Poll: Scratchbuilt, Kitbuilt, Kit Bash

[Chris TNR]

I guess I'm just curious to see what type of building the majority of rocket enthusiasts are doing these days........

After you have posted your choice on the poll, tell us about the rocket your currently building.....maybe with some pics too!

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Chris Emich
NAR #84102
TNRocketry
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[jraice]

I would say my own scratch built design. It is much cheaper to build (I have a lot of components already) and you dont have wasted items if you "upgrade" say the recovery system for example. I have never built a scale model but it doesnt interest me a whole lot. A kit bash would be fun, I have yet to do a serious one (just made a storm caster for F's and G's)... but I plan on making one pretty soon actually, I got some holiday cash, and I have almost nothing to do this weekend. My CF rocket is sitting there saying build me build me but I cant because I have to design the drop away booster system first. So I plan on going to the hobby store and picking out an estes rocket to kitbash for 29/180 loads, maybe some slightly larger 29mm loads as well.

 

[fyrechaser]

I voted scratch of my own design. Desined and scratch built my L1 and L2 birds, and will do the same for my L3. When I build a kit, it always winds up so modified that it's hard to tell it was ever a kit....go figure! So now I just scratch build.

 

[fyrechaser]

My L1, made from 3" mailing tube from Office Depot.

 

[fyrechaser]

oops.....forgot the picture! duh!

 

[fyrechaser]

My L2 scracth built. Core Sample Sally

 

[Chris TNR]

quote:
Originally posted by fyrechaser
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Desined and scratch built my L1 and L2 birds, and will do the same for my L3. When I build a kit, it always winds up so modified that it's hard to tell it was ever a kit....go figure! So now I just scratch build.
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Right there with ya on this one Jim. That's pretty much the same way I went too. I'll probably still build a kit again somewhere down the road, but as for now (with my L3 project on the bench) I'll be doing a lot of scratchbuilding.

The Air Mail sure is purrrdddy........

-Chris

 

[fyrechaser]

My most recent builds are right here:

https://www.rocketdreemz.com/rocket_dreemz_011.htm

A 4"X84" project for K motors, and a 5.5"X 80" airstart for 4 x 38mm. 2 J's to 2 I's. The airstart is still in progress.

 

[adrian]

How about: all of the above?

I have done some kit-bashing and even built the occasional kit as stock, but almost all my rockets these days are scratch-built. On balance, most of those are scale, or at least approximate scale.

Most recent scale model: detailed towards the end of this thread. Yes, it is a scale model, about 1:1 scale - it's Paisley Rocketeers' Research Rocket 1, alias RR-1.

The next scratch-build of my own design that I want to try is shown in this thread - effectively an inside-out tube-fin rocket.

And the next scratch-build scale model I want to try is Sea Dart.

 

[Rocketmaniac]

Originally posted by adrian
How about: all of the above?

That's would be my vote... but of the choices available scratch with my design...

 

[jraice]

I would say the only time I would get a kit is for MPR. As said above, you modify it so much that it isnt really a kit... But occasionally it is fun to build a MPR bird (even if you already have some of the parts the kit consists of) just because you dont have to make anything by hand. Like cutting fins and rings... You can just sit down and finish it in a day or two.

 

[geof]

Here are the most recent dozen or so. Looks like about 60/40 in favor of scratch, with a few oddball cases. --Geof

Scratch:
Darkmatter Driftship (futuristic intersecting-ring-fin; see EMRR)
Titan Interceptor (futuristic; EMRR)
Moonship (retro-futuristic stubby; EMRR)
Sapphire Queen (futuristic ring fin and canard ring; EMRR)
Needle (4 feet of 13mm BT with fins smaller than your baby fingernail)
Tsuru (75% finished; futuristic fighter-jet style with soft curves instead of angles)
Thorn (design phase, please help!; see https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23069 )

Mods/Kitbash/Etc:
2 Fat (D12-0 to E9-4 staged Fat Boy mod; great flier!; see EMRR)
Groovy Katt (huge scratch 2.9x upscale of Delta Katt; repairing problems after first flight)
Cloud Hopper ("retro kitbash" by Excelsior Rocketry)

Kits:
Thug (anxiously awaiting warmer weather for colorshifting paint; Binder Design)
Nomad (Kudos to Jim for fantistic kit with great flights! Fliskits)
Deltie Airshow (cool but finicky; Edmonds Aerospace)
Ecee Thunder (some shards remain in Earth's mantle after first "flight"; Edmonds Aerospace)

Next:
Talon 2 (shipped today; Giant Leap)
Corona 2 (Fliskits; waiting since July...I can't give my money to them fast enough!)
some MPR V2 kit (maybe Mountainside Hobbies?)

 

[loojack]

Yes to all I've done all of them and enjoyed all....Loojack
Isn't that special!!!

 

[Fore Check]

Would upscaling other rockets be scratch/scale?

 

[Chris TNR]

quote:
Originally posted by Fore Check
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Would upscaling other rockets be scratch/scale?
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That's an excellent question Fore Check! If you upscale a rocket that either yourself or someone else designed, would that still be a true Scale scratchbuilt rocket? My answer would be yes. Technically, you would still be doing the same work (measurement conversions, layout, cutting, glassing, sanding, etc.) as you would in building an upscaled established rocket (Air Force, Navy, NASA, Boeing)
Therefore.............................Absolutely!!



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-Chris
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[Micromeister]

While I have several hundred "built" kits from long ago, and a ton of kits sitting in boxes, on peg boeards and around the house I can't remember the last "kit" I've built.
I spend just about all my time downscaleing Classics for the past, Scale modeling or Odd-Rocs. Mostly Micro over the last 5 or 6 year but some UPscales also I believe the last model finished was a Micro Falcon BG

 

[cls]

again, wish the poll had a few more options. what should I put for this: we do lots of kits, lots of scratch, upscaling and downscaling, very very little kit-bashing.

 

[Chris TNR]

LOL..........Cliff, although it sounds like you have an interest in building all types of rockets (which is way cool), I have to put it back to you by saying, "Which type of rocket do you "Prefer" to build?
Operative word here is: Prefer

-Chris

 

[TheRadiator]

No preference!

No button!!!