corrugations??!!

[AndyC]

Hi.
Anyone got any ideas on the best way to create a corrugated body-wrap to go round a small (BT-50) body tube - about 1" top-to bottom. I'm guessing the ridges will only be about 2mm width each - so pretty small. It's for a semi-scale launch vehicle that I'm about to begin. All ideas appreciated.

Cheers,

Andy.

 

[jetra2]

You could use cardstock that you cut to shape and glue it on the BT, or bits of thin balsa cut and shaped with sandpaper. Those are only a few of your many options. Be creative and see what you can use. You'll likely be pleasently surprised!

Jason

 

[wyldbill]

Almost off-topic, but does anyone know WHY there are corrugations on rockets?

-bill

 

[sandman]

andyc,

Try Evergreen or Platistuct plastic corragated sheets. Usually in the model railroad section of a hobby shop. You will get a lot mor than you need I think it come 6" x 9" to the sheet an is very thin.

Almost off-topic, but does anyone know WHY there are corrugations on rockets?

For strength!

Corrugated sheet doesn't need and framing under it for strength. Well...not much.

sandman

 

[dtomko]

As Sandman said, corrugated sheets come in a variety of sizes and thicknesses. You can find sheets thin enough to go around a BT-50, but if you are really concerned about weight, you can lay a sheet of thick paper or thin cardstock over a corrugated plastic sheet and run a butter knife along the grooves. You'll wind up with corrugated cardstock much like Estes used on their Saturns and Little Joe in the old days.
Drew Tomko

 

[powderburner]

Originally posted by wyldbill
Almost off-topic, but does anyone know WHY there are corrugations on rockets?

you can do the experiment yourself

stand a sheet of paper on edge (go ahead, use your fingers to hold it up)
put a paperback book on top
the paper collapses, right?

now fold the paper into a lot of little zig-zags, unfold and 'roll' it up into a tube (with zig-zags running the length of the tube) and stand it up again
put the same paperback book back on top
the paper stands, right?

it's the same sheet of paper, but the 'corrugations' help stiffen the tube against longitudinal loads

the guys who play with the big rockets can make the walls thinner and lighter, and carry more payload instead of booster dead weight