Custom Mini Christmas tree rocket build

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Adam3836

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Alrighty well I saw on Amazon this mini Christmas tree for 5 bucks it’s about 15 inches tall…. For fun I thought let’s make a rocket Christmas tree! it will be a fun looking launch and a festive idea for the holidays lol so here is what I got so far


I cut the bottom thin pole off the tree so what was left was a thick circular knob.

I used a motor mount tube I had laying around that will take a 24mm motor

I made my own centering rings/fins out of bass wood

I built the motor mount assembly using wood glue.

For my launch lug I needed to get the lug further out so the launch rod could clear the motor mount assembly so I epoxied a spent A10 motor casing in place, then glued my purple launch lug to the A10 casing which gives me the appropriate clearance I needed.

After the motor mount assembly was pretty much glued in place I then epoxied the aft end of the tree snuggly down into the motor mount tube leaving just enough room for the 24mm motor to slide in
Believe it or not this sucker is pretty solid lol.

I plan to decorate the tree alittle before the launch

I will use an Estes 24mm D12-0 motor for this tree. Using painter tape for motor retention.

I know it’s not perfect but it’s not suppose to be lol

I will post some pictures of the tree decorated on the launch pad and a video of the launch as soon as I get out there

Thanks

Adam
 
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Here is the almost finished tree next to by 29mm big daddy 3810F86C-E71A-481D-BB4D-811A51A1A991.jpeg
 

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With a little effort and knowledge you can make it work. Why press the button on a rocket you know will be unstable? All rockets must follow the basic rules. :)
Iam not done yet
My hopes is to get it to go up like a saucer would and then when the motor is done it will tumble down
I would be surprised if I get 50 feet of altitude on this

But Iam building it and being creative as I go

I am very strict with myself on safety whenever I fly anything so if it doesn’t feel right when Iam done it won’t go up!
 
Longer fins going out to catch some air will help. Nose weight will help, like a top ornament fashioned from JB WELD steel epoxy clay. More power, like a composite motor will help. Must be stable and have enough power to fly. I've seen way too many lousy Xmas tree designs that are just built to crash and burn. Good for a laugh and then the safety folks can have a good time bashing those oddrocs.

Why do fins and motors have to be on the bottom of the tree? Give in to the dark arts. Canted tractor motors on a log topper ornament with no fins? Ask yourself, can I make base drag my friend?

It is easier not to think out of the box and just watch a crash, getting that NASCAR rush. Yes Mr. RSO, it has small fins under the branches so it will work like a traditional3-4FNC rocket. Looks really good too! :)
 
Longer fins going out to catch some air will help. Nose weight will help, like a top ornament fashioned from JB WELD steel epoxy clay. More power, like a composite motor will help. Must be stable and have enough power to fly. I've seen way too many lousy Xmas tree designs that are just built to crash and burn. Good for a laugh and then the safety folks can have a good time bashing those oddrocs.

Why do fins and motors have to be on the bottom of the tree? Give in to the dark arts. Canted tractor motors on a log topper ornament with no fins? Ask yourself, can I make base drag my friend?

It is easier not to think out of the box and just watch a crash, getting that NASCAR rush. Yes Mr. RSO, it has small fins under the branches so it will work like a traditional3-4FNC rocket. Looks really good too! :)
Some good advice thanks

Look I am in no way looking to make anything that could be a danger safety wise…that being said I am being creative and trying different things. What I have built or how I built might not be what others would of done but it’s my idea and I am working through it as I go.

I can appreciate your concern for safety as you have mentioned many times. That is always on my mind as well

It’s a small fun build with holiday theme
I will make it as safe as I can and enjoy every step of the build
And she won’t see air time if I don’t believe it’s safe.

Cheers
Adam
 
Suacers are very flat, Xmas trees are very tall. Where are you, base drag, my old friend. Maybe the secret can be found in Pyramid power. Those silly oddroc guys are always flying those. Otherwise you are stuck with huge, breakable rectangular fins sticking out (can always be disguised as presents,) and tons of stinking nose weight needing a lot of powerful thrust to lift. 3-4FNC are for nice boys, flying Xmas trees will get you on the naughty list! Where is the answer?

Another option:
Check out Lakeroadster's. Mercury Capsule build. An Xmas tree can fly in the same way, even with lots of pretty ornaments attached. Yes Mr. RSO, the tree is fire resistant out of the box and by my calculations it will not burn, just getting really dirty from all the soot. It will look awesome too! Drag, don't push. :)

If you fly it as pictured then a large distance to the pad will be required.
 
Don't be put off too much by the comments. I agree that it looks unstable but it may work. Try it. If it doesn't, fix it. Here is one of my Christmas tree rockets. It was meant to get to altitude and then tumble down (like I think yours is supposed to). And it did. I was surprised, my friends were surprised.

1670390989914.jpeg
 
Don't be put off too much by the comments. I agree that it looks unstable but it may work. Try it. If it doesn't, fix it. Here is one of my Christmas tree rockets. It was meant to get to altitude and then tumble down (like I think yours is supposed to). And it did. I was surprised, my friends were surprised.

View attachment 549668
Very cool
I like it
 
Don't be put off too much by the comments. I agree that it looks unstable but it may work. Try it. If it doesn't, fix it. Here is one of my Christmas tree rockets. It was meant to get to altitude and then tumble down (like I think yours is supposed to). And it did. I was surprised, my friends were surprised.

View attachment 549668
That is a much better design. No fins needed!
 
That is a much better design. No fins needed!
Maybe i will throw mine out and make that design ??

Or maybe I will continue with my design and make it work … that sounds like a good idea.

Designs are created by trial and error

We learn we perfect we use creativity
Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t
 
Maybe i will throw mine out and make that design ??

Or maybe I will continue with my design and make it work … that sounds like a good idea.

Designs are created by trial and error

We learn we perfect we use creativity
Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t
I wouldn't throw it out...yet.

Have fun with it and see what you can do. Try a swing test! lol
Christmas Tree GIF by filmeditor
 
Maybe i will throw mine out and make that design ??

Or maybe I will continue with my design and make it work … that sounds like a good idea.

Designs are created by trial and error

We learn we perfect we use creativity
Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t
Take your rocket and rework it to be even better. Oddrocs are a journey. Learn to take advice and learn the ways of the Jedi. A well balanced and built Xmas tree rocket will bring joy at the RSO table and range. As the Dean of the College would say; flying unstable rockets with tumble recovery for the heck of it is no way to go though life. Do some research work, learn some science and creatively mindsim a wining design. How about some presents underneath hiding a rear eject recovery system? You can do it. IT is not easy or instant gratification, but much safer and rewarding in the long run. Make the chances of it working all of the time much higher. Have the crowd awed by an interesting and successful oddroc, rather than walking away having seen another stupid oddroc disaster. Knowledge and experience is power. The real world is the school of hard knocks, so do you best to limit thier harshness. Learn the ways of the force and then fly the rockets you love.
 
Adam, Daddy is an oddroc master.
I believe that his comments are not to criticize, but to aid your efforts.
Anyway, I second the suggestion for larger fins that stick out into the airstream.
Joe Barnard and Xyla Foxlin did a Christmas tree rocket last year that flew successfully.
Quite a bit larger but the aerodynamic principles are the same.
Perhaps you can get some ideas from that:


As Daddy would say, "Trust in thrust".
 
Take your rocket and rework it to be even better. Oddrocs are a journey. Learn to take advice and learn the ways of the Jedi. A well balanced and built Xmas tree rocket will bring joy at the RSO table and range. As the Dean of the College would say; flying unstable rockets with tumble recovery for the heck of it is no way to go though life. Do some research work, learn some science and creatively mindsim a wining design. How about some presents underneath hiding a rear eject recovery system? You can do it. IT is not easy or instant gratification, but much safer and rewarding in the long run. Make the chances of it working all of the time much higher. Have the crowd awed by an interesting and successful oddroc, rather than walking away having seen another stupid oddroc disaster. Knowledge and experience is power. The real world is the school of hard knocks, so do you best to limit thier harshness. Learn the ways of the force and then fly the rockets you love.
Thank you for your advice
Maybe we got off on the wrong foot but seeming we don’t no each other that’s fair to say.
I am always open to suggestions to improve…
I don’t have an issue with that

I guess I did take your responses as criticism more than assisting
All about the delivery they say.


But thank you for the ideas
I will be sure to post some updates

Thanks
Adam
 
Thank you for your advice
Maybe we got off on the wrong foot but seeming we don’t no each other that’s fair to say.
I am always open to suggestions to improve…
I don’t have an issue with that

I guess I did take your responses as criticism more than assisting
All about the delivery they say.


But thank you for the ideas
I will be sure to post some updates

Thanks
Adam
Good...good. Learn the ways of the Jedi, join a club, there are many ways to successfuly fly a Christmas Tree. Oddrocs tend to the dark side so it is very important to be mindful of thier peculiarities. Keep up the good work and we will watch your future builds with much interest. :)
 
Good...good. Learn the ways of the Jedi, join a club, there are many ways to successfuly fly a Christmas Tree. Oddrocs tend to the dark side so it is very important to be mindful of thier peculiarities. Keep up the good work and we will watch your future builds with much interest. :)

Thank you appreciate that

This is only my second oddroc…
build
I am not one to generally build oddroc’s So I admit I have some learning to do with these . That’s the fun part

I mainly build good old kits

Take care
 
Alrighty well I saw on Amazon this mini Christmas tree for 5 bucks it’s about 15 inches tall…. For fun I thought let’s make a rocket Christmas tree! it will be a fun looking launch and a festive idea for the holidays lol so here is what I got so far
Do you have the link to the tree and is it still on sale?

Anyone interested in joining in to try the same? :) 👍
 
Anyone interested in joining in to try the same? :) 👍

'tis the season to build Christmas rockets. I can build another. If the one in this thread is no longer available, there are lots at Hobby Lobby at reasonable prices. I posted one of mine in this thread, here is another. In this case the tree was used as a nose cone.

1670443406407.png
 
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Heres the tree from Amazon.
Artificial Tabletop Holiday "Christmas Tree
https://a.co/d/dt2t0fn

It’s 3 bucks now lol
OK. I ordered one. I can see the design in my mind... what is left of it anyway! Need to decorate it, put some fins on it, and send it.

BTW: I am one who believes tumble recovery is fine. If you build it correctly, and it is odd enough (;-}) you don't need a chute and it will be even better.
 
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