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- Mar 24, 2022
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This is an idea I had kicking around for a while. I started with the thought, "I've never seen a rocket with a unicorn horn nosecone". I initially planned to develop it into a kit I could sell a few copies of at LDRS this year, but life got in the way I then I just didn't want to. Not a build thread because I didn't really document anything. I used the same methods I used to create my downscaled Nuclear Crowbar, so see that thread if interested in the nuts and bolts.
I finalized the design back in January. After settling on the design of the nose cone, I decided to lean into the theme and try to figure out how to make a rocket that might appeal to girls. And what goes together with unicorns better than rainbows?
I actually built and painted the rocket side-by-side with the Nuclear Crowbar (it's cropped out of a few shots), but it sat with the ombre paint job until this week when I decided I really wanted to get it in the air before the end of our season this weekend. I kept putting off painting the rainbow fins because I wasn't sure on the colors I wanted to use, and how I was going to mask the colors. I settled on 3 colors fairly early, red, yellow, and something. I wanted blue, but I already had the light blue. I chose purple, but then mixed some dark blue into it since the purple I had was more lavender, and it really just ended up the dark blue you see on the final product. I freehanded the arcs, figuring it looks more whimsical (and is easier). I just used some acrylics to paint it on, the yellow only required one coat, but red and blue/purple needed 3 each before they looked solid.
For the nose cone, I just searched google for "Fusion 360 unicorn horn" and found a good tutorial. Added a base and rounded out the point, it came together pretty quickly. Initially I printed the nose cone out in black PLA and painted gold, but the final cone I ended up using was printed in gold Silk PLA. Everyone who's seen it has asked the same 2 questions, "Does it make the rocket spin?" and "Where can I get one?".
I wish I had some glitter paint to finish it off, but I sadly don't. It still looks great in the sun though.
I only did the one launch this year, on a B6-4. It was a boringly nominal flight. Sadly, the twist on the cone isn't enough to induce a spin. I may test it out on a rocket with a spincan, which may make a difference.
View attachment Vid 20241019 122238328.mp4
If anyone is interested in building one, I've attached the (rough) Rocksim, nose cone STL, and Fusion 360/Lightburn files. The STL is for a BT55 rocket, but the shoulder is designed to fit inside a BT55 coupler, if you don't plan to make it like that, you'll have to modify the F360 file. The Fusion files were made back in January when I was a lot worse at Fusion, so please don't judge me too harshly, my workflow has improved.
I finalized the design back in January. After settling on the design of the nose cone, I decided to lean into the theme and try to figure out how to make a rocket that might appeal to girls. And what goes together with unicorns better than rainbows?
I actually built and painted the rocket side-by-side with the Nuclear Crowbar (it's cropped out of a few shots), but it sat with the ombre paint job until this week when I decided I really wanted to get it in the air before the end of our season this weekend. I kept putting off painting the rainbow fins because I wasn't sure on the colors I wanted to use, and how I was going to mask the colors. I settled on 3 colors fairly early, red, yellow, and something. I wanted blue, but I already had the light blue. I chose purple, but then mixed some dark blue into it since the purple I had was more lavender, and it really just ended up the dark blue you see on the final product. I freehanded the arcs, figuring it looks more whimsical (and is easier). I just used some acrylics to paint it on, the yellow only required one coat, but red and blue/purple needed 3 each before they looked solid.
For the nose cone, I just searched google for "Fusion 360 unicorn horn" and found a good tutorial. Added a base and rounded out the point, it came together pretty quickly. Initially I printed the nose cone out in black PLA and painted gold, but the final cone I ended up using was printed in gold Silk PLA. Everyone who's seen it has asked the same 2 questions, "Does it make the rocket spin?" and "Where can I get one?".
I wish I had some glitter paint to finish it off, but I sadly don't. It still looks great in the sun though.
I only did the one launch this year, on a B6-4. It was a boringly nominal flight. Sadly, the twist on the cone isn't enough to induce a spin. I may test it out on a rocket with a spincan, which may make a difference.
View attachment Vid 20241019 122238328.mp4
If anyone is interested in building one, I've attached the (rough) Rocksim, nose cone STL, and Fusion 360/Lightburn files. The STL is for a BT55 rocket, but the shoulder is designed to fit inside a BT55 coupler, if you don't plan to make it like that, you'll have to modify the F360 file. The Fusion files were made back in January when I was a lot worse at Fusion, so please don't judge me too harshly, my workflow has improved.
