Icarus - Liberty III

[SR71LGT]

Been reading the forum for a couple years but have not done a lot of posting. This winter with the COVID impact freeing up additional time to put in a new scratch project I took on one that‘s been rattling around my melon for a while. I saw “Planet Of The Apes” when I was 10 and had always liked the sleek capsule, since then many others have written, imagined, illustrated, and built dioramas of their versions of a complete rocket. This is my version, 7‘ x 5” x 8” elliptical body fitting up to the original capsule design. Power options 54mm main motor tube with a 29mm tube at each side. Had warmer temperatures today so shot the base prime coat.
Now off to fill bug holes and sand, sand, sand!

 

[kuririn]

Materials?

 

[SR71LGT]

Fiberglass half shells for capsule and main body(3 layers 2oz) PML 54mm motor tube, 1/4” 5 ply centering rings, 3/16” 3 ply nose frame and inner fins. .5 & 1.5mm G10 fin wraps & lots of cardboard and craft paper for patterns. I’ll get back to the beginning with more posts.

 

[neil_w]

Holy crap that's a piece of art. Amazing work, can't wait to see it in paint. Where the heck do the rail buttons go?

Got me thinking how one could recreate something similar with paper and balsa...

 

[Bruiser]

That is super looking! All I can really say is... WOW!

-Bob

 

[SR71LGT]

Thanks for the prop!

There are two offset button pads on the B side for mounting buttons, still going to need an 8’ rail.

I looked into 3D printed capsules and they range $200 for 9” up to $800 for a 24”, so far my experience with printing is still lots of sanding. So I purchased an older issue of Sci-Fi & Fantasy #38, 1999 that has a section titled flight of the Icarus including several decent plan and profile dimensioned drawings so I scratched the itch and formed up.

 

[SR71LGT]

Once all 4 fiberglass shells were complete capsule recessed deck and windows were laminated on the underside of the top half. After the curing cut the shell area out above the recessed windows.

 

[SR71LGT]

Tacked up the capsule fin sets(forgot to snap a pic) then cut capsule frame, centering rings, & misc plywood parts. Center holes in frame for attaching shock cord and access for optional foam down the road.

 

[SR71LGT]

Dry fit the nose capsule frame, rings & coupler, attached inside wood ribs for skins

 

[SR71LGT]

Epoxied main centering ring, forward ring and coupler gussets, then added nose cone alignment dowels using matching top body ring for support.

 

[SR71LGT]

Slotted fiberglass coupler to lock up with nose frame, 3” inserted with 1/2” lock slot. I still have 6” to slide in body tube, might need to be shortened up.

 

[neil_w]

This looks just as good on the inside as on the outside. Keep those pics coming!

Something is puzzling me. Looking at the picture of the tail:

Look like the red lines are not parallel (even taking perspective into account). Which would mean that either the tail is a cone (but I kind of doubt that) or... I dunno, the fins are quite thick with a tapered profile? What exactly is going on back there?

 

[mbeels]

Absolutely gorgeous! Really awesome craftsmanship, I love it! Wow

 

[SR71LGT]

This looks just as good on the inside as on the outside. Keep those pics coming!

Something is puzzling me. Looking at the picture of the tail:
View attachment 455066
Look like the red lines are not parallel (even taking perspective into account). Which would mean that either the tail is a cone (but I kind of doubt that) or... I dunno, the fins are quite thick with a tapered profile? What exactly is going on back there?

The fins are airfoil shaped, they have an inner 3/16” plywood fin for strength locked into the two lower centering rings. Thin profiled ribs added to form the shape then wrapped with .031 G10, the thin G10 is flexible enough to follow the profile. More pics coming in build order.

 

[SR71LGT]

The original capsule has ribbed panels on the decks forward of the windows, not to sure that I needed them but I did need weight up front so I gave them a shot, what a “PITA” and time hog. At the same time fit up capsule frame to 4” inner body tube. The 4x9 coupler and the 4x12 inner body section could be any BT material, I chose fiberglass for the weight. I’d rather have beefy‘r components than ad mass weight.

 

[SR71LGT]

BTW, extra time to post a bit this morning, 1st launch of the year scrubbed to winds and a fresh layer of snow.
While fitting up the previous parts n pieces I was also finishing the lower centering rings, fins, ribs, slicing and dicing the body skins. Main dry fit begins;

 

[tsmith1315]

That's a well-scratched itch!

 

[SR71LGT]

Before cutting one of the 54mm motors tubes to length used the dry fit for centering to layout body skin fin slots parallel with the motor tube, as Neil_w noted the angles get busy and a nasty spinner is not the goal.

 

[SR71LGT]

Still needing fine tune side cuts dry fit side ribs to lower half of body skin, then attached.

 

[SR71LGT]

While the side ribs were being attached worked up the 54mm to 4“ adapter ring and recovery attachment hardware.

 

[BABAR]

Regarding paint schemes, I kinda like the gunmetal grey look it currently has. Decals would jazz it up some, it looks like a battle cruiser already.

 

[SR71LGT]

That's a well-scratched itch!

Well said, some itches just can’t be broke!

 

[SR71LGT]

Tacked then epoxied rear rings n fin stiffener assembly, then to motor tube. Original concept (sketch below)was for 3 fins more like a tail and wings, loved the look but it hurt stability. 4 fin was the ticket and the 120 degree orientation rather than 90 improved stability even more!

 

[SR71LGT]

Roughed up and epoxied motor tube adapter and recovery loop to 4” inner BT let cure. Fast forward past numerous dry fits and tweaks, then fit up and epoxied interior tubes to lower main body skin half.

 

[SR71LGT]

Did not get pictures of the top body skin glue up, the top skin was cut a little oversize to be able to trim/sand back to bottom skin for a tight seam and edge Line. Completed a clean up sanding pass now both halves of the body firmly in place then added the fin foil rails.

 

[SR71LGT]

Regarding paint schemes, I kinda like the gunmetal grey look it currently has. Decals would jazz it up some, it looks like a battle cruiser already.

My plan was to keep this close to a sport scale as the capsule already has its classic paint scheme from all of the POTA movies. Then ad my own twist and extend the scheme on the booster.

 

[BABAR]

My plan was to keep this close to a sport scale as the capsule already has its classic paint scheme from all of the POTA movies. Then ad my own twist and extend the scheme on the booster.

That will certainly work out better than a scheme based on the PITA movies.

 

[SR71LGT]

Fastened lower capsule skin to inner frame and rings. Then beefed up the hole where the shock cord loops through in capsule frame.

 

[SR71LGT]

Fastened lower capsule skin to inner frame and rings. Then beefed up the hole where the shock cord loops through in capsule frame.

 

[SR71LGT]

Fit up main fin skins, took some time with the tapered body and airfoil profile. I’m glad 3M keeps blue tape in stock, rates right up there with sand paper as essential.
Once the skins were fit, removed them one at a time and practiced sliding them on, like stuffing an envelope in reverse. The tape held as long as I used 1” filament tape at the narrow pinch point. Next applied epoxy to the inner fin structure then spread and slid the skins on. Starting at the tip I removed the first piece of tape, spread the halves with a small flat screwdriver and added a generous bead between the skins, then leap frogged around the fin adding additional tape along the way. Between the two filament bands I left a small gap and injected epoxy (Loctite 120 Hysol with mixing tip.