Winter building frenzy

[Starbug]

As the nights get darker earlier, here are a few clone projects I'm working on.

Left to right:

Canaroc FK3 - fitted a 13mm mount...wimped out again!
Centuri F16
Estes NASA Pegasus - after seeing a thread a few weeks ago in the forum, I just had to build one.
Semroc Firefly - donor rocket was an old Quest Astra 1 with a genuine set of Semroc Firefly fins. Again, probably gonna wimp out here and fit a 13mm mount. Have got some A10-0 motors somewhere, so maybe make it two stage.......
Estes X-15
At the front are a couple of home-brew Micro Maxx birds and a Micro Maxx Qbit.
Now I need to get the workshop tidied up before I start painting!

What's everyone else got on the go?

 

[rstaff3]

And it isn't even winter yet Nice looking fleet. I have one current project - a rocket built mostly of scrap materials to try a 2" PVC sugar motor in. Not worthy of pics. In the planning stage is a 1x29mm + 8-12 x 24mm Crayon.

 

[JStarStar]

Is the Estes X-15 the one with the BT-70 body tube and cardstock wing fairings?? I've got one of those kits down in my basement.

Right now, I'm "in progress" on both the Saturn Press and Dr. Zooch Saturn Vs... just put the wraps on a Super Big Bertha, a Mean Machine and a Fat Boy, all modified to fly with 24mm D/E's...

and I'm also doing a crazy scratchbuilt I call the "Great Pumpkins..." it's gotta be ready in the next couple days...!!

As we move into winter, I've got a few other things on the burner...

 

[GL-P]

I have a G alt rocket to build, a Deuce's Wild to finsh, some repairs and a glider to finish.

 

[Starbug]

Originally posted by JStarStar
Is the Estes X-15 the one with the BT-70 body tube and cardstock wing fairings??

That one's actually BT-60, but yes, it has cardstock wing fairings. I was going for the Goonybird approach, but found a more suitable BT-60 nosecone.

 

[Mike]

Well I've got a few ideas for winter projects, might do all or none of them. I've just finished my SpaceCraft X-15A-2.

I really need to finish my 35mm camera rocket (thats been waiting for too long.) Also I might try a Thunderbird 3 or a model of SpaceShip1.

I want to upgrade my launch controller (again) and my pad too.

 

[Fore Check]

I need to do the finish work on an OOP Estes upscale I'm currently building. Well, it's built. I just need to seal the balsa (what a *beating*), prime, paint, and apply decals.

 

[BobH48]

Originally posted by starbug
As the nights get darker earlier, here are a few clone projects I'm working on.

Estes NASA Pegasus - after seeing a thread a few weeks ago in the forum, I just had to build one.

That was the one I just built.. I just added a couple of 13mm mounts in the outboard scramjets. I flew it on Saturday with a C6-5 in the center with two A10-PT's in the outboards. It flew great and you can add the motor mounts later if you want. Just add a little nose weight to balance the extra engines.

 

[gerbs4me]

I'm running out of room to put rockets, but I'm gonna build a 54mm spool rocket.

 

[kelltym88]

Well, let's see. I'm finishing up my PML Matrix for my L1 flight. The TdD is also the same weekend so I'm making a 24mm Deuce and a 29mm Deuce. I've got a 6" mailing tube I found and I have an idea for it for my L2 project. I've got a few original Estes kits I plan on building plus some more upscales. Then there are the HPR kits I need, I mean want to get. Looks like a busy winter for me. Gotta keep up with Forecheck you know .

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by Mike
I've just finished my SpaceCraft X-15A-2.

Got any pictures of it?

 

[Mike]

Yep. As you can see my finish sucks in a big way. I havn't done the decals yet and plan to have another go at finishing over the winter. I really didn't get on with all the laminated card.

 

[Starbug]

Originally posted by BobH48
That was the one I just built.. I just added a couple of 13mm mounts in the outboard scramjets. I flew it on Saturday with a C6-5 in the center with two A10-PT's in the outboards. It flew great and you can add the motor mounts later if you want. Just add a little nose weight to balance the extra engines.

Nice one Bob

Think I'll omit the outboard motors for now.
did you produce your own decals? if so nice job!

 

[hokkyokusei]

Originally posted by Mike
Yep. As you can see my finish sucks in a big way. I havn't done the decals yet and plan to have another go at finishing over the winter. I really didn't get on with all the laminated card.

Doesn't look too bad. I'm worried about those laminated parts myself.

 

[Micromeister]

Originally posted by gerbs4me
I'm running out of room to put rockets, but I'm gonna build a 54mm spool rocket.

Gerbs: Why do you think I'm building Micro's and their running me out of the basement....

 

[BobH48]

Originally posted by starbug
Think I'll omit the outboard motors for now.
did you produce your own decals? if so nice job!

Yes I made my own decals. They really aren't hard to do at all. The hardest part is cleaning up the scans. The flag decals on the scan didn't have any stars in the blue field so I substituted flag images that I had made from scratch earlier.

I have been on a building frenzy since I returned to the hobby in May. No one told me I was supposed to wait for winter.

In the 5 1/2 months, I have built over 30 rockets. I am looking to clone the Centuri F-16 over the winter. Good job on yours.

 

[gerbs4me]

I may start building MMX

 

[GL-P]

I'm going a little bit crazy this year. I plan on going for the G alt. record. I got a mandrel and some carbon fibre sleeve coming in the mail. I also got a prototype altimeter to use. I'm even trying to get my hands on some decent CFD software.

I'm also designing a program that integrates much of the freeware calculators I've seen. I right now have on it a drift calc, a descent velocity calc. , parachute ans streamer sizing, and BP sizing. If there is any other programs you'd like to see on it, pls PM me.

 

[r1dermon]

i'll definately be constructing a lvl 1 cert. any suggestions?

 

[BobH48]

Over the winter I am planning to build the following:

Upscale BT-70 Estes NASA Pegasus clone

Upscale BT-70 Goblin clone

Centuri SST Shuttle clone

Roachwerks Micro Maxx Saturn 1B, Little Joe II, Mercury Redstone

Plus whatever else happens to catch my eye.

 

[Fore Check]

Originally posted by BobH48
Over the winter I am planning to build the following:

Upscale BT-70 Goblin clone

I've built two in that size. Both are 2 x 24mm BP clusters. The straightforward one is 2 x D engine powered. The other is a 2 x E engine powered "mutant" with an upscaled Deuce's Wild motor mount. The D's give it about 1200' altitude - The E's (even in Deuce configuration) give it about 2000'.

Sandman made both of the nose cones (beautiful!) and both require nose weight (the E engine version obviously requires more.)

Here's the E engine "mutant":

https://www.fliskits.com/photo_album/nsl-2004/images/p1220088.jpg

Here's the D engine version on liftoff:

 

[Fore Check]

Originally posted by kelltym88
Gotta keep up with Forecheck you know .

LOL!



The project that I referenced above is now sealed and painted - just waiting on the extra-special, super secret decals....

 

[BobH48]

Originally posted by Fore Check
I've built two in that size. Both are 2 x 24mm BP clusters. The straightforward one is 2 x D engine powered. The other is a 2 x E engine powered "mutant" with an upscaled Deuce's Wild motor mount. The D's give it about 1200' altitude - The E's (even in Deuce configuration) give it about 2000'.

Sandman made both of the nose cones (beautiful!) and both require nose weight (the E engine version obviously requires more.)

I'm undecided on motor configuration but 1200' on 2 D's looks good to me. I suppose I could build it for E's and use a spacer for D's.

I was also considering just a single 24mm mount. That way I could try some composite motors without having to worry about clustering.

I haven't done anything other than LPR and I wanted to jump into mid power but not go too extreem.

Sandman is making the nose cone for this.

 

[sandman]

Sandman is making the nose cone for this.

Corection...Sandman MADE the nose cone...it'll ship in the morning.

 

[BobH48]

Originally posted by sandman
Corection...Sandman MADE the nose cone...it'll ship in the morning.

And...... Here is the cone on my BT-70 Goblin. I figure I may as well post the picture now, 'cause I probably won't be doing much painting until spring.

 

[BobH48]

Sandman may be wondering why I had to have two of those BT-70 Goblin cones..

The NASA Pegasus used the same cone as the Goblin so I needed another to upscale it to a BT-70 size.

 

[sandman]

BTW guys, with all the Goblin nose cones I've been making (man, I lost count a long time ago!) I've managed to "mess up a few.

So I do have some not for a BT-70 (2.217" O.D.) but 2.04" in diameter to fit the Centuri ST-20 sized tube.

The tube is from Totally Tubulat and is tube T-2.04".

Smaller than a BT-70 but bigger than a BT-60.

I think I have 2 or 3 of them.

Not bad really...only 3 oopses out of a whole bunch of nose cones.

Maybe I'll keep one for myself.

 

[sandman]

Bob,

Yes, I was wondering that!

But hey I just had an order for 4 or five different size Goblin cones at the same time...I wasn't gonna ask!