Open truss gussets for the Estes Solar Sailer

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

I did a little experimenting with stripwood this afternoon in an attempt to build a "gusset" for the Solar Sailer that's an actual truss instead of solid balsa with decals pretending to be trusses. Here's how I did it:

Materials:
- 1/32 x 1/8 basswood
- 1/16 x 3/32 balsa or basswood
- 1/16 square balsa or basswood

1. In the original design, the gussets are two pieces of 1/16 balsa laid end to end. Using the fin patters as a guide, cut a 1/32 x 1/8 strip the length of the fully-assembled gusset. This is the bottom chord of the truss.



2. Cut two more strips of 1/32 x 1/8 equal in length to form the top chord of the truss. Cut the ends at an angle so that they'll butt up against each other.



Make a duplicate set of the top and bottom chord pieces, and set them aside for later.

3. We're going to use the decal sheet as our template. Put waxed paper over the decal sheet and place them on a work surface that you can stick pins into. (Mine is a small cork bulletin board.) Select one of the decal images and pin the bottom chord in place just touching the bottom of the black "openings" on the decal. There should be about 9/16 of an inch of the bottom chord sticking out beyond either end of the decal.



4. Set the two top chord pieces in place on the top of the decal image. The outer ends will line up with the ends of the bottom chord. Once you have everything aligned, butt-glue the two top chord parts together and add some 1/16 square strip to the upper edges. You should overlap the joints at the top for added strength.



5. Put another 1/16 strip along the bottom of the bottom chord. Next, make the vertical truss pieces from 1/16 x 3/16 strip. Cut them to fit and just lay them in over the verticals in the decal image. Add two more pieces to fill in the space between the last black "panel" in the decal and the ends of the truss.



6. Make the diagonals using 1/16 square strip.



7. Finish up by gluing on the second set of 1/32 x 1/8 chord pieces.



The finished piece is light but sturdy, and visually impressive.



It's also about 1/8 inch taller than the original gusset design. When I go to build my Solar Sailer, I'll probably make fairings from 1/8 balsa to carry the line of the top chord into the adjoining BT-50.

 

[Rocketbuilder]

Wow, that looks great! Do you build model ships, or something similar?

 

[Madison Alum]

Those look neat! You have a far steadier hand and much more patience than I do. What color are you going to paint them?

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

Do you build model ships, or something similar?

I have some experience with 1/2400 wargame ships, and model railroading, and a little tissue-and-balsa model airplane building.

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

Those look neat! You have a far steadier hand and much more patience than I do. What color are you going to paint them?

The finished product looks like it's a lot more work than it really is. Tool me about a half hour once I'd worked out how to do it.

They'll be white, same as the original design.

 

[jazzviper1]

Great job on the trusses.
On the original they are supposed to solar panels hence the black.

 

[Leo]

I did a little experimenting with stripwood this afternoon in an attempt to build a "gusset" for the Solar Sailer that's an actual truss instead of solid balsa with decals pretending to be trusses. Here's how I did it:

.....

That looks great

Looking forward to the finished rocket.

 

[Leo]

Great job on the trusses.
On the original they are supposed to solar panels hence the black.

I must say I never thought of those being solar panels but as struts.

To me the "solar" portion of the rocket is the Mylar parachute as being a huge solar collector.

 

[Cookie the Dog's Owner]

The build thread for the whole rocket is here.

 

[modeltrains]

I have some experience with 1/2400 wargame ships, and model railroading, and a little tissue-and-balsa model airplane building.

It shows, cool