08-19-2018, 04:02 PM
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The Alpha Kid
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Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: central PA
Posts: 421
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Fireball XL5
Been working on this one for ages. From the 60's TV series. Parts from Semroc as well as plenty of found objects such as magic marker caps, fountain pen cartridges, plastic mesh, etc.
Main body is a BT-70 running full length with a BT-80 rear section. Most of the small bits are made of carved balsa. I hand cut all the XL5 decals from sheet vinyl using a swivel hobby knife. It is heavy at 23 oz. and measures 27" long with an 11" wingspan.
I had hoped to use an E12, but the finished weight will demand a composite F motor. I'm concerned about the forward fins, so I may use a conventional nose cone for a flight attempt. My wife thinks I'm crazy to fly it at all and risk damage. Balance was difficult to obtain and there is a ring of lead bars epoxied in just behind the nose cone shoulder. I made them by hammering .440 lead musket balls into small rectangles. I didn't want to put that much weight into the nose since it might be too much for the ejection charge to push. I picked up a 30" nylon chute for a gentle descent.
Ever notice how really interesting old sci-fi ships seem to break all the rules of aerodynamic flight when you try to model them?
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