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Originally posted by mikeyd
I also did the Vulcan, but had to change it a bit! The nose cone shown in the picture is not the one I finally used.
Click to expand...


Judging from the expressions on the faces of the Enterprise crew, the Vulcan must pose a threat with that nose cone on it!;)
 
I did it... instead of placing the LL on the body of the Vulcan like on the instructions I modified it so that when placed on the launch pad it is parallel to the rod. The balsa strip that holds the LL is glued to the EM.
 
The pictures of the Vulcan I posted earlier does not exist... while experimenting with the fins they became brittle and they broke: I glued two layers of cardstock for the fins and the fold became fragile afterwards and later they broke. I desided to do another one. I recovered the MMt tube and reprinted the patterns. I also printed patterns of the wings and air scoop on sticker paper after altering them with PSP v8. I am planning to glue the LL in a way that it makes the Vulcan more parallel to the rod. Here it is as we speak...
 
I was checking files and pictures on the Vulcan the other day. I noticed that the patterns on Jimz' website are diferent from what Centuri's catalog has... On the catalog pictures, the circles are filled with the background color, the stripes on the body where the fins go are thicker and fewer, there is no "Century Vulcan" print on the forward sides, the yellow on top extends to under the cockpit, and the cockpit is very different... Anyone knows when the change happened? Where there two versions? Check the blue circles on the attached picture.
 
After checking the differences I decided to take the patterns from Jimz and change them to look more like the one in the catalog. Here is a compress picture of how far I have gone..
 
Here are the parts for my version of the Taurus: home-made nose cones and transitions (paper, cardstock, and BT parts). I chose to use the longer NCs for the pods because I think it looks sharp with them. Here they are with a coat of white paint I put today. The gray primer is Kilz. I have read the threads and decided to try it. I am not impressed with it but then I have only applied one coat...
 
I dry-fitted the parts for the Taurus to have an idea how it looks by the Vulcan. I plan to mod it with a 24mm MMt. The lower transition also has a scratch built baffle. I recently bought a 1000' roll of yellow kevlar from KevlarGuy and attached/glued a string of kevlar to the MMt. If you buy it retail it may cost you up to 16 cents / feet. My cost: 1.6 cents/feet... and plenty to go around.
 
If you do... Could you post some pictures? I have the plans but looking at the picture on the cardcover there seems to be something like a piece of balsa that goes from the middle BT to the lower transition... Can anyone explain? Has anyone painted a Taurus other than the admiralty color patterns?
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
I was checking files and pictures on the Vulcan the other day. I noticed that the patterns on Jimz' website are diferent from what Centuri's catalog has... On the catalog pictures, the circles are filled with the background color, the stripes on the body where the fins go are thicker and fewer, there is no "Century Vulcan" print on the forward sides, the yellow on top extends to under the cockpit, and the cockpit is very different... Anyone knows when the change happened? Where there two versions? Check the blue circles on the attached picture.
Click to expand...

(Psst. Rosko. It's "CENTURI", not "Century.)

I think it might be the difference between a photograph of a pre-production catalog model and a scan of an actual kit. I think I remember this discussion happening several years ago on another forum, but I can't remember which one it was.
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
If you do... Could you post some pictures? I have the plans but looking at the picture on the cardcover there seems to be something like a piece of balsa that goes from the middle BT to the lower transition... Can anyone explain? Has anyone painted a Taurus other than the admiralty color patterns?
Click to expand...

That's exactly what it is. It's a balsa strip, but I don't know what it is or why it's there. I've built three Taurii, and it has yet to make it onto one of them. Me and details........sometimes don't mix.
 
I don't think you used the Kilz primer everyone is talking about here. I am thinking that if yours was gray then it was their craft stuff which I first saw today at Walmart. I was going to try it until I shook both cans and I could tell the white stuff was MUCH thicker.
 
Right, I looked at that, but thats not the stuff folks are using here. I found both types at Walmart, but the "good spray-on stuff" was with the brush-on paints not the other spray cans. Just let it dry a good, long time and its very impressive stuff!:D
 
Boy, it has been some time since I posted on this thread...

I started again with my scratch built Taurus. Glued and fin-filled the pods, glued the middle tube with two instrument tunnels, and made a 24mm Motor mount. Two instrument tunnels because some pictures I have show one between the lower transition and the middle tube, the instructions tells you to make one and glue it on the middle tupe. I could not make up my mind to which one to pick so I went for both. As for the 24mm Motor Mount, I have never flown one so this will be my first. I feel confident that it will take off nicely. I added an 18 inch Estes plastic parachute. Recovery deployment will be right before the upper transition, unlike the original. I just notice that the NC for the pods seem to be a little longer than the original... but I have seen the Taurus with two different styles of NCs, I like this one better... it makes it look faster (?)

Sorry about the quality of the pic but this way you can see both instrument tunnels...
 
Here is a closeup of the fins and the pods. Note the LL. The 24mm Motor mount is not in glued yet. I wanted to have the Taurus stand on its own, I made the mount so that the motor lock is about 1/16 inch from the ground.
 
Here is the business end of the Taurus. MM is not glued in yet. I plan to aligne the engine lock with the pod that has the LL. Note the upper section witht the eye screw. That section turned out into a payload section... plenty of space inside to add weight in case it needs it or to take in "passangers" (insects) or a small altimeter... suggestions anyone?
 
And here it is in all its "nekkid" glory. Ready for a coat of Kilz primer, sanding, and painting. I think I will swing-test it for stability and fly it nekkid first to make sure it is stable... do not want to spend all the time painting and then... I will not mention it.... I plan to take it to tonights NARHAMS meeting along with my other projects...
 
I almost forgot my Vulcan... here is the business end. I read that during flight the fins would collapse and make for an erratic flight. In my case, the fins did not stay straight after they were glued. I think that had to do with the fact that I put sticker paper inside the cardstock (note the orange and yellow inside of the fins) and that they were glued to the body with CA... So to straighten them up and add some strength (?) I glued two pieces of coffee steering sticks inside them. I painted them according to the inside color of the fins.... One thing: this one does not have a LL: I do not know where to place it but I am thinking about glueing it on the body iside the scoop so that when it is placed on the launch rod I can take good pictures of the top...

Question: has anyone figured out how much nose weight the original needed?
 
Could not resist and I primed it with Kilz... now the waiting begins, have to wait until all those nasty fumes go away...
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
Here is the business end of the Taurus. MM is not glued in yet. I plan to aligne the engine lock with the pod that has the LL. Note the upper section witht the eye screw. That section turned out into a payload section... plenty of space inside to add weight in case it needs it or to take in "passangers" (insects) or a small altimeter... suggestions anyone?
Click to expand...

What size body tubes are those strapon pods? If they're capable of holding 13 mm motors, you could easily modify so the A10-PT's
could be used for clustered flights...
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
I glued two pieces of coffee steering sticks inside them.
Click to expand...

Thats funny Rosko... I drink my coffee rather than drive it!;)
 
I see you are not working... well OK, then how do you spell it? Help a fellow rocketeer who is still struggling with american english...
 
Originally posted by dwmzmm
What size body tubes are those strapon pods? If they're capable of holding 13 mm motors, you could easily modify so the A10-PT's could be used for clustered flights...
Click to expand...

Pods are Estes BT-5s. I am not familiar with A10-PT motors. Do they have an ejection charge? If so, they will not work on this particular Taurus because I glued the NCs. I they do not have an ejection charge, It would make a cool take off!!!
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
I see you are not working... well OK, then how do you spell it? Help a fellow rocketeer who is still struggling with american english...
Click to expand...

It's "stirring", but don't worry about it. Little things like this are what make things interesting around here. You'll get plenty of chances to take pot-shots at Scott in time.
The Taurus looks great. Are you going to go for the "admiralty" paint scheme or one of the others that they suggest? I like the extra length of the pod cones. They don't look as fragile as the #2 Taurus that I built with Semroc parts. I like the shorter, rounded cones the best, but I think the public at large probably splits down the middle on this issue. As for the A10-PT engines, the P stands for plugged, so there's no ejection charge. I'm kind of surprised that no one has tried this yet, for the cool launch pic if nothing else. Hmmmm? Wonder if Johnny's has any of the A10-PT's in stock? I've already blown two Taurii's up, three if you count my upscale, and I'm sure I'll be buying one of the Semroc birds when they come out.
 
I made a 24MM engine mount for the Taurus but have not glued it in place yet. I was playing with Semroc's Rocksim file and added the pods (minus the pod NCs), an EngMount, parachute, instrument tunnels (as a fins) and modified it so that the CG matches my Taurus. Predictions say that this bird could reach over 1100 feet with a D12 and it flies very stable...
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
Pods are Estes BT-5s. I am not familiar with A10-PT motors. Do they have an ejection charge? If so, they will not work on this particular Taurus because I glued the NCs. I they do not have an ejection charge, It would make a cool take off!!!
Click to expand...

Adding the A10-PT will be perfect compliment for the Taurus! I used four A10-PT's on my Estes Maxi STAR WARS
X-Wing last year for the Future Scale/Science Fiction event at
the Gulf Coast Regional Meet at JSC, and the result was very
spectacular:

Prepping:

https://www.nasarocketclub.com/gallery/GCR-2/FH000020_001

https://www.nasarocketclub.com/gallery/GCR-2/FH000021_001

https://www.nasarocketclub.com/gallery/GCR-2/FH000022_001

And the launch:

https://www.nasarocketclub.com/gallery/GCR-2/100B2470a

You'll need to use very reliable igniters and launch system to make sure you get 100% ignition, since the strapons are situated
with a standoff.
 
I have a car 12-volt battery that I took off the BMW I recently sold (for $100 to the junk yard), that should provide enough juice. How about the igniters? Which ones you used?

BTW I was drooling at the X-Wing photos...
 
Originally posted by rosko_racer
I have a car 12-volt battery that I took off the BMW I recently sold (for $100 to the junk yard), that should provide enough juice. How about the igniters? Which ones you used?

BTW I was drooling at the X-Wing photos...
Click to expand...

Used QuickBurst Hot Shot igniters. Look at David Bachelder's (owner and developer of various igniters and other cool stuff)
website, click Igniters, then Hot Shot.

https://www.quickburst.net/

Bachelder asked me to test his new Hot Shot and write a review
in the EMRR; there's a link to that review in the write up on the Hot Shot on his website. Since I started using his igniters, I now
don't fly any clusters without them. Yes, I know they're a bit
expensive, but I'd rather be safe than sorry...
 

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