Design Insprations

[Rob Caswell]

I’m hoping that this can grow into an on-going thread. I’m not sure about you, but I have a steadily fattening folder of “rocketry design inspiration” ideas. I’m ALWAYS on the look for out for something to spark my rocket design fire, be it sci-fi or real space. I’m sure I’m not the only one.

Well… I HOPE I’m not.

In any case, I’ll try to get this campfire lit with a couple of my own recent finds. I hope others will also post regularly with stuff they find inspiring. It need not even be a complete design – maybe you just like a given feature in an image.

OK. Holding my nose and diving in. I hope you’ll join me?!

 

[David Schwantz]

Ok, where are they??

 

[Rob Caswell]

A project that's recent caught my eye is the X-60. It's smallish hypersonic demonstrator/test bed and the first commercial entry into the X-Plane pantheon. It has something of a Tomahawk cruise missile vibe to it, with a kid of unique configuration of aerodynamic surfaces on the back end.

 

[Rob Caswell]

I'm a total aerial target drone junkie - in part because of their usually striking orange paint schemes, but even moreso because of their interesting shapes.

 

[Rob Caswell]

And then, of course, there's Frank Tinsley's work which has already inspired the Mars Snooper, along with (it appears) the M.A.V.

 

[teepot]

I have a file holder with ideas and future plans I have drawn. I also have a file folder of all the rockets I've built over the last three years. I use graph paper, a drafting ruler and pencil to do my designs. That folder has plans for about 170 rockets. I could take a picture of some different designs and the finished model if you want.

 

[Rob Caswell]

The Japanese ASM-3 antiship missile has some interesting features.... so it's either a good scale subject, OR you can apply some of it's cooler bits to an original design.

 

[Rob Caswell]

I have a file holder with ideas and future plans I have drawn. I also have a file folder of all the rockets I've built over the last three years. I use graph paper, a drafting ruler and pencil to do my designs. That folder has plans for about 170 rockets. I could take a picture of some different designs and the finished model if you want.

Sure - however/whatever you wanna share is great!

 

[Cape Byron]

Design inspiration is everywhere.

Recently this...



Became this...



And this...

https://www.rocketryforum.com/attachments/1124210802-1-jpg.491449/
Photo credit @kuririn of his Beta test build.

Inspiration is everywhere, Grasshopper.

 

[Rob Caswell]

Inspiration is everywhere, Grasshopper.

Oh, I fully agree!!!☺

 

[bjphoenix]

I try to keep a list of designs I might want to build. I don't find many modern LPR kits that appeal to me, and the older classic kits are too difficult to find.

 

[Rob Caswell]

Squirrel Works showed a number of interesting prototypes, some years ago, that never made it to production (so far):

 

[Rob Caswell]

I always found this image inspiring due to the colors and funky fin/aerosurfaces.

 

[Joshua Smith]

Squirrel Works showed a number of interesting prototypes, some years ago, that never made it to production (so far):

These are all quite cool. The last one, with the 4 long orthogonal fins, seems like it might be cool to have split near the motor mount and have the top "fuselage" come down on a streamer and have the fin section come down as tumbler/spinner/copter. Very breakable, but very cool