What's the largest card/paper rocket?

[gpoehlein]

OK - here's a general question for the card/paper crowd here:

What is the largest card/paper model you've ever built AND launched? Actually, this has two parts - what is physically the largest model, and what is the biggest motor you've tried in a card/paper model? And what were the issues you had to overcome? (Fin cores to keep flutter to a minimum? Longitudinal strengthening of the body tube? Interesting ways to secure the motor in the model?)

 

[rstaff3]

These may not meet your criteria since they used commercial motor mounts, mailing tube cores, foamboard rings and fins. The skins are posterboard.

The Grand Whazoo - 8" dia x70", flew on G80's, H128/165s.

Too Rolling (Red)Stoned - 8" diameter, flown once on an H-165. Also used dowels and a plastic serving plate.

Not mine and not motor powere, but Mike Bauer has a 6' cardstock Saturn V.

 

[gpoehlein]

Thanks, Dick! Those are, of course, way cool, but I'm thinking more along the lines of printed card/paper models; printed on either 67# or 110# cardstock, including motor tubes and even nose cones. No mailing tubes or commercial body tubes allowed . I wanna know how far we've pushed the boundaries of cardstock rocketry, including the actual launch. In other words, it's gotta stand up to the thrust of a motor and survived all the events of flight. Like I said, cardboard, foam core and other materials are OK for fin cores, centering rings, longerons and other internal superstructure, but I'm curious to see what cardstock can actually do.

Largest I've done so far is a dual egg launcher, about 1.75" diameter and powered by a D12 or E9 (don't remember which). So if cardstock will boost two eggs on an E9, it ought a stand up to a lot more!

 

[rstaff3]

The biggest I have flown is a Mike Bauer Honest John. It's 2.5" diameter x 39". After building a stomp version (which is what it is intended for), I did cheat a little. I used a 24mm mmt because I was too lazy to roll the tube and I think it will take the ejection charges better than cardstock. I also punted and reinforced the top with a tube made from a 3" mailing tube. My paper modelling skills pretty much suck and I wanted to make sure the top was round. It has flown on a D12 and an E12 so far. One fin tabs came loose on the E12 flight because white glue doesn't adhere well to the laser printed surface.

 

[rstaff3]

The next biggest would be the Model Minutes (OOP) G200 carrier. 2.375" x 31", all cardstock. Also flown on E9's.

 

[KevinDunn]

This was our entry in Dave's Dumpster Dive at LDRS31 (Pat and Joshua Harden, Greg Rogers, and Kevin Dunn). We were given what amounted to a box of garbage. The only actual rocket part was a 54mm motor tube. Most of this was built from the box the garbage came in. Launched at LDRS on a G79.

 

[AstronMike]

Well, if you *only* count cardstock-based stuff, the largest I have flown successfully is my Maxi Bomarc LV, which is a 3" diameter job (sans ramjets though) and glided rather well until the last flight had wind tip it off the launcher and buckle it.

As far as *posterboard itself* goes, back in '98 I did make a LOC Magnum sized rocket out of this, with foamboard C rings around a self rolled 29mm long tube, and this worked well on the old G35 Econojet. This was like 6" diameter by around 80" long, and used ONE ply thickness, and had to be held at certain spots just to CARRY it!! Being a 'rocket', I pretty dumped it soon after for more glider and copter projects....

If you count *foamboard stuff*, then the largest in this category was my Flying Wedge back in '95. This was one cludgy HPR glider shaped like a cross between a Star Destroyer and an SR-71. In fact, the front end molding of this was only black posterboard! This flew once, and *once was enough* on an I161. THis actually worked, but the boost was 'funky' (IOW, George Gassaway likely could not have flown this straight with his RC skills:y and it *DID* glide, albeit with a buttload of Dutch Roll (about what you'd expect of this design). Oh yeah, the 38mm pod tubing was none other than the core rolls from exam table paper rolls. Being a janitors DOES have some advantages

Now, if you count Depron, I am still awaiting the chance to fly the Depron Magnum, another LOC Magnum sized deal, but this is skinned with 1mm Depron around a rolled 24mm tube with Readiboard C rings. This only weighs 8z, and the new Estes E12 will either fly it nicely or recreate the Hindenberg, as Depron and Readiboard are more flammable than gunpowder and flash paper (don't ask me how I arrived at this knowledge :wink

 

[mike_bar]

4-inch paper rocket. Poster board construction, corrugated cardboard centering rings and center core for fin construction, and custom ejection baffle. Like Dick, I cheated and used a 24-mm motor/stuffer tube. Flies great on a D12-5.

 

[Rocketbuilder]

With a commercial motor tube, I've only gone up to a D12-5 in a 1/96th Saturn 1 SA-5-- flew beautifully, but the chute got tangled and it came down hard, though fortunately not in the giant puddle that claimed one of Mike's gliders. I still haven't gotten around to repairing it...
Using a cardstock motor tube (wich I generally avoid in favor of using commercial tubes), I flew an almost minimum diameter rocket a D5-4, which was kindly given to me by Mike. Now THAT was a fun flight-- the LCO announced that "Charlie's rocket is going to disappear in five..." which turned out to be right. I never even saw it come down, but somebody else did, and I did recover it.
But those are all little motors. Hopefully in the near future I'll complete and fly my 1/96th Saturn V, built to take somewhat larger 24mm composite motors. It won't be all paper, though. I'm using BT-60 tubing (Yes, I know it would probably be better use a smaller size, but it makes things a lot simpler to use BT-60 since it matches up with the diameter of the capsule. Plus, don't feel that comfortable packing a larger chute into a BT-55 tube.) as a structural spine, as well as a commercial motor tube, since I will be flying it on F39's. And no, I won't forget the nose weight!

 

[BobH48]

My largest would have to be my 1/48 scale Soyuz.. It is almost 42" long and the largest motor I've used in it is an E18-4W which is what it is flying on in this picture.

 

[brianc]

One of these days I intend to attempt the 1:48 Saturn V from Ton (available here- https://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html )

 

[Pem Tech]

Several years ago I did a 300% upscale of Currell's Friede...
8" dismeter BT, about 30" tall with a 29mm motor mount.

 

[JAL3]

Several years ago I did a 300% upscale of Currell's Friede...
8" dismeter BT, about 30" tall with a 29mm motor mount.
View attachment 94911
View attachment 94912
View attachment 94913

I remember that one!

I miss that plotter. I rarely used it but sometimes nothing else would do. It finally got too expensive to maintain.

 

[Pem Tech]

I remember that one!

I miss that plotter. I rarely used it but sometimes nothing else would do. It finally got too expensive to maintain.

:cry:

Plotters rock....
Your 19' N1 is within arms reach, maybe some day.....

 

[rstaff3]

Brian: Just took a look at the big Saturn. Very cool but probably more complicated than I'm ready for!

Layne: That Friede is awesome! How did the fin units take the exhaust gasses?

 

[AstronMike]

One of these days I intend to attempt the 1:48 Saturn V from Ton (available here- https://jleslie48.com/gallery_models_real.html )

I've sort of thought about trying like a 10" diameter sport scale Saturn V primarily made of Depron w/Readiboard internals. Should be flyable on a G64, depends upon how well the as-yet unflown Depron Magnum works though and 'scales up'.

 

[JordanT]

I've been kicking around the idea of a tube of tubes to get rigidity on a cardboard or paper rocket, but with the stack of kits on my floor and two or three scratch build sketches and materials littering my house I decided not to pursue it at the moment.

The idea would be to start with a single ply inner tube, then make a bunch of "straws" for lack of a better term to surround that, then cover with a single wrap outer tube. It would be like a sandwich panel. I suppose you could stiffen the assembly by starting with a 24 or 29mm core, then 6 tubes of the same OD, then a wrap of 3x dia, then the little tubes/straws, then an outer wrap/tube. Bonus points could be awarded for putting in two layers of 6 tubes. Each time I bring up the cad file, I decide I don't have the patience.

 

[MarkII]

My Mega Midnight Express: 41" long by 2.6" in diameter. It is an upscale of the FlisKits Midnight Express free plan. (It was pure coincidence that the outside diameter was the same as BT-80. I didn't plan it that way.) Built for high power motors; it was my very first high power rocket. The tubes and tube couplers are brutally thick (7 layers of cardstock for the tubes and 4 layers for the couplers. Since I designed the couplers to be long enough to almost completely line the tubes, that makes for [gulp] 11 layers of cardstock for most of the airframe. Yeah, I got a little carried away.) Empty weight: 52 oz. more or less, depending upon how much nose weight I put in.

Hasn't flown yet. I built it in late 2005 but I didn't get Level 1 certification until 2011. It has a 38mm motor mount and should do fine on H and I motors. I hand-made nearly every component inside and out.

 

[MarkII]

The largest motor that I have ever used in a cardstock rocket was an F25 in my 29mm upscaled Midnight Express. (That one was minimum diameter, like the original FlisKits design.) I launched it at the end of my very first ever club launch in 2006 and never saw it again. An hour earlier I had launched my 24mm upscaled M.E. on a D12, and it had met the same fate. I have built versions of the FlisKits Midnight Express in their proper minimum diameter configurations for every motor size from MicroMaxx to 29mm. The 38mm version described in my previous post is the only one that I have built for that motor size. I built and flew cardstock rockets almost exclusively during my first two years as a BAR (2004 and 2005). When I got into mid-power I wanted to try my hand at building MPRs out of cardstock as well.

 

[Pem Tech]

Brian: Just took a look at the big Saturn. Very cool but probably more complicated than I'm ready for!

Layne: That Friede is awesome! How did the fin units take the exhaust gasses?

Have had a paper Saturn V file for a few years now, just wish I had time to start it.

rstaff3: Believe it or else, there was no sign of damage to the fins. It later flew on a G64 but the fin tabs gave way and she tumbled. Still no motor damage but with only three fins I don't think she will fly any time soon.

 

[McKailas Dad]

By the way, my largest so far is my Rolled 5.25" tube

Yea, yea, I'm still workin' on it....darn ADHD.......

I got the tube, NC, and, well, one fin done...

 

[Montaro]

My is the Zenit 2

Diameter: 8.13 cm - 3.2"
Length: 117.5m - 46.25"
Motors: 4 Cluster D Motor

[video=youtube;Ex7Qph9zcOw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex7Qph9zcOw&list=PL6D3777DF7F3A75D4&index=1&feature=plpp_video[/video]

 

[rstaff3]

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

 

[cwbullet]

Several years ago I did a 300% upscale of Currell's Friede...
8" dismeter BT, about 30" tall with a 29mm motor mount.
View attachment 94911
View attachment 94912
View attachment 94913

That is very nice. Card stock build are the only thing I can build here so if anyone has soem designs, please send them to me. I have too much time on my hands and it might keep me out of trouble.

 

[gpoehlein]

That is very nice. Card stock build are the only thing I can build here so if anyone has soem designs, please send them to me. I have too much time on my hands and it might keep me out of trouble.

Have you checked out another of my threads:

https://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?26616-Project-Paper

I've created a "spare parts" system based on Estes parts to build a number of cardstock models - and you can mix and match to make a lot of other stuff as well. Give them a try if you haven't yet.

 

[Rocketbuilder]

There's some great paper space models here, some of which I've converted to fly. I especially like the Saturn 1 SA-5; that one was really fun to build, and it flies pretty well with some nose weight. Anyway, here's the link: https://jleslie48.com/index.html

 

[RocketT.Coyote]

Built three variations of Ton Noteboom's 1:96 scale Saturn V's, all on D12-3s. Two were flown at NARAM-54--one successfully.

 

[troj]

Not sure if you'd count it, or not, but a guy in Argonia built his Level 3 rocket using nothing but corrugated cardboard.

-Kevin

 

[kpklein]

It's been a while, but the largest flying card model I made was made of posterboard rolled on a pvc tube and used a nosecone filled with expandable foam, fins where of 1/2" plastic covered foam insulation board, and a tapered tail. The whole thing was about 8"dia. 7' high, or so. Made it to fly on BP experimental motors.

 

[Colorado John]

I know that this is a really old and maybe dead thread but I just wanted to add this. My Tube Rider rocket made from three sheets of poster board is four foot and has been flown on an E. The next flight is going to be on an F32-4T composite. This should be lots of fun!!!