Screwball in the Slide Pocket

[BABAR]

Stay tuned. Gonna turn a Pringles can into a ring fin, a 34” BT-20, a nose cone, and two launch lugs and a motor block into a rocket. Hardest thing on the build is scraping off the inner foil for the BT-20 and lugs to attach.

 

[BABAR]

The ring.

I love markers!

 

[Nytrunner]

My goto source for all things pringles rockets is @TurbulentSphere

 

[Ronz Rocketz]

Sharpie FTW!

 

[neil_w]

Sharpie FTW!

Not just any old Sharpie either... GIANT MAGNUM SHARPIE

 

[BABAR]

Not just any old Sharpie either... GIANT MAGNUM SHARPIE

“Magnum Sharpie” always seem to be right up there with “jumbo shrimp” and “military intelligence” in terms of oxymorons. (Kidding about the latter, I worked with a lot of smart people in the Air Force and in my interactions with Army and Marines. I am sure the Navy and Coast Guard guys were on the ball too. All meant in fun.)

 

[BABAR]

One of our med school skits (the new second years put on a show for the new first years, sort of a Saturday Night Live version of what to expect during the first year, which was mostly classroom and lab stuff) advertised the “Highlighter paint roller”, so you could highlight an entire page. Just poked fun at some of the more, um, dedicated students where you’d look at their textbooks and it would look like they highlighted or underlined just about EVERYTHING!

 

[Funkworks]

I see you chose BBQ. Very wise.

 

[BABAR]

I see you chose BBQ. Very wise.

I was gonna make a Pringles rocket with tube fins from all different flavors, but SWMBO threw the empties out, and we don’t eat chips much. I am trying to watch my weight, and if I am not careful it gets easier and easier to see!

 

[BABAR]

Complete

Close up of auxiliary lug, long rockets get a lot of wind stress

Waiting for low wind day for launch.

Not sure what it's like for woman going bra-less, but there is a certain freedom launching a 36" rocket with no chute, no streamer, no burn string or motor slides, just a nose cone, single ring fin, launch lugs, and motor block.

 

[BABAR]

Mass 29 grams with no motor.

Probably saved some on paint, except I repurposed a painted nose cone.

May start with an A. I am predicting significant differences in corkscrew patterns with different motors. Given length, should be stable on just about any 18 motor.

 

[BABAR]

The white body tube was colored with pink highlighter

 

[Lee]

Should fall like a rock. A duck & cover moment.

 

[BABAR]

O ye of little faith!

still, good reason to start with an A motor.

 

[Rktman]

Backslider?

 

[BABAR]

Backslider?

U betcha!

 

[BABAR]

Well, two great flights, one here





Unfortunately, I tried for the Hat Trick and the THIRD flight was more along the lines of @Lee 's prediction, in this case a lawn dart.

So I know the design is workable, just got to work on the tweaks to make it work consistently.

I think it WILL need to stay with the 30 to 1 or greater length (going with horizontal spin lets you cut down on this significantly), but will need careful sizing of the fins.

I do think the addition of the asymmetric fins DEFINTELY improves the DURABILITY of the rocket on landing, just gotta play with the "mix" a bit. Maybe a true straight dorsal and two ventral tangential fins, aimed a bit dorsal? As @Mike Haberer mentioned, experimenting with these definitely involves heads up flights.

I did buy a set of used Nerf darts (got a dozen with free shipping for 4 bucks.) Gonna play with these with 13 mm models a bit. Since the rockets are small and the nose is soft, less likely to cause problems if things go awry.