More experience needed!
As a kid, I loved spaceships or airplane rockets. My Estes NASA X-16 being my favorite (no idea what happened to them after I left home).
Anyhow, I also love experiments. I installed OpenRocket today but I'd also like to learn some quick rules. I prefer building versus sitting in of the computer (as I already do that for work!)
From my recent gap of 3 decades, I don't remember tube fins from the 80s.
I love the idea of adding tube fins to existing 3 and 4 fin rocket cheapo kits as they are instant hyperspace/jet engines. What's a good rule of thumb for the CP CG change when adding more fins? Weigh the additional fins and put those grams as clay in the nose cone? I suspect I need to add the tubes in a balanced nature, with -, X, or + configuration.
I also prefer shorter rockets to longer rockets. If I cut a body tube in half, weigh the "discard" and put those grams as clay in the nose cone?
i like the idea of "wing" fins. Those are 2 fins that stick out at 180 degrees from one another. Does it matter much if there are "extra" *side ways* fins added to an existing design? Do I simply weigh them and add those as grams of clay to the nose cone?
One clever design trick I've noticed is T shaped fins. Instantly more space plane like. If one takes a 4 fin design and move the top and bottom fins out (some surface area)?
I bought a cheap keyring camera that stripped down like the Astrocam. I've taped it to the top of the body tube but it caused the rockets to veer. Is there a way to minimize that? Or simply put in the biggest motor?
How can I add a canopy for the plane? I could paint it on obviously, but it would be neat to carve a balsa one. Will that make it veer?
thanks for the wisdom!
As a kid, I loved spaceships or airplane rockets. My Estes NASA X-16 being my favorite (no idea what happened to them after I left home).
Anyhow, I also love experiments. I installed OpenRocket today but I'd also like to learn some quick rules. I prefer building versus sitting in of the computer (as I already do that for work!)
From my recent gap of 3 decades, I don't remember tube fins from the 80s.
I love the idea of adding tube fins to existing 3 and 4 fin rocket cheapo kits as they are instant hyperspace/jet engines. What's a good rule of thumb for the CP CG change when adding more fins? Weigh the additional fins and put those grams as clay in the nose cone? I suspect I need to add the tubes in a balanced nature, with -, X, or + configuration.
I also prefer shorter rockets to longer rockets. If I cut a body tube in half, weigh the "discard" and put those grams as clay in the nose cone?
i like the idea of "wing" fins. Those are 2 fins that stick out at 180 degrees from one another. Does it matter much if there are "extra" *side ways* fins added to an existing design? Do I simply weigh them and add those as grams of clay to the nose cone?
One clever design trick I've noticed is T shaped fins. Instantly more space plane like. If one takes a 4 fin design and move the top and bottom fins out (some surface area)?
I bought a cheap keyring camera that stripped down like the Astrocam. I've taped it to the top of the body tube but it caused the rockets to veer. Is there a way to minimize that? Or simply put in the biggest motor?
How can I add a canopy for the plane? I could paint it on obviously, but it would be neat to carve a balsa one. Will that make it veer?
thanks for the wisdom!