Project AetherOwl

[SteelyEyed]

After 5+ years of no rocket building, flying, or designing, I found some time this weekend to design a rocket... called Project AetherOwl (for now). Anyone who knows me, knows that I do not do 3 or 4 fins and a nose cone. Projects that interest me, must be unique, entertaining, and bit challenging to fabricate and build . I like modern weapons system and futuristic designs. This one is envisioned to be a hyper-velocity air superiority weapon. Maybe a US Navy or NATO Air-to-air missile. It could be the sustainer stage for a longshot weapon sytem. It is currently modeled at 48" long, 3" diameter, 8" span, zipperless baffle, dumb rocket, with a 54 mm MMT. I tend to start small, then scale up on the next one. I have not ordered any parts yet, been kind of busy lately. So it will probably only exist as RockSim data now... unless a vendor wants to kit it (it could happen).

Steely

 

[Rschub]

Very nice! I really like the detail of the strake overlapping the mid fin.

 

[rharshberger]

Nice looking rocking rocket, just what I would expect from the guy who brought us the GLR Nuclear Sledgehammer, GLR Crossbow, the Binder Devastator, and the original Top Secret. I too like the strakes they remind me of another favorite rocket of mine the Arapahoe-E for som reason.

 

[Rschub]

Thanks for that list, off to the search function!

 

[SteelyEyed]

I’m thinking about paint schemes and vinyl graphics for this design. If anyone out there is serious about building the first one, I will scale it up (or down) to your specifications, and provide the RockSim file.

 

[Aeva]

Outta curiosity, where do you get inspiration for your designs? I love designing and printing my own models, but they're still relatively basic compared to this. Definitely a goal to come up with something like this lol

 

[cwbullet]

Very nice design. I am glad to see more of your designs coming to fruition.

 

[SteelyEyed]

Very nice! I really like the detail of the strake overlapping the mid fin.

The strakes add some “texture” and realism to the design. There is also a cable race along the airframe on the side opposite the rail guides.

 

[SteelyEyed]

Outta curiosity, where do you get inspiration for your designs? I love designing and printing my own models, but they're still relatively basic compared to this. Definitely a goal to come up with something like this lol

Ha ha… I’ve been designing rockets since 1972.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/top-secret-reborn.89166/

My inspiration used to come from comic books and sci-fi movies, and transitioned to library books. Then I got a couple degrees in nuclear engineering and worked at several national laboratories. After 60+ orbits around the sun… a career in national and global security… and the rocketry hobby I love, I always have ideas rattling around between my ears.

Bret

 

[Aeva]

WOW okay... yeahhhh while I made kits as a kid, most of my design work has been as an adult.

Would you ever mind if I could get input on my designs from you? I'd love to hear what you have to say lol

 

[SteelyEyed]

Ha ha… I’ve been designing rockets since 1972.
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/top-secret-reborn.89166/

My inspiration used to come from comic books and sci-fi movies, and transitioned to library books. Then I got a couple degrees in nuclear engineering and worked at several national laboratories. After 60+ orbits around the sun… a career in national and global security… and the rocketry hobby I always have ideas rattling around between my ears.

Bret

Here’s the link I meant to post:

WOW okay... yeahhhh while I made kits as a kid, most of my design work has been as an adult.

Would you ever mind if I could get input on my designs from you? I'd love to hear what you have to say lol

I would be happy to take a look at your designs… you can start a private conversation and send them or start an open thread and have others chime in if you want to.

Bret

 

[ecargmij]

Your designs are awesome!!!!! Im going to get a nuclear crowbar and may need to get this file unless someone kits it out

 

[NTP2]

Then I got a couple degrees in nuclear engineering and worked at several national laboratories.

That is really cool, nuclear physics is a passion of mine!

Ps and you don’t hear that everyday

 

[SteelyEyed]

Your designs are awesome!!!!! Im going to get a nuclear crowbar and may need to get this file unless someone kits it out

A kit is coming... or at least there's a very high probability of a kit coming.

 

[SteelyEyed]

Your designs are awesome!!!!! Im going to get a nuclear crowbar and may need to get this file unless someone kits it out

I have many designs that have never been posted... my new favorite is below:
https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/ussf-reaper-space-defense-drone.184461/

 

[Rschub]

A kit is coming... or at least there's a very high probability of a kit coming.

The only reason I haven't worked on a version of the AetherOwl for myself is that I suspected this would be the case.

 

[Rschub]

Ahh...Well, I have no self control. 5.38 version with LOC parts and long nosecone.

 

[DragonRocketry]

A 4" dia kit of this is on the horizon. A 5.38" Dia kit may be something in the future but would only be done as a pre order and I would need a min of orders.

I will not be doing much with kits for a few weeks as I am going to be setting up to cut parachutes and recovery items. Sucks having a small shop that I can't do everything at once. After I am done with the recovery items, I will be working on this kit.

 

[Ulexis]

I NEED one.

 

[SteelyEyed]

Ahh...Well, I have no self control. 5.38 version with LOC parts and long nosecone.


View attachment 628613

How 'bout a 7.5in. Booster for it...?

 

[Rschub]

Way ahead of you. This will be my level 3 project.. probably next year.

 

[SteelyEyed]

I LIKE IT!
Similar to one of my designs... The tail cone and longer nose cone on yours looks much better.

 

[Rschub]

View attachment 628708

How 'bout a 7.5in. Booster for it...?

Staging is on my to do list.

 

[SteelyEyed]

Staging is on my to do list.

Staging was on my to do list at one time. I flew the booster (solo) with a short piece of body tube and a nose cone on top. But never got around to flying these in a two-stage configuration.

 

[SteelyEyed]

That is really cool, nuclear physics is a passion of mine!

Ps and you don’t hear that everyday

NTP2,
I was going to reply to your comment and I never got back to it. Nuclear physics as a passion… I respect that. Tell me more. Why nuclear physics? Fission? Fusion? Propulsion? Weapons? Experimental? Theoretical? Applied? Other?
What is/was your inspiration for that pursuit? Where do you plan to go to college? BS MS PhD? Where do you see yourself working down the road? Oh, and what does NTP2 stand for?

Best regards,
Bret Simpkins

 

[NTP2]

NTP2,
I was going to reply to your comment and I never got back to it. Nuclear physics as a passion… I respect that. Tell me more. Why nuclear physics? Fission? Fusion? Propulsion? Weapons? Experimental? Theoretical? Applied? Other?
What is/was your inspiration for that pursuit? Where do you plan to go to college? BS MS PhD? Where do you see yourself working down the road? Oh, and what does NTP2 stand for?

I’ll answer in order

1 it’s really cool, because it’s literally everything, every single thing is made of atoms and every other physics is what happens when they get together.

2 fission but when I was 12 I wanted to build a fusor ( got as far as designing one that should have achieved fusion)

3 propulsion/ applied also NTP stands for nuclear thermal propulsion, its what I’d most like to work on.

4 I always have loved science and I discovered it early on, I guess I just thought that it was really cool and made sense to me

5 I plan to attend Virginia tech for
Aerospace Engineering and get a BE and eventually I’d love to work with nuclear propulsion systems since I feel that they are the gateway to the planets.

 

[Handeman]

I’ll answer in order

1 it’s really cool, because it’s literally everything, every single thing is made of atoms and every other physics is what happens when they get together.

2 fission but when I was 12 I wanted to build a fusor ( got as far as designing one that should have achieved fusion)

3 propulsion/ applied also NTP stands for nuclear thermal propulsion, its what I’d most like to work on.

4 I always have loved science and I discovered it early on, I guess I just thought that it was really cool and made sense to me

5 I plan to attend Virginia tech for
Aerospace Engineering and get a BE and eventually I’d love to work with nuclear propulsion systems since I feel that they are the gateway to the planets.

Sound like a great plan. If you fly rocket projects with the VT groups, we'll see you out at BattlePark.

 

[NTP2]

Sound like a great plan. If you fly rocket projects with the VT groups, we'll see you out at BattlePark.

You getting more traffic now than NRVR is homeless?

 

[Handeman]

You getting more traffic now than NRVR is homeless?

Not really. I don't see an increase because of that field being lost. We have codified our requirements for teams to launch at our field and I think that has gone a long ways to making teams more comfortable coming to launch with us. Everyone knows what the limits are and what the expectations are. We're also closer to colleges like USNA, Rutgers, GMU, Shippensburg, and we schedule two launches a month in Feb and Mar. with a last one in April. We're expecting 6 college teams at our next launch along with lots of NASA SLI, BoTR, and ARC teams along with regular fliers. Probably 200-300 people. Expect lines at the porta-potty again.

 

[SteelyEyed]

A 4" dia kit of this is on the horizon. A 5.38" Dia kit may be something in the future but would only be done as a pre order and I would need a min of orders.

I will not be doing much with kits for a few weeks as I am going to be setting up to cut parachutes and recovery items. Sucks having a small shop that I can't do everything at once. After I am done with the recovery items, I will be working on this kit.

I am really looking forward to a new design that I don’t have to fabricate all the parts myself… that will be fun.