Winter Projects from the OKTurbo Shop..PICS

[OKTurbo]

Let's see those winter projects!

Here's the finished 29mm / BT80H based Sprint built using Sandman's nosecone and Phred's decals.

 

[OKTurbo]

Another view...

 

[OKTurbo]

Close up of Phred's decal....beautiful job on these BTW....

 

[OKTurbo]

Another winter build...

The ScaleKits Falcon.

 

[OKTurbo]

Falcon cont'd

 

[OKTurbo]

And waiting for paint is a 1/12 scale (29mm) Bomarc from Empire Rockets.

My next project will be an Upscale Interceptor w/ Sandman parts....and fixing the two stage MikeIX...

 

[cls]

nice work! thanks for posting the pix, put a smile on my face. oh, and good luck getting that Sprint back!!

 

[billeblurzz]

Very nice work, John! I was also interested in the FALCON but held off when you had some problems with the kit. It really looks good now! Would you still recommend it? Bomarcs are some of my favorites!

 

[OKTurbo]

Hey Bill,

Thanks for the compliments.

ScaleKits Falcon kit...hmmmm...I'm not sure if I would recommend it or not. My kit was really messed up. The fin patterns were wrong, the wood was the wrong size, the BT80 body tube was poor quality, and as it turns out, I found the decals were wrong after I painted it. All of the waterslide decals were on clear decal sheet. The CG and fin decals should have had a white background. I ended up putting the decals on a sheet of Monocote adhesive trim and then put them on the rocket. The adhesive yellow vinyl stripes look too narrow (1/2 the width) as shown in the instructions.

Not having a good drawing or picture of the AIM-4G version of the Falcon, I'm basing this on the instructions and drawing that were (website now dead) on the ScaleKits site.

It does make a handsome midpower rocket, but I would just scratch build it. The nose cone looks like a BT80 Big Bertha cone. I have the fin patterns if you'd like build a 'clone'.

To Gary Nichols credit, he did try to make things right with the kit. He even sent me a freebie Alarm kit to help smooth things over. BUT...ScaleKits is in transition right now to Uncle Mike. I would wonder if Uncle Mike's current stock of Falcon kits has the same issues as the one I got....and whether Uncle Mike would have the patience to deal with making it right rather than just a refund if you got a "bad" one.

Live and Learn,
John

 

[UncMikesRktShk]

To Gary Nichols credit, he did try to make things right with the kit. He even sent me a freebie Alarm kit to help smooth things over. BUT...ScaleKits is in transition right now to Uncle Mike. I would wonder if Uncle Mike's current stock of Falcon kits has the same issues as the one I got....and whether Uncle Mike would have the patience to deal with making it right rather than just a refund if you got a "bad" one.

anyone who had gotten a Falcon with the pad fin pattern, can contact me and I will see you get a replacement pattern. Gary is working with me on this and he also will send you a replacement should it be needed. just Email either one of us and we will be happy to help you out.

 

[sandman]

WOW!

The Sprint looks fantastic!

 

[OKTurbo]

Thanks Gordon,

After seeing pictures of yours, I was inspired to take my time and finish it nice. For such a simple looking rocket, it takes a lot of time to get it all smooth with the airfoiled fins and fillets.

I can't wait to fly it! I'll probably send it up on a F21 first using a 24x29 adapter. I've had good luck with the F21's....they light easy and have a good punch off the pad.

Have you flown yours yet?

 

[astronboy]

Boy, That is one heck of a Sprint!! It came out stunning!! You simply MUST get us some launch photos!! (I sure hope you have some sort of tracking device!!)

PHRED

 

[sandman]

OK, now I wish I had ordered the larger meatball decal from astronboy instead of using the smaller one from the BT-56 sized kit...

John, yours looks so much better like that than mine does.

Mine will fly at Whitaker in April!

I have one of those personal alarm things I got from eugene...it still works!

 

[OKTurbo]

Oh...Don't worry...there WILL be launch pics.

You guys have got me worried now. It won't go THAT high will it?!? The only loads I have for my 29/40-120 case are some E23's/F40's/and a couple of G33's. I do have a couple of F23 BlackJack SU, but the delays are pretty short on those...4 seconds I think. I need to weigh it again, but it's well over 1 lb.

Gordon, Didn't you do a RocSim on this one? What's a good motor/delay combo for about 1000'? (I've been spending too much money on Sandman parts to afford RocSim )

Maybe I should order a microbeacon from Doug Pratt?!?!

(I started on the big Interceptor tonight )

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
Let's see those winter projects!

Here's the finished 29mm / BT80H based Sprint built using Sandman's nosecone and Phred's decals.

Very awesome.

How'd you do the tail cone? And the hooks?

I like the F21's also. I got a whole 34" 29mm coupler stock tube to cut up to make adapters for rockets with 29mm MMTs.

If you weigh it and send me the weight, I can run some sims for you in AeroDRAG. I'll tell you ahead of time, you've got a subsonic cD down around 0.3. Just guessing at 1.5 pounds loaded:
E23 = 300' @ 3.6 sec
F21 = 1010' @ 6.2 sec
F23 = 633 @ 5.15 sec
F40 = 1495' @ 8.25 sec
G33 = 2151' @ 9.35 sec
and just for fun
Ellis Mountain H50 = 7301' @ 15.3 sec

 

[astronboy]

Hi Gang,

After receiving several requests for this decal, I have added the Astron Sprint BT-80 upscale to the website. The decal includes 2 of the round 'meatballs' and several classic 'astron' period ESTES logos.

Please feel free to stop by the website and check the SPRINT as well as other upscale decals now available. (The Sprint and the other upscales are listed under the 'Upscaled Classics' tab)

Thanks for your support!!

Phred

 

[g_boxwood]

Amazing work OKTurbo !!! You kept busy during the winter .

 

[OKTurbo]

Dyna,

The nose cone and tail cone were crafted by Sandman. VERY NICE stuff! You get spoiled working with his parts. Top notch all the way. The motor retainer hooks are hand made using stainless steel wiper blade stiffeners. Sandman did a similar set-up on his BT80 Sprint. Kind of like an Estes hook on steriods.

I'm not sure how Sandman put in his hooks, but on mine, I did a "reverse" bend on the forward end of the hooks. In other words, they don't bend into the motor tube, they bend out into the inside of the tail cone. I sharpend them up a bit and just poked then into the tail cone at the right distance/depth. Then I hit the area with some thin CA to harden it up. The motor tube then goes into the tail cone and holds it all in place. The added benefit is that there is no thrust block or hook into the MMT. If I ever get a wild hair I can put a longer 29mm RMS motor in it and send it to the stratosphere.

Fully loaded with a 36" TopFlight chute and the 29/40-120 case (empty) it weighed in at 1lb 6oz. The 36" chute is probably a little bit big for it....might reef it down a bit depending on how high she flies / how fast she drops with the laundry out. CG is well forward. Maybe a little overstable if anything.

 

[sandman]

My engine hooks are "almost" the same.

They are doubled like yours but I didn't use a reverse bent.

I did use an engine block in mine.

I do not forsee using an RMS or anything bigger than an Econojet "G" for this thing.

Hey...I want it back!

I'm thinking of using a 30" homemade chute...that seems about right. I haven't weighed mine yet but I don't think it weighs as much as yours

 

[DynaSoar]

Originally posted by OKTurbo
Dyna,

The nose cone and tail cone were crafted by Sandman. VERY NICE stuff! You get spoiled working with his parts. Top notch all the way. The motor retainer hooks are hand made using stainless steel wiper blade stiffeners. Sandman did a similar set-up on his BT80 Sprint. Kind of like an Estes hook on steriods.

I'm not sure how Sandman put in his hooks, but on mine, I did a "reverse" bend on the forward end of the hooks. In other words, they don't bend into the motor tube, they bend out into the inside of the tail cone. I sharpend them up a bit and just poked then into the tail cone at the right distance/depth. Then I hit the area with some thin CA to harden it up. The motor tube then goes into the tail cone and holds it all in place. The added benefit is that there is no thrust block or hook into the MMT. If I ever get a wild hair I can put a longer 29mm RMS motor in it and send it to the stratosphere.

Fully loaded with a 36" TopFlight chute and the 29/40-120 case (empty) it weighed in at 1lb 6oz. The 36" chute is probably a little bit big for it....might reef it down a bit depending on how high she flies / how fast she drops with the laundry out. CG is well forward. Maybe a little overstable if anything.

I'm right with you on using Sandman parts. I've got a couple very successful designs using them.

Nice idea about the reverse bend-into-tailcone. IMO, it's a great way to use up spare Estes hooks. I think I'd be afraid the hook would put the MMT tube out of round if there weren't a slight channel for it in the tail cone though. I'd tried 3 hooks on one rocket, but that was a PITA. I think two is probably as good and probably much easier to work with.

Insert my standard pro-Top Flight X-form chute rant here. A 36" would give you appx. 17 fps descent. Less drift means less walking after a high flight. They tend to require more descent rate to open fully, and so stream down for a second or two before opening, almost like a drogue. Again, less walking, and that one or two seconds is real exciting.

 

[OKTurbo]

It warmed up a bit and I got a coat of primer (Kilz) on the 1/12th Bomarc after work today. I'm going to paint this one the 'standard' Bomarc black/white/copper cone scheme. Black paint shows every flaw so I want to take my time with the prep....in other words....Lots of sanding....

Here's a pic.

 

[OKTurbo]

Update on the Empire Rocketry 1/12 Bomarc kit.

It's Done! I modified it to take a single 29mm instead of the stock 2x24mm mount. Decals are from Phred at Excelsior Rocketry.

 

[OKTurbo]

Another pic with my "rocket buddy" Philip.

 

[fyrechaser]

Great looking project! Looking forward to some flight pics...