have one on parts illustration page, even though package art shows finished model with nose cone with canopy.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Time to scratch build a canopy. Apogee sells canopies as well.

 

[rstaff3]

No, the difference in density will make no difference to your model. That kind of difference makes a difference in professional sounding rockets and possibly some of the very high performance HPR rockets. A canopy will make more of a difference and, obviously, Tim has worked that out.

 

[modeltrains]

Am wondering what probability of success there is in my trying to carve a balsa bubble canopy based on package illustration shape.

 

[LW Bercini]

Am wondering what probability of success there is in my trying to carve a balsa bubble canopy based on package illustration shape.

One way to learn whether you can duplicate that canopy shape is to try it! Things like this are really not so difficult, it merely takes time and patience.

 

[modeltrains]

One way to learn whether you can duplicate that canopy shape is to try it! Things like this are really not so difficult, it merely takes time and patience.

Thinking more inspired by than duplicating. True, on the trying. Though there is the wrinkle of my messy health sometimes getting in the way of even being able to try. And with that I need a break from saying things about my health. Gotta say though, success with canopy carving would do the ego good!

While having YouTube over lunch this was found, https://youtu.be/h0xDKX70tq4

Published on Jan 5, 2016
https://www.ApogeeRockets.com
This video shows a simple way to change an ordinary looking rocket into one that is extraordinary. This is accomplished by adding a canopy to the nose cone that gives it a look of a fighter jet. The canopy is a vacuum-formed nose cone that is available from Apogee Rockets. This video shows how to remove it from the waste plastic, and then glue it to the PNC-56A nose cone (also from Apogee Components).

 

[Daddyisabar]

The canopy doesn't need to be fancy carved balsa. It can be a glob of epoxy, wood or filler putty easily sanded down to shape. . . but wouldn't that be heavy??? YES and that is a good thing! More nose weight and a bigger motor will make yer troubles melt away. Easy and no pain.

It could be a balsa core covered in putty. It will look Marvelous. That is how I built this nose cone.

 

[modeltrains]

Ohhhhh, B-58, one of my favorite planes!

 

[JumpJet]

Not going to matter ONE BIT.

John Boren

 

[hcmbanjo]

John Boren is right, it won't matter!

At one time Sunward had plastic nose cones with molded canopies.

I just did an article for the Apogee Peak of flight newsletter on making custom canopies -
https://www.apogeerockets.com/education/downloads/Newsletter443.pdf

The top is pretty easy, shaping the underside to a nose cone requires extra time.
First, shape the bottom by sanding it round with 100 or 220 grit over the body tube.
The bottom must then be "gouged out" to fit the curvature of the nose cone.
Some careful sanding with 100 grit wrapped around an engine casing should deepen the middle.

Shorter Alpha style nose cones are harder to fit.
Longer nose cones are easier with less to remove from the bottom center .

 

[Daddyisabar]

Ohhhhh, B-58, one of my favorite planes!

Just a Galactic Wave with a few mods!

 

[jqavins]

That is how I built this nose cone. [Very cool pictures deleted]

It looks like you've got a motor mount back there, though this would be impressive enough as a non-flying model. Does the landing gear come off for flight?

 

[modeltrains]

Of my 3 other favorite planes the Boeing 727 is easy to see how to make a rocket of and I believe has already been done. The SAAB J-29 Tunnan can be figured out.
The Bristol F.2, that one's not so easy to rocketize.

 

[Daddyisabar]

It looks like you've got a motor mount back there, though this would be impressive enough as a non-flying model. Does the landing gear come off for flight?

No, the gear stays down and on during the entire flight.