What did you do rocket wise today?

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I finally finished my Saturn V to add to the list of Saturns going up on 20 July. I remember “helping” my dad build a Saturn V plastic model in the early 70’s, which led to me getting into model rocketry and eventually becoming an Aerospace Engineer. It’s hard to believe it’s been 50 years...
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Awesome!
 
Completed all finishing tasks on the Starship Avalon:
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And *now* I am all caught up from the weekend. Phew.

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That is one cool rocket! Is it a kit or scratch build?
 
Built a Semrock Orbital Transport, fulfilling a childhood pledge. Tried building the estes version of this when I was 13 and totally messed it up. Swore to my 13 year old self if I ever got the chance again to build one I would. One promise down, a few more to go!
 

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Back at rocketry after all my exams!
Today I used my new mini lathe!
Did this 1010 rail buttons in aluminum. Still need to test those on an actual rail. IMG_20190715_180937_259.jpgIMG_20190715_180937_257.jpg
 
Back at rocketry after all my exams!
Today I used my new mini lathe!
Did this 1010 rail buttons in aluminum. Still need to test those on an actual rail. View attachment 388611View attachment 388612

Those are really pretty, but I'm sure you're aware that increased rail wear is a distinct possibility. Clubs are usually protective of their rails
 
Those are really pretty, but I'm sure you're aware that increased rail wear is a distinct possibility. Clubs are usually protective of their rails
Yes I'm aware, I think I'm going to get some delrin. Those were mostly to getting use to working with aluminum.
 
What did I do rocket wise today? So far, I've broken my own heart twice.

I realized that the hand-cut slots for the chip can rocket (tentatively named the PT8-0) just don't line up well enough to the dados in the CNCed centering rings. I need to slot another damned Pringles can.

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Then I fitted a new and improved FDM tailcone to the motor mount for the BT50 WAC Corporal, whereupon I realized that the fins were out of scale. I looked back at the F360 file and saw that they are about 87% of the size they should be for a BT50 based rocket -- because I scaled down the drawings for a BT70 WAC Corporal -- not the drawing for the BT80 version I built to be my L1 rocket.

I consoled myself by putting an aluminum tip on the chip can (PT8-0 -- too clever?) nose cone, because it is totally going to break mach.

20190715_093039.png

My shop is all higgledy-piggledy, with everything everywhere, as I struggle to complete a fairly large furniture project (on saw horses just out of the frame to the left in these images). I am not getting to a launch anytime soon, so I ought to put these in the box with the other in-progress rockets and get back to the big lumber. I probably wont't though.
 
Estes 1/200 Saturn V lifting off from a 1966 Electro-Launch at approximately six minutes after the exact 50th anniversary of Apollo 11's liftoff. Pat Fitzpatrick launched his at the exact time (second picture).

These are scaled down frame grabs from video.
 

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Got up 2.5 hours earlier to volunteer setting up the USSRC's 5k record launch of model rockets for the 50th of the Apollo 11 launch.
Homer Hickam and Al Worden were there too.

There are a couple threads involving it already, so I won't go into detail here.
 
Level 1 certified yesterday after 40 years away from rockets...so I think it was time! Thanks to Dan and Suzy at DARS for helping me with this today. Rocket is a LOC Fantom 438, and I used an AT I140W motor. 1914' apogee with a guide chute and a Jolly Logic Chute release at 600. Got a bit of video too, but definitely need a better camera in the future. :) Goodbye money, it was nice knowing you!


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Congrats!
 
Drew up new BT50 WAC Corporal fins from scratch.

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These #22123 are actually just about the right scale for a ST-8 WAC Corporal and -- astonishingly -- I have a piece of ST-8 in the parts pile. I'll need to sand the fin tabs back ( by a lot), and I'll need to figure out a nose cone (easy enough to print one, I guess, but I might do something more arts-and-crafts).

In the meantime, I am going to mill a new set of BT50 sized fins.
 
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Returned my incomplete Estes Majestic kit I bought at Hobby Lobby for a refund.
Bought tubular foam insulation for the pvc rocket stands I'm going to build.
 
Got a great start on a 2.6 inch Red Max clone. Using Loc body tube and 29mm mount. Plan on using the AT 29-40/120 reloads. Gonna try to modify a Loc nosecone to look correct to scale. Fins are 1/8 inch 6 ply Finnish plywood. Glad to be building rockets again. 100_2367.JPG 100_2368.JPG
 
What did I do rocket wise today? So far, I've broken my own heart twice.

I realized that the hand-cut slots for the chip can rocket (tentatively named the PT8-0) just don't line up well enough to the dados in the CNCed centering rings. I need to slot another damned Pringles can.

View attachment 388629

Then I fitted a new and improved FDM tailcone to the motor mount for the BT50 WAC Corporal, whereupon I realized that the fins were out of scale. I looked back at the F360 file and saw that they are about 87% of the size they should be for a BT50 based rocket -- because I scaled down the drawings for a BT70 WAC Corporal -- not the drawing for the BT80 version I built to be my L1 rocket.

I consoled myself by putting an aluminum tip on the chip can (PT8-0 -- too clever?) nose cone, because it is totally going to break mach.

View attachment 388628

My shop is all higgledy-piggledy, with everything everywhere, as I struggle to complete a fairly large furniture project (on saw horses just out of the frame to the left in these images). I am not getting to a launch anytime soon, so I ought to put these in the box with the other in-progress rockets and get back to the big lumber. I probably wont't though.
Is it me or do those fins look like bacon?
 
I nice little piece I provided sound for on for a local news channel as well as national syndication.

They say a child will never remember their best day of TV. Wrong.

 
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