Space Shuttle Models

[lw_hughes]

You can see the "Columbia" there on the left still has elevons in that photo ( also before power system was installed) Now that i think more, perhaps its the dx6i in that you cant have separate expo on pitch versus roll. If there was a way to do that it might work. In my experimenting, im pretty sure for expo to work it has to be set the same on both aileron on elevator. The more it think here the more i wonder if the key isnt to do all your reversing and expo prior to activating the mixing??? Ill have to try that on another model. All in all the single tip aileron works well, plus the new ar6400 makes life even worse for elevons. In elevon mode the trim does all kinds of strange things, by product of mixing the rudder to aileron and all that...still fun to play around with!! Also seen is my shuttle carrier vehicle, its twin edf30 brushless, its like a rocket ship also.

 

[georgegassaway]

This might not be the right forum but at least one of them is rocket powered and they are all models of a rocket. Hopefully George won't freak out because of my lack of scale detail....

Why would I? Several of the shuttles I’ve done had little detail, some had zero paint since many thru the years were boilerplates to test out one thing or another, or a different scale factor, so those never got painted.

I recently re-visited a 1/110 shuttle. Something I had built in 1979, with a very crude orbiter and an ET/SRB set. This time, using the Guillow’s foam orbiter, and some other parts. Not R/C, though there is a Guillow’s orbiter I started on years back but never got around to completing (to use rudder-only R/C). The objective of the new 1/110 shuttle stack is something for reasons other than R/C.

I flew the 1/110 model (boilerplate) Monday. I hope to get in some more flying at a club launch this Saturday. After Saturday, I’ll post the results in a new thread about that model.

Photo 1: 1/110 balsa orbiter built in 1979, to fly with an ET/SRB stack.
Photo 2: 1/60 piggyback boosted orbiter built in 1992. Using rudder & elevator R/C, and R/C sep from a 32mm G12 powered booster.
Photo 3: boilerplate testing two Clustered D12’s in each SRB. 1/94 scale, using the Guillow’s orbiter (the Guillow’s is about 1/116 based on fuselage length, or about 1/94 based on span).

- George Gassaway

 

[lw_hughes]

More of my estes shuttle variants. Ive brought down the wing area closer to scale and thickened up the wing a bit. Printed some tiles on decal paper. My latest shuttle used a much thinner vacuum formed fuselage and has electric retracts and spring loaded gear doors. Was a lot of work to make those little wheels. My one concession will be having a single door on the nose gear. What fun!!.

 

[MaxQ]

Wow..retracts on a glider that small...impressive.
How's it fly....you hand toss it yet?

 

[Brent]

Has anyone ever converted the balsa built up Guillow's Space shuttle for flight with the external tank and SRB motors? A 4" tank and series 18 or 20 tubes form Semroc would be real close.

 

[georgegassaway]

For those who missed it, I am auctioning a North Coast Rocketry (NCR) 1/72 Space Shuttle kit, as well as scale kits and other items.

https://homepage.mac.com/georgegassaway/GRP/ebay/FEB7-2010/Shuttle-NCR.html

Link to all 12 items:
https://homepage.mac.com/georgegassaway/GRP/ebay/eBay2010.html

Auctions end tonight (March 28th) shortly after 10 PM Central.

- George Gassaway

 

[lw_hughes]

Success! Been able to do some landings out on the sand flats with the estes shuttle with retracts. Big performance drop with the gear and doors hanging out. This little model has some pager motors on the wings so ive been able to abort some landings and go around. Lots of fun, this would work fine in a glider version and it would perform better being lighter and not having prop drag. I imagine you could dive it in and pull up and drop the gear and fly it on no problem. Its realistic in that the orbiter needs extensive processing between flying sessions! Next up will be a guillows shuttle using all foam parts instead of balsa, im thinking i can use a cluster of rapier engines in the tail?