Mars Lander - Scratch Built - 3" Nominal Diameter

[lakeroadster]

Launch Lug and Spool Modification

Notched the spool rear centering for the Kevlar shock chord. This will allow routing the Kevlar from the external lugs down into the spool.​

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[lakeroadster]

Foot Pads

A new pair of shoes..... I cut these on the wood lathe and then drilled (3) 3/8" dia. Forstener bit holes in each pad for the legs / struts.​

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And that last couple of days of snowfall really filled up Mt. Princeton. That likely means some quality launch time ahead.

 

[lakeroadster]

Photo Shoot

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[BABAR]

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And that last couple of days of snowfall really filled up Mt. Princeton. That likely means some quality launch time ahead.

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How many birds do you have ready for maiden flights?

 

[lakeroadster]

How many birds do you have ready for maiden flights?

14 20 ish Last years burn bans have really put me behind. ​

 

[BABAR]

14 ish Last years burn bans have really put me behind. ​

Gonna be a busy day!

Do you preload your birds (wadding when needed, chutes, motors sans igniters) at home before heading to launch site?

 

[lakeroadster]

Gonna be a busy day!

Do you preload your birds (wadding when needed, chutes, motors sans igniters) at home before heading to launch site?

Motors, yes. Chutes, maybe. I reuse a lot of the chutes, they're all in disconnect swivels.​

 

[lakeroadster]

Updated As Built OpenRocket Simulation with Recovery Anchors

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[BABAR]

Hadn't thought about the foot pads, I'm guessing the help out the CP a good bit. Also suspect the cost a bit of altiitude, but it's a SPORT ROCKET.

 

[lakeroadster]

Swing Test... Verdict: Stable

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[BABAR]

Swing Test... Verdict: Stable

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Stable VLEO* achieved!

No hesitation on that one at all.


*VLEO Very Low Earth Orbit

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

More like LRO

As in, LakeRoadster Orbit

 

[lakeroadster]

Spar Urethane Gloss

Bought a quart of Spar Urethane Gloss ($22 ) and applied a couple coats to the Mars Lander.​

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[lr64]

That bright wood finish could almost justify a steampunk treatment, though I'm not actually into steampunk. Will look good either way. On the next one, I suppose it would be destructive to use wood from a bonsai that's at the same scale as your model. Just to get the grain on the right scale. ;-)

 

[BABAR]

Spar Urethane Gloss

Bought a quart of Spar Urethane Gloss ($22 ) and applied a couple coats to the Mars Lander.​

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How does it do for grain filling?

 

[lakeroadster]

How does it do for grain filling?

Pretty good. Keep in mind though, there's no Balsa or Basswood, it's all pine.​

 

[Daddyisabar]

Who needs expensive hardwoods like balsa when the backyard is full of pine. Money better spent on BIGGER MOTORS!

 

[lakeroadster]

High Temperature Paint

Shot some Rustoleum High Temperature Paint on the tube extension and centering ring that will get the brunt of the ejection charge.​

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[lr64]

Who needs expensive hardwoods like balsa when the backyard is full of pine. Money better spent on BIGGER MOTORS!

Some people's back yards are full of paulownia.

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For people who haven't heard of it, paulownia is very light, comparable to the balsa that Guillow used to put in some of their die-crunched plane kits, and is invasive in certain parts of the USA. It grows very fast. There are other places where it's a native tree. Plant one in your back yard, wait a couple or three years, and you will have a lifetime supply of model rocket wood.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Some people's back yards are full of paulownia.

So lucky to live where the paulownia wood grows. A solid paulownia Mars Lander would be something launched at 8,800 feet above sea level in a drag race with the heavy high country pine that takes forever to grow. Maybe it could fly on an F15 at that altitude?

 

[lakeroadster]

Decals

Installed the decals. Just need to seal it up now with some clear.​

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[Daddyisabar]

Decals

Installed the decals. Just need to seal it up now with some clear.​

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It has that 60's to 70's Colorado Mountain gift shop look that certainly appeals to childhood memories of this present day old dude. My inner child is tugging on mommy's skirt saying "I WANT THAT ONE!" No dear, mommy says, the space toy is too expensive. How about that little treasure box with an Estes Park decal on it? I still have that box, but now I can have the space toys too!

 

[lakeroadster]

It has that 60's to 70's Colorado Mountain gift shop look...

It really does....​

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

Gonna call it the Mars Woodlander?

Funny, seeing this made me think that someone needs to make a rocket out of kitchen implements and call it the Mars Colander.

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

By the way, you’re on the cutting edge of a trend with this model:

Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry unveil world's first wooden satellite
Conventional satellites pose air pollution risks due to metal particles generated during reentry.
Wooden satellites, which burn up upon reentry, are expected to mitigate this effect.

 

[Daddyisabar]

Wooden Rockets, Iron Men!