K-50 Interceptor Upscale

[sandman]

I have been commisioned to start on a new project for another Forum member.

This is my most ambitious single project yet.

A 196% Upscale Astron Interceptor!

Particulars:

T-80H heavy weight 2.6" body tube 34" long (this posed a minor problem because the body tube needs to be 35.32" long.

Since the nose cone has a straight section I am going to add 1.32" to the back end of the nose cone.

Nose cone total length is 18.60" with the shoulder...gotta use the BIG lathe for this one!

I will have to do a bit of "carving for the cockpit.

The proper scale for the fin pods is 1.09" but I'm going with a BT-50 and will turn the four pieces for that.

The tailcone is rather simple and will be bored for a 29mm motor mount.

These plans are fairly complete but unfortunatly it loses something when I show it here as a jpeg instead of the original CAD drawing.

We will keep you guys posted on this thing.

 

[flying_silverad]

Was there any way to make two sections and join it in the middle with a coupler? (To get your opt length)

 

[KarlD]

Wow Sandman,

I remember my orginal from the early seventys...Sadly long gone.

This will be testament to your fine crafting skills!

 

[jetra2]

When's this gonna be a kit?

Just Kiddin', Sandman! I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

Jason

 

[sandman]

Was there any way to make two sections and join it in the middle with a coupler?

I thought of that but I only need 1.32" more and it was easier (and cheaper) to just add it to the nose cone straight section.

 

[Habu]

Sand man,
Are you going to make a casting of the nose cone?
Even if you decided not to make a kit, the nose cone by itself would be great...
Just thinking out loud

 

[Micromeister]

My K50 upscale is on hold til I clear some room to fab the foam/3/64" laminated wings, tail and strakes. Maybe this winter.

What are you using for power, mrcluster is going with a 4- D12 cluster Heres where I am, well have been since last year;
Body/motor mount stuffer: Done
Nose cone: Turned
Canopy: done
Wing Pods: Turned
soooooo many rocket so little time

 

[sandman]

This will be roughly a 2x upscale at 196% at 54" long.

That's big enough.

One of the things I would like to do is carve all the panel lines into the model...but that part makes me nervous...

It will be powered by a single 29mm motor

A 3x upscale is a BT101 and would be 81" long. That's over 6 feet long!

Heck, I'll be supprised if this thing doesn't get damaged in the car on the way to the flying field!

 

[flying_silverad]

Hope you post some pics. I predict this might be a huge thread when all is said and done.
Can't wait to watch you tackle that canopy. depending on the outlines, you might also be able to "glue" on some frame details as opposed to carving them "into" the cone. Keep us posted.

 

[KarlD]

Originally posted by jetra2
When's this gonna be a kit?

Just Kiddin', Sandman! I can't wait to see how this one turns out.

Jason

Come-on...

You were not kidding.

What a kit!

 

[KarlD]

Originally posted by sandman
This will be roughly a 2x upscale at 196% at 54" long.

That's big enough.

One of the things I would like to do is carve all the panel lines into the model...but that part makes me nervous...

It will be powered by a single 29mm motor

A 3x upscale is a BT101 and would be 81" long. That's over 6 feet long!

Heck, I'll be supprised if this thing doesn't get damaged in the car on the way to the flying field!

A work of art that big and pretty should get it's own trailer to transport it to the site.

 

[JStarStar]

Originally posted by KarlD
A work of art that big and pretty should get it's own trailer to transport it to the site.

For sure!! I always loved my original K-50, I still shake my fist and curse every time I drive by the Jackson Space Center (where my original model was lost in the trees in 1994 )

The Interceptor may have been Estes' coolest-looking kit ever. I am still convinced that George Lucas based the X-Wing fighter in Star Wars almost completely on the Interceptor.


The base K-50 model is based on BT-55, on other threads I saw nice Mini-Interceptor versions on BT-50 and maybe on BT-20... probably a real cool D/E powered BT-60 model at 124% wouldn't be too hard to do...


I have the Moldin' Oldies clone parts, and an Estes CC Express kit, which supposedly is all I need to bash my own clone, so as soon as I get done with my Saturn Press and Zooch Saturns, I'll put my Interceptor together over the winter .... should be a big hit next spring. But NOT NEAR THE TREES!!!!

 

[sandman]

Were you thinking of this one???

This was a BT-20 sized kit that flys on 13mm motors I sold out of more than a year ago.

Everything you see in the pic came with it...including the display boosters and varnished base!

https://www.rocketryforum.com/attachment.php?s=&postid=21286

 

[JStarStar]

Hmmm. Mighta been. I forgot where the other thread was, but it was fairly recent, less than a week ago I think... somebody had a pic of a smaller Interceptor. Didn't look quite as small as a BT-20, so I'd guess BT-50.

Whosever thread it was, forgive me for losing track of it....

That BT-20 one there looks pretty cool too.

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by sandman
I thought of that but I only need 1.32" more and it was easier (and cheaper) to just add it to the nose cone straight section.

Ya should have said something sandman, I've got a few 2.6" BT-80 x 36" long tube left. that's what the body on my up scale is also. We had 500 made awhile back. I'm down to less then 20;(

Your right the 3X lable is a mistake...ment to make it 2X, just a little eaiser then saying 1.9622 up-scale

Were you possibly thinking of my .281" dia 4.71x downscale micro-Maxx version?

Anyway sandman if your not to far along, I'd be happy to get you a 36" bt-80 some sort of way...let me know.

 

[sandman]

Micro,

Thanks but I've already ordered the T-80H heavy duty tube from Totally Tubular and I'll be picking it up tomorrow.

I did find the old pic...really bad...taken with my old camers. of my Miniceptor (BT-20 version) and the 1/4" Micro Maxx version.

So John, your fingers are as fat as mine, how long did it take you to do your decals on the MMX version?

Mine took me about 3 hours!

 

[wwattles]

I don't remember what the exact scaling on it was, but Andy Woerner did a fairly large one a few months ago. It was back when I was first getting into the hobby/sport/obsession, so I didn't have much of an eye for sizes. From what I recall, it was about 8 feet in length. Huge thing, and darn impressive to watch!

WW

 

[sandman]

I forgot to post the pic last time!

Here is my BT-20 version and my MMX version.

 

[graylensman]

Originally posted by KarlD
A work of art that big and pretty should get it's own trailer to transport it to the site.

No, it needs to roll in on its own launch rack, with the display booster strapped beneath it.

...with the extreme popularity of this rocket, and the high geek-level of the hobbyists involved, has anybody ever worked out a "future history" for the Interceptor, similar to what's been done with the AMT <i>Lief Ericksson</i> plastic kit? Just curious.

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by sandman
Micro,

Thanks but I've already ordered the T-80H heavy duty tube from Totally Tubular and I'll be picking it up tomorrow.

I did find the old pic...really bad...taken with my old camers. of my Miniceptor (BT-20 version) and the 1/4" Micro Maxx version.

So John, your fingers are as fat as mine, how long did it take you to do your decals on the MMX version?

Mine took me about 3 hours!

At very least 3 hours, but than again it takes about that long on the full size with ALL those darn decals.

Speaking of decals, I'll have to go back to the job jacket but I think I have the decals upscaled for printing on 8.5 x 14 decal paper. If I do I'll e-mail them to you.
Heres a little better 4pic pg of the micro-interceptor

 

[North Star]

I have the NCR/Estes Interceptor G and it's always been a favourite, though it isn't a true upscale. I also have one of Ray Dunakin's (Hako Ballistics) 4" Argosy nosecones and this got me thinking - it's not really that much different to the Interceptor nose cone - Is it?? (and I glassed two lengths of 4" PML last year for a design that never got built .. Hmmmmmm)

 

[kelltym88]

This will be a much watched thread indeed!! If you are looking to clone your own Interceptor here is a link to a guy named Mike Schmidt who has cast the original size NC, pods, and tailcone. He does excellent work. I ordered just the NC for my Vindicator clone and he sent me 2. Hmmm, I have an extra one.....
https://moldinoldies.rocketshoppe.com/interceptor_parts.htm



Here's a link of a someones Interceptor upscale. I don't know who he is or what the scale is, I just remeber seeing it on this site.
https://www.rocstock.org/rsxix/p2368_big.jpg


If this link doesn't work here's the link to the main site, Rocketry Orginization of California:https://www.rocstock.org/index.html

 

[OKTurbo]

I'm not the original requestor for Sandman's Interceptor upscale parts, but I've talked ($$ ) him into carving some up for me too.

This is a project I've been thinking about it for a long time.

Here is a picture that has inspired me....

 

[sandman]

The nose cone is finished...on the lathe.

This was the easy part.

Well...easy for me.

 

[sandman]

Now this is how I mounted that really long 18.6" hunk of balsa onto my lathe.

At the Headstock (drive end) is a bowl plate, attached to it are 3 layers of 1/2" ply all glued together. This is then glued (I use Gorrilla glue and it works GREAT!) to the balsa.

I also glue a little piece seen in the first pic to the tailstock.

This took a lot of experimenting to get the stock attached properly.

 

[sandman]

OK, now this is the really hard part.

I have to use BOTH sides of my brain to figure this out.

 

[sandman]

This is harder to do that you would think!

You have to think three dimensionally.

 

[OKTurbo]

"This is harder to do that you would think!"

Oh....I don't ~think~ it's hard.....I KNOW it's hard. That's why you're doing it.

Looks great Gordon.

I'm in Wilmington DE on business all next week. Maybe there will be a little "present" for me when I get home!

John

 

[kelltym88]

You da man!!!! That looks awesome! I may want one.

 

[sandman]

I still have to finish the cockpits the tail cones and the fin tip pods.

The cockpit is very time consuming.

I'm doing it slow so I don't mess it up...it's not much balsa but I don't want to have to start over again.

I've finished some drawings for the tailcone bump thingys and an upscale fin alignment guide for the Interceptor.