Just call me a Conehead...

[Sooner Boomer]

I've been playing with cone rockets since the early 70's when Estes(?) came out with theirs. I also contend the the "Birdie" was a form of cone rocket.

Here's my newest one (completed, there's still another under construction). It's a Christmas Tree from Hobby Lobby. I guess the easiest way to think of it is as a covering over a spool rocket, that's how it works. I put launch lugs on the outside of this one, the bigger (29mm motor) will be tube-launched.



The inside "spool"



I drilled holes in the base, glued "T" nuts in. I ran the screws through, then jammed two nuts together with a drop of CA to keep the screws from coming out.



Inside the cone with the nose weight and recovery harness glued in



...and what it looks like all put together. I decided to notch out where the seam is.



With a splash of color



I sealed the top of the cone with CA to harden it, and of course it immediatly fell over. I'm still picking fibers from the couch out of the tip.

It should fly this weekend. I'll get back with a range report.

 

[teepot]

I've used those paper mache cone as nose cones before.

 

[cwbullet]

I love cone rockets. Great idea.

 

[shockie]

I've been playing with cone rockets since the early 70's when Estes(?) came out with theirs. I also contend the the "Birdie" was a form of cone rocket.

Here's my newest one (completed, there's still another under construction). It's a Christmas Tree from Hobby Lobby. I guess the easiest way to think of it is as a covering over a spool rocket, that's how it works. I put launch lugs on the outside of this one, the bigger (29mm motor) will be tube-launched.

View attachment 459862

The inside "spool"

View attachment 459863

I drilled holes in the base, glued "T" nuts in. I ran the screws through, then jammed two nuts together with a drop of CA to keep the screws from coming out.

View attachment 459864

Inside the cone with the nose weight and recovery harness glued in

View attachment 459865

...and what it looks like all put together. I decided to notch out where the seam is.

View attachment 459866

With a splash of color

View attachment 459867

I sealed the top of the cone with CA to harden it, and of course it immediatly fell over. I'm still picking fibers from the couch out of the tip.

It should fly this weekend. I'll get back with a range report.

I agree that a Birdie is a kind of conical rocket.

 

[mjennings]

Is the conehead from France?
Couldn't resist the easy joke cool looking rocket.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Oh my gosh, you can poke your eye out with that!

 

[Sooner Boomer]

I flew the little cone on Sunday. I have mixed feelings. Ot went up to 50-75 feet and started skywriting; several loops under power. The recovery was perfect. I think I'm going to rebuild the motor mount and centering rings, trying to get everything as centered and aligned as possible. I think the design is good, I blame myself for not making it work.