Variations on Super Neon XL: Suggestions?

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Kirk G

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A number of us picked up the Super Neon XL from the sales that Estes has held over the last two years.
A number of us have them in the build pile, awaiting the winter or for inspiration to strike.

The rocket is basically six "sonic" tubes clustered around the base of the main body tube.
Plus some small fins stuck out from the top of the sonic tubes. Oh, and a nosecone and parachute.


But I'm wondering (since I've built one to spec, and enjoyed it a lot) what other variations are possible with my spare kit.

A fellow club member just finished his build, and simply left off the small fins. In a drag race with me, we discovered his rocket
leaned over on an D12-5, and so didn't achieve the same height or delay on return as mine did.

So, what other variations have you tried? Any suggestions for kit bashing to make the next one better, different, or something unique?
 
Shorten the tubefins to ~1 body diameter, with about a 15-20 deg angle leading down to ~3/4 body tube diameter.

You'll probably want to strengthen them a bit as well. Shouldn't lose any control on the tail, but will definitely cut weight and especially drag.

You should mop up pretty handily :)
 
Shorten the tubefins to ~1 body diameter, with about a 15-20 deg angle leading down to ~3/4 body tube diameter.

You'll probably want to strengthen them a bit as well. Shouldn't lose any control on the tail, but will definitely cut weight and especially drag.

You should mop up pretty handily :)

So, you're suggesting canting the shortened sonic tubes so that they funnel inward at 15-20 degrees down to about 3/4rds the body tube diameter...
or flaring outward 15-20 degrees outward?

I would think that any misalignment of the "sonic tubes" would increase drag...either flared out, or flared in....wouldn't it?

(Yes, I caught that you'd shorten them down to about one unit of the body diameter as the length of those six tubes.)
 
image.jpg

Here is my minor bash of the Super Neon XL, the "Super Xenon". Swept the tube fin leading edges 45 degrees and added some long and narrow triangular fins to each tube fin. Flies very nicely.

I also "decal-bashed" the stock "Super Neon XL" decal into a "Super Xenon" decal with a little judicious slicing and rearranging of the letters.
 
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So, you're suggesting canting the shortened sonic tubes so that they funnel inward at 15-20 degrees down to about 3/4rds the body tube diameter...
or flaring outward 15-20 degrees outward?

I would think that any misalignment of the "sonic tubes" would increase drag...either flared out, or flared in....wouldn't it?

(Yes, I caught that you'd shorten them down to about one unit of the body diameter as the length of those six tubes.)

Sweep was the word I should have used. ~1 body tube length adjacent to the body tube, ~3/4 body tube length furthest from body tube.
 
View attachment 305442

Here is my minor bash of the Super Neon XL, the "Super Xenon". Swept the tube fin leading edges 45 degrees and added some long and narrow triangular fins to each tube fin. Flies very nicely.

I also "decal-bashed" the stock "Super Neon XL" decal into a "Super Xenon" decal with a little judicious slicing and rearranging of the letters.

Holy crap, that is gorgeous. They should sell the kit in that configuration, it looks fantastic. Very nicely done, including the creative repurposing of the decal. :)
 
View attachment 305442

Here is my minor bash of the Super Neon XL, the "Super Xenon". Swept the tube fin leading edges 45 degrees and added some long and narrow triangular fins to each tube fin. Flies very nicely.

I also "decal-bashed" the stock "Super Neon XL" decal into a "Super Xenon" decal with a little judicious slicing and rearranging of the letters.


Keep the ideas coming, guys..
 
Requires a little extra balsa. Glue the tubes in pairs. Make some fins and glue the paired tubes on the end. Use the supplied fins both inside and outside

Klingon Star Dart.jpg

And if you also have a Mega Mosquito, bash the 2 together

super neon launch1.jpg
 
@tab28682: That Super Xenon's really neat!
@75Grandville: Cool 2-stage variant!
@les: Interesting!

How about these:
I'd like to try a detailed viper with mine. You won't win in a drag race but you'll have something different! Have fun! :)

31nHnftfxbL._SX342_.jpg

83est36.jpg

79est32.jpg
 
well one could do something like this (see pic). house finally dried out to where I could get into the shop and do some painting :).
Rex

sabers.jpg
 
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Me? I'd use one to clone an Estes OMEGA (K-52P/1200). The remaining short body tubes can be put in the spares box.
 
What a great page of rockets that is. I love them all.
The Torellian Invader is actually a great suggestion for repurposing the Neon, even if you don't copy all the details like the crazy nose cone.

I love the designs too! Different and somewhat sci-fi. Another variant would be the World Federation Star Probe with 6x tubes rather than the single, large BT-80, even if you omit the nose cone. :) I still vote for the Torellian Invader!!!

80est40.jpg
 

I used to stare at that very page as a kid. Dreaming of the day that my skills were good enough to tackle the Starfighter Combo Kit. (And for the day when I $11 to burn on 2 rockets!)
 
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