Centuri - X-24 Bug

[kuririn]

My clone.
Plans from JimZ's.
Doesn't really glide so much as it slowly drops.
They clay weight on the inside belly keeps it oriented upright.

 

[GlenP]

Those are great. They also have a loud throaty growl when they launch, because they don't go too high during boost, and the cardstock body acts kind of like a speaker cone/megaphone. This launch is an impressive sight and sound.

PS - they might not last long due to the heat damage from the engine. A little high-temp BBQ paint inside the cone might help it last a few more launches.

 

[SCooke123]

I've had an original built for years - was always kind of afraid to launch it.

 

[MALBAR 70]

My clone.
Plans from JimZ's.
Doesn't really glide so much as it slowly drops.
They clay weight on the inside belly keeps it oriented upright.
View attachment 405674

Cool! I had one in the late 70's.... it's how I learned about the Krushnic effect

 

[cbwho]

Are you saying the weight is needed to make it fly straight up under power or weight is needed for gliding (or both?). I admit I didn't bother trying to make it glide by applying clay.

I just built the X-24 rocket from cardstock.
I reinforced the thin body with aluminum tape on the inside and some tape on the outside. I noticed mine arcs more than goes straight up. But there is a breeze today and it's fat.

I noticed mine drops and even with a booster engine like the delay is too long??

I wonder if I made mine too heavy?

The sound under power is impressive. The ejection sounds like a big bang. Not a fan of the ejecting motor however.

 

[kuririn]

Are you saying the weight is needed to make it fly straight up under power or weight is needed for gliding (or both?). I admit I didn't bother trying to make it glide by applying clay.

The clay is for "glide" trimming.
Actually more like a controlled fall.
Keeps it in a neutral position with the canopy up top.
The megaphone shape really amplifies the sound of the ejection charge doesn't it?
The park groundskeeper thought I had a firecracker in it when I first flew it.

 

[cbwho]

Oops! Reading the instructions again, I now realize I have the bulk head upside down!

 

[Cape Byron]

Great little build, but they don't like wet grass landings.

 

[KenECoyote]

I liked mine until an overly enthusiastic C6 ejection charge blew it to pieces in mid-air! Before that, the best "glide" I got was a slightly spiral descent, which Buzz would call...

 

[Saluki]

Here are some new color schemes.

 

[kuririn]

Here are some new color schemes.

Outstanding.
Did you draw those up yourself?
I might try the steampunk design on another H-20.

 

[Saluki]

I did the NASA, X-15, and the Lifting Body ones. The others were done by someone else.
Here are a few others. This is all I have.

 

[cbwho]

I've just built my third X-24!

After building a second, my son wanted one as well. I was hoping he'd pick the steam punk design but he choose the X-15. The X-15 plane is a classic with excellent aesthetics, so wise of him.

I made a design simplification, I simply made the body cone come to a point. After some test flights, the nose gets a bit blunted, but much simpler. I used the "page 3" design for the engine tube and lug.

Many thanks for the PDFs!

P.S. for the lugs in the wings/fins, I use Q-tip sticks.

 

[Steven]

Someone needs to design one in a Raid bug repellant finish.

 

[kuririn]

Steve Austin in the cockpit before he became the 6 million $ man.





Heh.

 

[cbwho]

Steve Austin in the cockpit before he became the 6 million $ man.



View attachment 456334

Heh.

What is this a picture of?

 

[kuririn]

Northrop HL-10 lifting body.

 

[kuririn]

Correction.
THIS is the vehicle that Steve Austin piloted: the Northop M2-F2.


And a really interesting Youtube video about the crash, pilot, and tie-in to the Six Million Dollar Man:

 

[MarkB.]

Guys,

There's a long thread over at the other website about this but the short version is, that the ideal launch lug location is internally, glued to the bottom of the engine mount tube and out under the nose cone; the fins need to be reduced to about half the size they are; and, more importantly, constructed so they fold on the leading edge, not the top, giving them a V-shape.

The fin fold mod is incorporated in the Quest HL-20 version. The cone itself actually doesn't need fins at all. You will visibly notice the performance difference these three mods make.

Think of it as the Ultimate 18mm-powered X-24 Bug.

 

[GlenP]

Centuri X-24 Bug, page 3: cardstock engine mount and nose parts for completion of kit completely from cardstock.

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=206788&postcount=17

side view, with internal launch lug.

 

[Vitruvius]

Here are some new color schemes.

Hi Saluki, ( You're not from Southern Il. are You? I'm from Alton, Il originally. Any Hoo, I really like Your Steam punk, X-15 versions, but I do have a question about the Steam Punk versions; WHAT is the square piece with the flod down sides, please and where on the body does it go? Thanks in advance, Larry (Vitruvius) Mager.

 

[cbwho]

Guys,

There's a long thread over at the other website about this but the short version is, that the ideal launch lug location is internally, glued to the bottom of the engine mount tube and out under the nose cone; the fins need to be reduced to about half the size they are; and, more importantly, constructed so they fold on the leading edge, not the top, giving them a V-shape.

The fin fold mod is incorporated in the Quest HL-20 version. The cone itself actually doesn't need fins at all. You will visibly notice the performance difference these three mods make.

Think of it as the Ultimate 18mm-powered X-24 Bug.

@MarkB. I see the PDF now. I do like the look of where the Quest one put the fins/wings.

So you are saying the X-24 will launch fine without any wings?

As for the lug... I put my lugs on the outside bottom skin in the middle as I didn't like the lopsided drag of having it embedded in the wing and the top fin seemed to hit the canopy. The engine tube makes the most sense!

 

[kuririn]

Hi Saluki, ( You're not from Southern Il. are You? I'm from Alton, Il originally. Any Hoo, I really like Your Steam punk, X-15 versions, but I do have a question about the Steam Punk versions; WHAT is the square piece with the flod down sides, please and where on the body does it go? Thanks in advance, Larry (Vitruvius) Mager.

The steampunk print is for the Quest HL-20, which is almost identical to the Centuri X24 except for the underbody scoop. I think that is what you are referring to. Or maybe it's the penny ballast holder that is glued inside the scoop.
Anyway, here are the plans:
que2008.pdf (rocketshoppe.com)
And a couple of pics:

 

[modeltrains]

These sort-of lifting body designs are a favorite style. Nice looking models here.

 

[Saluki]

Hi Vitruvius, yes I'm from Southern IL. I was born and raised in Carbondale IL. I didn't create the steampunk version but I did do the X-15 version. The square piece is placed on the bottom of the body where the glue tab is located. The fold-down sides are glued to the white areas on each side near the back of the main glue tab. Hope I have made this understandable.

 

[Saluki]

The steampunk print is for the Quest HL-20, which is almost identical to the Centuri X24 except for the underbody scoop. I think that is what you are referring to. Or maybe it's the penny ballast holder that is glued inside the scoop.
Anyway, here are the plans:
que2008.pdf (rocketshoppe.com)
And a couple of pics:
View attachment 456528
View attachment 456529

Thanks, kuririn.

 

[cbwho]

The steampunk print is for the Quest HL-20, which is almost identical to the Centuri X24 except for the underbody scoop. I think that is what you are referring to. Or maybe it's the penny ballast holder that is glued inside the scoop.
Anyway, here are the plans:
que2008.pdf (rocketshoppe.com)
And a couple of pics:
View attachment 456528
View attachment 456529

Oh!
I was also confused by that.

Reading the Quest PDF, it is constructed rather differently than the X-24, the engine tube is a lot longer for example. The steam punk version posted above, is that built with the internals of the X-24 but with the fin setup of the HL-20?

 

[cbwho]

Centuri X-24 Bug, page 3: cardstock engine mount and nose parts for completion of kit completely from cardstock.

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=206788&postcount=17

side view, with internal launch lug.

Is part 5 on page 3 a launch lug??

 

[hcmbanjo]

Here's a link to and email from Larry Brown, some history from the designer of the Centuri X-24 Bug:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com/2016/08/an-email-from-larry-brown_27.html

 

[GlenP]

Is part 5 on page 3 a launch lug??

No, that is the glue tab for part 4. Glue half of it on one edge, pre-curl it, then glue the other half to close up the cone. I did roll my own launch lugs, but usually just cut them from scrap and did not include them in the template. Use the 1" square and roll one around a bamboo skewer, then just make one as long as you need from other scraps, the rolling width about 1" or so should be long enough. PS - it might be easier to glue the other tab along the top curved edge before you curl that cone part.

https://forums.rocketshoppe.com/showpost.php?p=206804&postcount=18