Saparinger XL

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gdjsky01

Kim's Rocketeer
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So this guy (Brain) over on YORF comes up with a gazzilion more ideas for rockets. Like I need more right? They already have BARCLONE, now this guy.... :D

Well I am still trying to come up with my own design D12-0 to D or E 2 stage that I really like. I see is Saparinger-AO design (Sparrow or AMRAAM looking 'ish) and I decide to try a 2 stage.

BT-60 to BT-55, small gap staged.

Like so:

2012-09-26-saparinger-0116.jpg



Fins are 3/32 inch balsa with full length TTW tabs for the booster about 2/3rds for the sustainer.

2012-09-09-saparinger-0117.jpg


Fins sealed with shipping labels, trimmed, and the edges sealed with thin CA

2012-09-25-saparinger-0119.jpg


Gonna use a baffle for once. This one from Sunward.

2012-09-25-saparinger-0118.jpg



Here's the final ROCKSIM file with the final specs
View attachment SAPRINGER-XL - 2 stage.rkt
 
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I like that design. :) I expect you'll be done with this build by 10:00? (7:00PM your time.) :tongue: :D
 
Maybe, if I can get him to let me know the secret, I can get bradycros to teach me to put some doo-hickeys, thing-a-ma-jigs, and whatchmacallits on here. I think they would look good.

Laying out the booster
2012-10-14-saparinger-0124.jpg

Cutting TTW fin slots
2012-10-15-saparinger-0125.jpg

A preview of things to come
2012-10-15-saparinger-0126.jpg


Things that have come. :)
2012-10-15-saparinger-0127.jpg

The centering rings are cut by hand from 1/8 inch (3mm) corrugated cardboard. The look like hell, but once soaked in CA and installed they are just fine
 
I like that design. :) I expect you'll be done with this build by 10:00? (7:00PM your time.) :tongue: :D



:rofl: :wink:
Nope... that's been the progress over a few days. I am in-between jobs. But orientation for the new gig is tomorrow... so back to my usual glacial pace... not to mention I have been building an R/C Glider on another table in the shop. :)
 


I have a lot of couplers from Uncle Mike. However they are VERY VERY tight in stock Estes BT-60. Almost impossible to use... But use I shall!!! To make a stage coupler that would have an acceptable slip fit I need to do some serious sanding without winding up with a paper thin (pun intended) coupler.

So I took a page out of the "Captain Low n' Slow' manual of CA fume sniffing" and soaked some thin CA into the top 1/3 of the coupler that I wanted to use.

When it dried I TAPED it onto the chuck of my drill press... yes taped it... :lol: ... then turn it on and held sandpaper to it. It turned out FINE. :wink:
2012-10-17-saparinger-0131.jpg


There is the cutoff piece of the staging coupler.
2012-10-17-saparinger-0132.jpg

Where we stand today... the booster is assembled, filleted, and done save for a launch lug. That fin on the sustainer is just taped there as I have not yet made the TTW slots.
2012-10-18-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg


 
Maybe, if I can get him to let me know the secret, I can get bradycros to teach me to put some doo-hickeys, thing-a-ma-jigs, and whatchmacallits on here. I think they would look good.


Maybe that could be arranged...
 

So the fins are installed on the sustainer in photo 1. Then of course the slots and such were filled and filleted. The tape you see is simply tape to pulled the fitted, but not glued, aft centering ring back out after the fins dried so I could add internal fillets.



So then we wind up with photo #2.

I've now placed 1/4 inch launch lugs on it (so I can use 3/16ths or 1/4 inch launch rods).

2012-10-21-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg



2012-10-29-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg


Now I am assembling dohickeys and whatchamacallits on the booster and sustainer. Pictures soon.

 
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One so far on the Sustainer
2012-11-03-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg


Two on the Sustainer Payload Bay
2012-11-03-saparinger-xl-0004.jpg


2012-11-03-saparinger-xl-0005.jpg


Two on the booster (and a lug closeup ;) ) - You can barely see on of the two vent holes.
2012-11-03-saparinger-xl-0007.jpg
 
So it's been a week. During the week my new job kept me crackin' so I get very little done... but I made some progress last Sunday and some yesterday the 10th of Nov.

Little back story. I love what bradycros did on his Fly Me! thread. Just a MASTERFUL piece of detailing. :handshake: So as you saw a few posts ago I added a bit of banding detail.

I tried a few of bradycros' techniques for the riveting detail. Some I got to work, some not so much. I am sure I could. It takes practice and patience.

However I kept thinking I could find a way that would be quick and good. It is quick, it is not quite as good, but my drop placement needs work. Maybe with practice...:surprised:

So here's what I did.



What you need

2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0003.jpg


Spray some kicker in the plastic cup
2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0004.jpg


Brush the band for two or three placements
2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0005.jpg


Pickup some CA on your CA applicator (here a sandwich wooden pick ---
hmm looks like it was use to stir dip at one time :y:)
2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0006.jpg


Place a drop of thick CA on the band in the location where the kicker is. Be careful and practice elsewhere as it'll take some practice to learn how much to pick up on the CA stick. The kicker will cause the droplet to cure pretty quick.
2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0007.jpg

Profit :D
 
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So you can see, the booster droplets are a bit big, a bit blobby, a bit willy nilly.


As I said, I need to practice. :eyeroll: However I think from a few meters away, it'll look fine. We'll see.

The sustainer is better, though again not perfect by any means.

The real thing is, how well will they look after priming and a light sanding! :surprised: That's next! Stay tuned, same bat time, same bat channel.



2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg



2012-11-05-saparinger-xl-0002.jpg



2012-11-06-saparinger-xl-0008.jpg

 
Another great looking build. I am planning on using some of bradycros's techniques on a AVI Star Warrior clone build I have in the works, currently stalled out at the fin cutting stage.
 
Just looked at the acme spitfire last night "steampunked"..might try my hand at some rivets or pipes also.Great job Jeff
......what is kicker btw
 
You`re right Jeff ,that fellow over at YORF has some really cool designs ,I mean to scratch and upscale a few.This one you are doing looks like another winner ,nice and "missle" lookin`....my favorite.

You did a nice job on papering the fins ,something i have never done before ,but certainly seems worth trying.

Nice work buddy !!

OH....are you going with the AMRAAM gray paint scheme ? I like that one .

Cheers

Paul T
 
Its a beautifull thing your doing.
Its "Out Of Sight"...well,after you launch it ,it will be OOS.
 
You`re right Jeff ,that fellow over at YORF has some really cool designs ,I mean to scratch and upscale a few.This one you are doing looks like another winner ,nice and "missle" lookin`....my favorite.

You did a nice job on papering the fins ,something i have never done before ,but certainly seems worth trying.

Nice work buddy !!

OH....are you going with the AMRAAM gray paint scheme ? I like that one .

Cheers

Paul T


The papering is Avery half sheet size (8.5 x 11 in the USA - so 4.24 x 5.5) label paper. Very aggressive adhesive. Sealed on the edges with CA.
AMRAAM paint job would be a natural. Tho gray against the sky can be problematic. :D
White/Grey... not sure yet... But I do think a missile-like paint scheme is in order.

I was gonna do the hex nuts fin detail as well... but I am getting to the point I want to put it to bed.

I want to move on to finishing a 75mm diameter scratcher I started years ago and put in storage. 54mm MMT.

Fly me a "K" I want... mmmm... yess... Fly me a "K" :D
 
So you can see, the booster droplets are a bit big, a bit blobby, a bit willy nilly.


As I said, I need to practice. :eyeroll: However I think from a few meters away, it'll look fine. We'll see.

The sustainer is better, though again not perfect by any means.

The real thing is, how well will they look after priming and a light sanding! :surprised: That's next! Stay tuned, same bat time, same bat channel.




Waiting to see how your efforts turn out. I use a different sequence of steps to get from point A to point B then the ones your using.
 
All primered and sanded. I could simply skip posting this and not let you see the warts and all. But heck, I can get better. And honest, once painted and the rivets dotted with little "Sharpie" dot, I bet no one but me and you notice the rivets are a zillion different sizes, oval, stretched, mangled ... etc. :y: :wink:


So take a look see... next one may be better... who knows... tomorrow the color coat... yes Paul, Amraam style. :wink: Light gray.



2012-11-21-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg

2012-11-21-saparinger-xl-0002.jpg

2012-11-21-saparinger-xl-0003.jpg

2012-11-21-saparinger-xl-0004.jpg

2012-11-21-saparinger-xl-0005.jpg
 
Very cool. I like that little bit of added detail, it really takes it up a notch.
 
All primered and sanded. I could simply skip posting this and not let you see the warts and all. But heck, I can get better. And honest, once painted and the rivets dotted with little "Sharpie" dot, I bet no one but me and you notice the rivets are a zillion different sizes, oval, stretched, mangled ... etc. :y: :wink:


So take a look see... next one may be better... who knows...


Yep... what looks to be something that should be really easy, turns out to be a horse of a different color when you try your hand at it, eh? :grin:

You'll get the little buggers closer to being right eventually! I'm still working on getting 'em to look better too.
 
Between all the personal stuff going on, it was nice to spend some time in the shop...

The Color Coat is done. Light gray and white NC.

Once completely dry, Trim, Detail work on the rivets, decals, vinyl, etc.





2012-11-22-saparinger-xl-0001.jpg



2012-11-22-saparinger-xl-0002.jpg



2012-11-22-saparinger-xl-0003.jpg



2012-11-22-saparinger-xl-0004.jpg

 
Looks pretty darn good. :clap:
The framed pictures,are they of your birds?
 
Just getting started placing markings and decals....






2012-12-09-saparinger-xl-0004.jpg





2012-12-09-saparinger-xl-0005.jpg


Yes Scotty those are my Birds. They are photos taken by a friend at launches who prints them onsite in his RV.
 
Some final shots before entropy starts kicking in...

Overall I am very please with how it came out. All the markings and details are home made decals, or vinyl. Final coat is a matte clear.

Total weight without chute is 6.4oz. Pleased with that as well. Should fly well on D12's to D12s or D12s to E12s


2012-12-15-saparinger-xl-0006.jpg



2012-12-15-saparinger-xl-0007.jpg



2012-12-15-saparinger-xl-0008.jpg



2012-12-15-saparinger-xl-0009.jpg



2012-12-15-saparinger-xl-0010.jpg
 
THAT!!! Is one nice bird. Well done-----on a side note---If things go bad with an E at staging do we call it a CASTING----I know, I know, go back to your styrofoam bill, your off on a tangent----It's still a really, really good lookin bird!!--GOOD FLIGHTS!---H
 
Came out looking super! Hopefully you don't end up with some of the E12s that seem to be wreaking havoc on people's rockets.
 
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