The Flying Didgeridoo

[Karl Rocket]

....is what I named my first scratch build.

I;m thinking of downloading rocksim's demo to check for stability.

I'm concerned.... total body tube and fins (no engine mount yet) weights 1.75 ounces. Nose cone... made from paper mache (very finely ground) and made rigid with Aves Apoxy Sculpt has come in at 2.33 ounces.

The NC has taken as much time as anything else....
Rock sim, here I come!



Karl

 

[Karl Rocket]

Did a very basic pass with rocksim. Tells me the rocket is overstable (good). But even with a C6-5 will only go about 200 feet.

May redo the nose cone !

I'll post a pic soon

Karl

 

[smurf]

Does it circularly breathe??

 

[BHP]

Somebody on this forum makes 'real' didgeridoos. Is it you, Karl?

My brother learned to play one of those things. All I hear when he does is a strange noise.

Just where is a didgeridoo played? Any of our Oz friends have an audio link to what they're supposed to sound like?

 

[Chrisn]

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I got myself a Didgeridoo from Australia but cant play it that good yet, but im getting there .

 

[skippy-2]

Originally posted by BHP
Somebody on this forum makes 'real' didgeridoos. Is it you, Karl?

My brother learned to play one of those things. All I hear when he does is a strange noise.

Just where is a didgeridoo played? Any of our Oz friends have an audio link to what they're supposed to sound like?

The MP3 on this page has a pretty good didge sound.

https://www.ineachmoment.de/gong/didgeridoo.htm

About halfway down this page is an MP3 that shows the sound of a solo didge with the player making bush animal noises over the continuous tone. That takes a lot of skill...

https://lfa.atu.edu/music/barber/intro/Unit2.htm

A couple of nice sounds on this page. Good didge, and a great kookaburra recording.

https://www.geocities.com/ausbot2001/wavs.html

 

[Karl Rocket]

Yea, I'm the didgeridoo guy.

Here's a clip (mp3) of me playing in a concert-type setting

https://mp3.washingtonpost.com/bands/karl_kalbaugh.shtml

Enjoy (least, I think you will).

Karl

 

[BHP]

COOL! That is something to hear. (And the last I heard my bro. couldn't make those sounds. But it's been a while since I've heard him play.)

Now, lets see a pic of the didge rocket!

And could ya make it 'play' on launch?

 

[Karl Rocket]

This is pretty rough looking. Been laying down some base paint and currently between coats. Engine block/motor mount was fabricated with foam core. Suprised at the strength and rigidity of the stuff.

Motor "nozzle" hand formed from Apoxy Sculpt. Fins, foam core too (and they look rough, too, I know). Guess the operatrive word here is "hand made."
Tried to use as few manufactured rocket parts as possible.

To that end, the nosecone was formed over a cone shape using celluclay.

Total length is 27". Total weight (without engine and recovery system) is 5 ounces. as mentioned, RockSim puts it at about 200' on a C-6-5.

Probably will try it out in our local sports field before I try it at a club launch and embaress myself

Best
Karl

 

[Karl Rocket]

from the front.....

And (don't know if you can actually see them) a few of my actual didgeridoos in the background there!

K

 

[Karl Rocket]

FInal painting coming together. New nose cone! Styrofoam covered with the glue/tissue trick to seal it. Looks better.

Recovery system will be a polypropolene shopping sack attached to a shockcord of some type. High drag device. Don't need it to parachute down.... picture when complete. Flight log to follow that.

At some point, I plan on doing a scratch spaceplane.... or something....

Karl

 

[Karl Rocket]

The flying didge is 100% complete! Looks butt-ugly, but that's okay. It was more of a test bed than anything anyways. The engine mount is the most important element. Flight in the near future.

Have already begun the spaceplane!

New thread for that....

Karl

 

[Karl Rocket]

Hoping to launch this beast on Saturday. I'll make sure to get an "on the pad" and launch pic.

Think I'll add a bit of nose weight just to be safe.....

Karl

 

[Karl Rocket]

First flight on a B6-4. Second on C6-5. Boy, could sure see that additional second of delay! Going to enter a deatiled review/log over at EMMR/EEMR? (ya know).

Slight damage to one fin root. Fine recovery for both.

 

[Karl Rocket]

Tried to get a launch pic. You guys make it look so easy. It ain't easy!

Some details: Styrofoam tissue/glue covered nosecone, papertowl flight frame also reinforced with tissue and glue. Two towel tubes coupled with a toilet paper tube. Glued into place and reinforced with tissue and glue. Foam core fins. Foam core engine mounting.
Nylon rpoing from when my wife brought home a new matress strapped on the roof of the car as shockcord. Recovery streamer from our newspaper delivery (like the yellow) . A piece of "Ikea" furniture hardware embedded in nosecone for a little added weight.

Flight characteristics.... well gotta leave something for the review over at Nick's place...ya know?

 

[Karl Rocket]

After landing. I know....for all you guys know, I could have layed in my front lawn.... but trust me it flew.

 

[Karl Rocket]

on a C6-5! Nice straight flight. Minimal weather cocking. Fine recovery.
Second cracked fin root. Repairable.

Maybe coming to the end of its servicable life as the inside of the airframe (formerly two paper towel tubes) is charred and smoked a fair amount after landing.



Flight log on EMRR

Karl

 

[cliveroonie]

Well, the didg is one of those instruments that is really used as a rhythm instrument, even though it is technically a lip-vibrated aerophone, if you want to be specific (related in technique to a tube). Since the instrument contains either an imperfect conical or tube shape, there is no standard didg size. Also, there are no finger holes, so there are no distinct pitches. You can't really play "Mary Had a Little Lamb".

There are reed tones, overtones, and vocals that are added to the didgeridoo, which I think are really, really cool. The most difficult aspect to learn in playing the didg is circular breathing. If you watch the videos, the dudes that are playing often are puffing their cheeks. What they are doing is exhaling through their mouths (pushing air out of the cheeks) while re-loading their lungs with air. The idea is to create a long sustained tone that can be maintained as long as the player maintains consciousness. You can try circular breathing by practicing on a straw in your favorite beverage until you get the hang of it. Really good didg players must have monster cheek muscles. I have a didg and I understand the concept of the circular breathing. I can get it going, but there always is a slight pause from cheek to lung back to cheek again.

Originally posted by BHP

My brother learned to play one of those things. All I hear when he does is a strange noise.