Colonial Viper from Estes designer sets

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Justin

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Here's one of my latest birds. I built the motor mount into the bt like 4 years ago. I really wanted my own viper to fly. I got a bunch a reference pics from starshipmodeler.com (if you've never been to that site, check it out. It's VERY cool), and basically forgot about it for years.

I ran into directions for an estes viper kit online (JimZ I think) about a year ago. I didn't know the kit existed. The downloaded directions tottaly inspired me to start it again. I used the fin templates from the directions to help me sorta scale it. My origional design was much shorter (as the fighter really looked), but I lengthened it for stability like the Estes.

It's just in beginning stages, but here's some pics.
 
Here it is with the wings glued on. You can see the beginnings of it's hollow balsa cockpit there too.
 
It dosen't have the smaller bt body like the estes kit. It's all bt50 tubing from my estes designer sets parts. The nose is just a cut estes nose. Here's another angle with the cockpit just sat on.
 
Here's a rear view. I didn't have an estes tube guide 4 years ago, so the back of the rockets body looks pretty crappy. I'll clean it up some.
 
My launch lug origionally stuck out to under the cockpit like on the kit, but I cut it back so it's hidden next to the side thruster. I hope it dosen't mess with anything.

Does anyone know how much those washers in the nose of the origional weighed? Eventually I'm gonna have to stick in some nose weight...
 
For the cockpit I took a block of balsa and roughed it out with an exacto. Then I took my sanding block and made the planes sorta match the photos I have. I'm in the process of smoothing it out and hollowing it now. There is a thinner piece that goes on the back of it I still have to make.
 
I got the cockpit done finnaly. Here's a pic of the completed unit.

These next pics suck..Sorry.
 
This is an underside view of the cockpit before I attached it. You can see (sorta, I'm a crappy photograpgher) the hollow area to reduce it's weight.

It's like an ebay ad photo..:D
 
Very nice looking rocket......

What about the nosecone? Did you get that from the designers kit?
 
Yup. It's just a bt 50 ogive cut at an angle and smoothed a little. So far the whole thing is from a designer set except the block of balsa I carved the cockpit from. There will be some cardstock and other little gizmos, but most all the parts come from the sets.
 
I've been working on other stuff, so this one is still not done..It's been 4 years, I'm sure it's not mad:) ...

This pic is of the paper side plates I'm working on. I used a big leather punch to make the paper disc (if you can see it in my crappy photo).
 
The engine intakes on my origional design, and on the estes kit, are just empty tubes. I thought it would look better with 24mm thrust rings stuck in to make the front of the intakes look more realistic.

Do you guys think those rings being there will do wierd things with the air when it flies? To be more specific, make the rocket less stable by venting air in strange directions.

I hear tube finned rockets really don't get much air actually through the tubes, that the tube just act as sort of stuby fins..

If that is true I could do whatever cosmetic stuff I wanted to the interior of the vipers engine's tubes and not have to worry about stability if I get the nose weight right..

Opinions?
 
Looking good Justin.

If you ask me then those tubes do act sorta as fins. So stability might be a factor.

If needed I can make a scan of the decal sheet and send it to you.

Here is my original Estes version to motivate you further on your build :)

Picture:
viper_side.jpg
 
I don't think the addition of a thrust ring will hurt stability. I bet teflonrocketry can give a better answer. I don't know if he's monitoring this thread so a PM would be in order. This can be simulated in Rsim7 - one run with just the tube fins, and then by adding a nose cone (transition). A partial blockage would then most likely fall in between these sims (?)
 
Originally posted by Justin
Yup. It's just a bt 50 ogive cut at an angle and smoothed a little.

Justin, can you explain about the nosecone a little more. It's not really a nosecone anymore, sort of hollow? If it is hollow, will this affect the ejection charge?

Sorry if all of this is obvious, but I am not getting it. I think a larger scale might be something I might try.......
 
Leo-
Your viper looks great! You are the first one to post a pick of theirs. I knew there had to be some out there...
Do you remember how much nose weight that kit had? Those 4 little washers in the nose cone?

I would love a scan of those decals. I was gonna make them, but the details on those are very cool.


Rocketmaniac-
Cutting the nose does make it mostly hollow, but it gets filled some with 4 or 5 little washers (in my case held by a little eyebolt, on the origional the shock cord I think).
On larger vipers I have seen the hole in the nose is plugged almost flush with the end.
 
Rocketmaniac-
I guess a more direct answer to your question about ejection would be I don't know. I havn't heard anyone say the estes kits don't work, and mine is very similar. I'll let you know when I fly it:D .
 
Originally posted by Justin
Leo-
Your viper looks great! You are the first one to post a pick of theirs. I knew there had to be some out there...
Do you remember how much nose weight that kit had? Those 4 little washers in the nose cone?

I would love a scan of those decals. I was gonna make them, but the details on those are very cool.

Justin,

as promised here the decal:
Viper_Decal.jpg


The file is 1MB in size.

The kit uses 4 NCW-1 ballast lead disks (.15oz each).
 
Thanks leo! They printed pretty well. I think I'm gonna do my own stripes,but I think I'm gonna use the doo dads on the motors.
-Justin
 
Originally posted by Rocketmaniac
Justin, can you explain about the nosecone a little more. It's not really a nosecone anymore, sort of hollow? If it is hollow, will this affect the ejection charge?

Sorry if all of this is obvious, but I am not getting it. I think a larger scale might be something I might try.......


Would it be possible to show a picture of the NC from the front? If I'm understanding you, it just stays hollow and is filled with the lead weights?
 
Hey Justin,
is the hollow nose opening a desired design element ? If you wanted to you could cut a piece of styrene (plastic) to fit the opening and glue it flush like a plate. It would make sense that it would cut down on drag but since it is at an angle it may try to push the rocket. I don't know how you could sim that:confused: Just a thought....
 
Originally posted by kelltym88
Would it be possible to show a picture of the NC from the front? If I'm understanding you, it just stays hollow and is filled with the lead weights?

Tht's exactly what it is on the Estes and mine. I'll post a pic later.
-Justin
 
Originally posted by kelltym88
Would it be possible to show a picture of the NC from the front? If I'm understanding you, it just stays hollow and is filled with the lead weights?

Hollow Viper nose cone:
Viper_Nosecone.jpg
 
But hey, Leo, how about starting a thread to tell us about that space shuttle Challenger looking rocket there. Thanks!

MetMan
 
I didn't even notice that! Go ahead hijack! I wanna see about it. I'll post more viper stuff here later..:D
 
Originally posted by MetMan
But hey, Leo, how about starting a thread to tell us about that space shuttle Challenger looking rocket there. Thanks!

MetMan

Ahh... forum is working again :)

NetMan, I don't think it is worth opening an extra thread.

I'll just post 2 pics.....

Pic1:
minishuttle.jpg


Pic2:
minishuttle_2_pic.jpg


and we should get back to the original topic ;)

I'm looking forward to seeing Justin's finished Viper :)
 
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