Need Some New Nike Herc Ideas

[sandman]

OK, new midpower thread to help a fellow forum member with some scale questions and "temporarily" no computer.

Missleman wants me to make him a nose cone for a TLP plan pack of the Nike Hercules.

The plans call for you to use an Estes Pheonix nose cone but to add a paper cone to the tip.

This is my opinion on that...JUST DUMB!...but that's me.

OK, I can make a nose cone but...what size??

Look at the pic and tell me what you think. Best I can figure is a nose cone 10.22" long for a BT-80 (2.6" O.D.)

The tailcone is about 5.12" and is my idea. It's not called for in the plans but it looks needed to me

OK, all you scale nuts...let the opinions and ideas start to flow!

sandman

 

[Missileman]

Just to add a bit of info.
The TLP plans call for 2" tubes in the booster (4 of them) and 2.6" in the sustainer. Scale if I am right would make the TLP proportions way off. The booster tubes must be smaller or sustainer tube bigger.
The reason for no tail cone in the TLP plans is due to the method of stage coupling and chute deployment.
Also in the TLP plans the upper canard fins are even with the aft end of the nosecone. Scale puts them forward a bit with a small section of the main sustainer fins on the nosecone.
Ideas? Suggestions?

 

[sandman]

Also in the TLP plans the upper canard fins are even with the aft end of the nosecone. Scale puts them forward a bit with a small section of the main sustainer fins on the nosecone.

Personally, If the scale is that far off...I'd toss the plans and start over.

Let me work out something better.

"He tasks me" Caan, The Rath of Caan.

sandman

 

[sandman]

Quick figuring with my notepad, calculator and CAD program.

Nike/Hercules:

Nose cone - 4.7:1 ogive = 12.22" long
Upper stage body (BT-80, 2.6" O.D.) - 8.72" long
Upper tail cone - 5.8" long
Transition 3.5" long
4 booster tubes Scale works out to 1.67" but a BT-60 is 1.637")
thaey work out to11.9" to the tail.

Gee, BT-80 upper and 4 BT-60's for the booster sound pretty cool!

I may be way off here...but it sure sounds good!

sandman

 

[Johnnie]

The plan pak is sportscale only, merely resembling the Nike Hercules...

Here is my thread regarding the Launch Pad Plan Pak:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1717&highlight=nike+hercules

good luck!

 

[Silverleaf]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm *Drool* Nike Hercules.....ummmmmmmmmm....hamburger..........ummmmmmmmmmmmm...Good !

Sandman, if you'd do me a favor and PM me with the cost for the nosecone, I might ask you to create a second one for me. I adore anything scale, and this sick little puppy is way up on the "must have" list. *wink*

 

[Silverleaf]

Not sure if this will help, but its a copy from Peter Alway's old site, resized by 150 %.

 

[Missileman]

after much consideration I have determined the body tube for the sustainer needs to be 3.588" O.D
Now the problem is ,where can I find anything relatively close to that. I have been looking around and all I can find is 3" and 3.9" I even checked into shipping tubes.
Anyone have an idea?

 

[Stymye]

you could roll your own out of wood venier you just need a renforcement strip on the inside and your done. you can get the venier at most home improvement stores.

 

[Missileman]

Thats a great idea. Thanks, I think I will do just that

 

[Zippy]

sustainer needs to be 3.588" O.D

The shipping tube that my rail came in from McmasterCarr measures (as close as I can tell) 3.5625 or 3 9/16" O.D.. That probably doesn't help you much but I just thought I'd let you know they do exist. I suppose you could always write to them and ask who supplies their tubes.

 

[Missileman]

Thanks, I know the tubes are out there, it is just finding them.
My TLP Bullpup 12C has a 3.75" main tube, even that is close enough to work, but where to find them.

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

ummmmmmmmmmmmmm *Drool* Nike Hercules.....ummmmmmmmmm....hamburger..........ummmmmmmmmmmmm...Good !

Ok now if you really want to feel the rush that only a real Hercules addict can feel, check this out:

https://www.nikeproject.com/

four M1315, staging to an N2000

 

[Silverleaf]

Yeppers, have the 2 best vids from Wedge's site. When I feel the need for power, I simply turn on the Dolby 5.1 speakers to 8 (10 would blow out the windows ), and let em rip !

I've a few other favorite videos that fulfill my "need", but the 2nd vid shot further back really has the BANG when the second stage ignites. Quite an experience to feel the entire floor rattle at launch, then go quiet and then ....BLAM.


In rereading this reply, I almost feel obliged to add a WHAM and a KAWAP to make it look like an old 60's Batman show..*wink*

 

[Hospital_Rocket]

Is it just me, or does anybody else find it weird that nobody has ever kitted a mid-power Hercules? I'd easily pay 100-150 for a "real close to scale" bird that could be sent up either as a single or 2 stage configuration. Of course I would prefer a 4X cluster staging to a single. The finished model, in my safe corner of the universe, would be between 48" and 72" tall.

I asked Wedge about this earlier and here was his response

....

Andy Wormer at "What's Up Hobbies" has produced a pretty good looking kit. It stands about 7' tall and has four 38mm motors in the booster, staging to another 38mm. His website is https://www.whatsuphobbies.com/ The kit is not listed, but you can contact him for details. Wedge

I contacted Andy and the fiberglassairframe was several hundred dollars.

The dream goes on

 

[Rocketjunkie]

Burl Finkelstein has a beautiful Nike Hercules that flies on a cluster of 4 D12's to a single D12. I belive it's a TLP kit but I'm not sure.

Here's a Pic:
https://www.tripolisc.org/modules/x...ops_imageid=1307&set_albumName=album47&id=aau
and a video:
https://www.tripolisc.org/modules/xoopsgallery/cache/albums/album48/aaf.mpg

 

[sandman]

Well, missleman commisioned me to make this for him.

It's taking a lot longer than I guessed to do.

Because the upper fins are part way up the nose cone and the larger upper fin starts just below it we've come up with a two-piece nose cone.

Not that easy to do!

I have some hand sanding to do to finish it off but I think it came out OK.

The tail cone was no big deal.

Drilling out the center of the tailcone and the back end of the nose cone was really hard to do, (it's sorta like a tailcone but it mates up to the nose cone). I had some hand sanding to do to get that to fit right.

That is a BT-80 going through everything just for alignment for now. the outer diameter is 3.65" but I made it 3.7" so I have some meat for hand sanding.

I have the nose cone sections pulled apart in the pic so you can see how it goes together.

sandman

 

[Missileman]

Looks Awesome Sandman
I have talked to Andy Worner about his Herc. kit
The first thing he told me was that he would only sell to an L3.
He is worried about liability. The upper stage is ignited via a microswitch that closes at separation.
Not only is the kit WAY expensive, you also have the cost of 5 38mm motors to deal with.
I am using Apogee plan pack for scale data and TLP plan pack for staging technics as well as some patterns.
I am ending up with a 63" model with 4 24mm in the booster and 1 24mm sustainer.
It is beyond me why no one has kitted a mid power Herc. from what I have read and heard I am sure it would be a HUGE seller.

 

[Missileman]

Time to start building the Might Herc.
I am starting with the booster section.
Here you will see patterns and parts for the forward bulkhead and 2 (center rings?) to hold the 4 tubes together.
Parts are cut from 1/8" birch aircraft ply.

 

[Missileman]

This next pic is a dry fit of booster tubes and rings.
Tubes are T204 (Century) bought from BMS and cut to 16.5"

 

[Missileman]

Booster motor mounts. CRs are 1/8" ply, tubes are 24mm and E engine clips. West Sytem epoxy holds it all together.
Slit was cut 1/4" from one end of each tube. Engine clip was placed through slit and taped in place. Forward center ring was glued in place about 3/8" from end (just far enough to hold end of clip in place) aft ring was glued in place as near to end as possible, leaving just enough room for a fillet (make sure aft ring has a slot cut to allow movement of clip when loading a motor, I did this with a dremel)

 

[Missileman]

Booster forward bulkhead, opened holes to allow ejection gasses to pass into chute compartment.
This was accomplished by drilling 2 3/8" holes in each section and cleaning out in between with my dremel.

 

[Missileman]

Booster forward bulkhead, on booster with chute compartment installed.
Chute compartment is a 5" long piece of BT80
Booster tubes where glued together in the following manner.
Forward cluster ring was glued flush with end of tubes.
Aft was glued 1/4" from aft end.
8, 1/4" spacers where cut from scrap balsa and placed one at near each end of, and between tubes (these are temporary to maintain proper spacing and are removed after glue sets)
After spacers ,rings and tubes are in place and square put tape around both ends about 2" from each end. Apply glue and let set.
Note: DO NOT glue forward bulkhead in place at this time.

 

[Silverleaf]

Man, thats looking good. 8)

Nike Hercules good, following its construction on TRF, even better.

Cheers,

 

[sandman]

hehehehe!

Wait until you see the sustainer!

sandman

 

[Missileman]

Please note: I edited some of my previous post.
A friend is building another herc along with me and will be following my build so I will include as much useful info as I can.

 

[Missileman]

Rings are added to the booster transition.
Top ring is 3.25" O.D. and is placed at forward end of chute compartment tube.
The other ring is 4" O.D. and is placed 3/4" below upper ring.
Both rings are sized to fit the BT80 tube.
These rings are supports for the posterboard shrouds.

 

[Missileman]

Shrouds have been added.
I did not have a template to make the shrouds so I wrapped the poster board around the the part and trimmed to a rough fit and glued in place (lower shroud first) after glue set I trimmed of any excess and a piece of my left index finger

I left about 1/4" extra at bottom to be trimmed after installing on booster.
I am considering fiberglassing this piece after some filling and smoothing.

 

[Missileman]

Another view of the booster transition.

 

[Missileman]

Here are the pieces for the booster fins.
Cut from 1/8" balsa and poster board.
Triangular pieces will go on both root and tip edges and fins are then covered with the poster board pieces.