New Design: Outpost Voyager
 

Here is another design with the theme of a long distance interstellar traveler between planet outposts. Finally found a good use for the Semroc BC-1043. I think that that odd nosecone really makes this design look good and plan on using it more often. I did leave the Dv's a little high and on the early side of this design as she will probably be heavier that Rocksim says. It will also require a 48" and will use either B6-2 or C6-5.

Enjoy and Thanks Again, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Nice design, as usual. This one begs to be built. It has the kind of lines that suggest it should still be a great model, even if it is a bit heavy. Reef the chutes...

One of these days next century maybe I can get some building time and work a copy up. Looks like it should be a good display model, too.

Ditto!
 

Thanks Craig, I am glad you like it.
.
CPMcGraw Quote:



Ditto, here on my end as well. I just took a month or some and stopped with all the Rocksimming and went to building and painting. Now I am back to Rocksim and have taken a look at what I thought was complete and ready to post :eek: . What was I thinking :o (smacking forehead) they all need more work and in a bad way! Just needed a fresh set of eyes I guess.

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Astro Sat LSX bash
 

Well, I am not sure if this is technically a kit bash -- I just stole the nose cone and tube, then added more tubes, sawed of cones, etc.

Attached are pctures of the work in progress, and the box art of the bashed kit. One of the most lame designs using a "Fighter" style nose cone I ever saw come out of Estes. But I bought two of them knowing I'd steal the cone for another project.

This one is a "one-off" -- no plans, I'm refinishing a dresser for my daughter, and decided to invent the build on the fly, between endless sanding I needed a diversion!. It will not be a high-flyer, I used the plastic motor mount out the Astro Sat LSX kit, which is an 18mm mount. (Kit had a fin unit that had glue-in fins, which I left out. The tube is a BT-56, which I glued into a BT-60, and then deformed the tube into an oval, so the outer tube looks like it forms engine intakes.

Will sand, and then primer the whole thing this week. Has been kind of fun to see what happens. I'd cut out a fin template, modify it, try different mounting locations, etc.

This cone had a couple of other turdly Almost RTF designs in its lifetime. One was the dual shuttle bird that had gliders that flew like leaves in the fall. I got one in the Designer's Special that I bought back in 2001 and I was p.o.'d. It gathered dust for most of the spring and I somehow eventually used it in an upscale of a Design Of The Month bird that I called the Marauder. (I think the Intruder was the name of the original plan.) It flew great and was lost after only a couple of flights, and I surprised myself by buying an AstroSat kit to bash into another one. That one is still flying, but showing its age. ;)

Two thumbs up in my book. Nicely done gentlemen :cool: , very nicely done.

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Thanks James for the nice words... I've got to go back thru this thread (long!). I've spotted some pretty creative designs here and want a closer examination.

Bill -- nice! Is yours built for 18mm? I'd be afraid of never seeing mine again with anything more than a C. I tend to fly stuff like this a time or two, chicken out, and retire it to the top of the bookcase.

:)

I seem to be in a sci-fi / fantasy rocket mood. Next may be the upscale Orbital Transport (got the decals!) and then maybe the Outlander customizations. I also found parts I'd started for another Saturn IV, slightly bigger than the plans call for (ala Peter Always' book).

About that fighter jet...
 

Lee,

That looks *really* cool! :D Congrats on the "stream of consciousness" build! :cool:


Cheers,

New Design: Cosmic Moon Ship
 

This is a new design that I call the Cosmic Moon Ship (18mm). These planes with the wings in a more forward position are difficult to get a posative static margin. Adding nose wieght helps but seems to really hamper the preformance in flight. I have added BT-3 tubes in pairs to the tail for looks. I have discovered that with any tube fins it is much easier to align them on the BT in pairs if I first glued together on a flat surface in pairs.

Thanks and Enjoy, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

James,

Another very cool design. This is a fun thread to check in on periodically.

I've never gotten around to buying Rocksim, and all the great designs I've seen on this thread, plus the website, have me getting really close to placing that order. Problem is, I've got lots of old Estes classics to build, some ideas in my head, and all the designs posted here are making the problem get worse, not better!

I need to retire SOON and up the build rate!

:)

LeeR


Thanks Lee, I am glad you like what we have here. The Choice to build, fly or design seems to be a simple one with me lately. If I have the parts, I build, if not I design :D .

Here is another design I call the Frontier Explorer. I got the illustration from an G. Harry Stine book cover I found on e-bay. The book was called Man and the Space Frontier. Picture too large to post. It is not anything scale, I just gave it a good guess and some major tweeking for stability.

Thanks Again and Enjoy, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Some new versions of an old kludge...
 

This set of designs is based on the 3" components just announced in the "Vendors" thread by Mercury Engineering. Their 3" ogive nose cone looked interesting...

I call this set the Big Baby Cherokee D3Mx, where "x" represents the number of 24mm motor tubes in the model.

General specs for all three models:

Length: 28.0"
Diameter" 3.0"
Fin Span: 12.08"

[ADDENDUM: RockSim plugged in a setting of "solid" instead of "hollow" for the nose cone. I didn't catch it until the files were sent. It does change the flight specs quite a bit... :o :D ]


D3M1 specs:

Weight: 11.38 oz (no ballast required)

F21W-6......1300'......Dv 1 FPS......48" x 3/16" rod



D3M2 specs:

Weight: 12.03 oz (0.5 oz ballast in tip of NC required)

(2) E30-7.......1710'......Dv 24 FPS......36" x 3/16" rod


D3M3 specs:

Weight: 14.38 oz (3 oz ballast required in tip of NC)

(3) F21W-8......3000'......Dv 34 FPS......36" x 3/16" rod
(3) F72-10......3575'......Dv 15 FPS......36" x 3/16" rod
(3) F32-10......3945'......Dv 7 FPS.......36" x 3/16" rod

Enjoy!

More Parts!
 

Nice designs Craig, and I wiil be sure to add the NC to my database. A guy can always use more parts :D .

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

New Plan -- BarJet 3524
 

OK, here's one that's a little more serious in nature. Using those Mercury Engineering components, I applied a full measure of force in motors to reach a full mile in altitude. It jumps off the pad and reaches stable flight velocity in 13", so a minimum 36" x 1/4" rod is required. A 48" x 1/4" rod would give it more support, though.

Length: 61.875"
Diameter: 3.0"
Fin Span: 12.0"
Weight: 19.77 oz
Parachute: 36" Rip-Stop Nylon

(5) G55-10......5000'......Dv 23 FPS......36" x 1/4" rod
(5) G37-10......5321'......Dv 20 FPS......36" x 1/4" rod

More foo for thought... :D

Enjoy!

PS -- Whoever builds this bird owes us all some flight shots!

My cements eggzactly... :D

Seriously, though, having a manufacturer of larger components opens up a multitude of possibilities...

Imagine, for example, if we had the SEMROC BC-760 nose cone in 3" diameter hollow poly? My head is spinning about what the Andromeda would look like at that scale...

Let's see...

3" divided by 0.736" equals about 4.08. Now, the current version of the Andromeda is 29.25", multiplied by 4.08 gives us 119.34". The original fin span is 5.86", multiplied by 4.08 would be 23.90" across.

Sounds like I need to work up a RockSim on this bad boy... :rolleyes: :D :eek:

Hmm, makes me wonder if Vern got the idea for the Drifter from this design. Except that the Drifter was single BT, its fins and tailcone have a very similar look.

LeeR


If you are still wondering, check this out and tell me what classic kit this Vintage Sci-Fi magazine cover of Startling Stories has inspired? One of my most favorite kits :D .

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Well let's see now could it be the Centuri Starfight from Buck Rogers or the Blackhawk
from estes. The latter of I am just waiting on parts for the up scale kits :D :D :D




Mark

Upscale Blackhawk! Cool!
 

Mark


Yeah, Blackhawk, that's the one I was thinkin of ;) .
An upscale of the Blackhawk is a must buy in my book. Do you have a release date yet Mark? Advance Orders??

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Hoping to have it done and ready for release with in the next 2 months. Not sure the price yet.
Anyone that wants to put in a advanced order just send me a email or PM and I'll put you on a list to have 1st option when the kit is done.

Oh ya and James I have put you on the list. :)

Loretta
sales@hawkshobby.com

Finally I am on someboby's list in a good way :D , at least this time ;) !

Thanks Loretta, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

New Plan -- King Croesus
 

A burly 24mm design for smoke and noise. The name fits the design, making more noise than a similarly sized model. Croesus was a braggard in his day, only spared from the smoke and flame by Cyrus at the last moment.

Length: 23.20"
Diameter: 1.04" (ST-10 main body)
Fin Span: 7.75"
Weight: 2.92 oz

All motors reach flight velocity in 36", although the C11 and D12 take it to the end of the rod...

C11-5......558'.......Dv 0.5 FPS
D12-7......1168'......Dv 24 FPS
E15-7......2459'......Dv 15 FPS
E6-6.......2782'......Dv 19 FPS

Enjoy!

New Design: M-4
 

CPMcGraw

Good one Craig. I guess that this would be concidered a Mid Power design. Maybe instead of a Schoolyard Sounder it's a Sports Field Special :D ?

Here is a retro design with a sort of Russian appeal that I call the M-4. Its the typical 18mm motor mount and flies well on B-C motors. Also as usual all Semroc Parts.

Enjoy and Thanks Again, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

I like it, James. Sometimes it's fun to just step back and whip out a simple design with good to modest performance. And it flies from a standard rod, too. Dress it up with some red stars and your Russian-Retro will be complete...

New Design: Mach 9
 

Here is another Jet that flies on 13mm motor. The main body is a ST-7 tube and I have named it Mach 9.

Lately I have finished one job :D , took a week off of work :p , and started another job only working 40 hrs a week. It is very very nice to have my weekends back after 5 months of 60 hr weeks. Plan on getting some more test flights in soon ;) .


Enjoy and Thanks Again, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

Could you repost the 3D view in different colors? I can't make it out in black-on-black, and I don't have RockSim anymore...

Hope this Helps.
 

Solomoriah


Hope this Helps. I have not figured out how to save a file for the fin patterns yet so here are some other views and info.

Mach 9 (13mm)
Launch guide length: 36.0000 In

MOTOR.................MAX. ALTITUDE...........DEP. VELOCITY
[1/2A3T-4].........210.33248 Ft................26.3935 ft/s
[A10T-3].............441.16155 Ft................24.9400 ft/s
A3T-4].................469.95209 Ft................1.1093 ft/s

The Dv's are a littler high but these design always seem to be a little heavier than Rocksim says.

Mach 9 Parts List: All Semroc Parts

--Nose cone Semroc - BC-727 - Balsa Nose Cone, Material: Balsa
Solid Ogive,
--Main Body tube Semroc - ST-790 - Body Tube, Material: Spiral/Glassine
--Wing Fin set - Custom, Material: Balsa 3/32” (2 Qty.)
--Motor Mount Body tube Semroc - ST-520 - Body Tube, Material: Spiral/Glassine
--Engine block Semroc - TB-5 - Thrust Block, Material: Paper
--Tail Fin set - Custom, Material: Balsa 3/32” (2 Qty.)
--Parachute Semroc - CP-12 - 12 in. Plastic Chute, Material: Polyethylene LDPE
--Screw Eye-Large Semroc - SE-12 - Screw Eye-Large
--Shock Cord Semroc - - , Material: 1/8 In. flat elastic 20 inches
--Centering ring Semroc - CR-57 - Centering Ring, Material: **Paper .05 Thickness** (2 Qty.)
--Canopy - Custom, Material: Balsa **3/8 inches thickness**
--Pod tube Semroc - Bt-3 - Semroc Classic, Material: Paper (2 Qty.)
Len: 2.0000 In. Location: 0.0000 In. From the base of Main Body tube
--Launch lug Semroc - LL-115 - Launch Lug, Material: Paper

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

It's beautiful. But a margin of 0.46 without engines seems a bit unstable to me.

Healthy Margin
 

Solomoriah


Solomoriah, in that particular view I move the wing fins forward and at 0 degrees so both fin patterns would be visible for you to see. The actual margin with an A3T-4 loaded is a healthy 1.60 margin with wings in rear location and at 90 degrees.

Also made a mistake on the previous parts list post. The balsa material in the Rocksim file is 1/16 ich material to get a margin of 1.60. Balsa material of 3/32 inch thick can also be used and only drops the margin down to 1.53 margin.

Thanks Again and Enjoy, JP

James Pierson
NAR # 77907

RockSim has an export option button at the bottom of the fin dialog which saves a pattern as an SVG file, or "Scaleable Vector Graphic". You need Corel Draw (or some other vector-graphic program) to edit it. Photoshop is not capable of reading this or doing anything with it.

It's not 100% accurate, but for most plans, it works reasonably well. Corel Draw, on the other hand, has a steep learning curve as well as some internal bugs when it comes to importing SVG images to work with. There is also one book available for Draw 12, and it's not the most user-friendly or complete; it just happens to be the only book available anywhere. This is what I'm working with now for fin patterns on all future BARCLONE projects, and it's also what Carl uses to prime the Krell laser with. :D

Not an endorsement of the website, but you might be able to get a copy of Draw 12 here for $50: http://www.everythingoutlet.com/cid/soft-graphic

Note that Carl needs fin pattern files in Draw 10 format, not Draw 12, so anything you send him would need to be saved in the older format...

The book is called "Corel Draw 12 The Official Guide", by Steve Bain. You can get a copy from Amazon for $29.99: http://www.amazon.com/Coreldraw-12-...85663672&sr=8-1

A minor clarification, please...
 

So you can "Save As" version 10 format?

Inquiring minds want to know. :eek: ;) :D


Cheers,

There's an option on the "Save As" dialog; it's not in the File | Menu per se, but in the actual "Save As" dialog on the far-right. There's a drop-down box which allows you to save in formats all the way back to Draw 7.

InkScape is Open Source (i.e. Free) and handles SVG just fine. The Gimp (another Open Source program) can read SVG but doesn't always do a good job with it. I've used both in concert, i.e. InkScape to convert the image to a bitmap, then Gimp to polish it, with good success.

I really hate to buy software, but that's a rant for another day.

I bought my copy of Corel Draw only because "He Who Cuts Out Our Fins With Death Rays" says his machine takes this format. That's good enough reason for me... :D

"Stare Directly into the Laser Beam, please..."
 

Likewise. I mean, that's just how the Krell draw things... :eek: :rolleyes: ;) :D


"Monsters from the Id!" (Vincent Price voice) "--Or is that *Idaho?*" (maniacal laughter)

http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showt...hlight=Mu-tater


Cheers,

By "this format," do you mean SVG? SVG is the NATIVE format of InkScape, while it is an "export" for Corel. If I ever get the urge to have fins custom cut, I'll try InkScape first.

No, the native format for Corel Draw is CDR. His laser apparently can accept Draw 10 CDR files directly as input. It doesn't accept Draw 12 CDR files, however.

New Design: Nebula
 

This particular design called Nebula, and I have redone it several times. The forward fin set on this design does not help the margin much. I finally can up with a way to add clay nose wieght without drilling the nose cone. Clay can be added by cutting the main BT 1.5 to 2 inches aft of the BNC and add a balsa tube coupler at this joint. The clay can be added in the hollow BT section between the BNC coupler and the Balsa Tube Coupler :D . The 2D drawing might help better explain this method :confused: .

This design is inspired by a vintage sci-fi magazine cover called Nebula issue #27. It is an 18mm design and falls in the VR class of designs. All Semroc parts have been used.

Enjoy and Thanks Again, JP

James Pierson
NAR# 77907

New Plan -- Sizzler
 

OK, so this is a tired name that's been abused too often. I figured I couldn't do any worse...

Length: 16.10"
Diameter: 1.04" (ST-10)
Fin Span: 4.04"
Weight: 1.13 oz

A8-3.......239'......Dv 6 FPS.......36" x 1/8" rod
B4-4.......521'......Dv 10 FPS......36" x 1/8" rod
B6-4.......525'......Dv 14 FPS......36" x 1/8" rod
C6-5......1045'......Dv 8 FPS.......36" x 1/8" rod

It's a simple build, and should be a good stable flyer.

Enjoy!

New Plan -- Eclipse
 

Eclipse is 13mm powered and has reasonable performance for its size. I'm putting this one in the "Schoolyard Sounders" category.

Length: 16.70"
Diameter: 0.908" (ST-8)
Fin Span: 3.908"
Weight: 1.08 oz

1/2 A3-2T......113'......Dv 13 FPS......36" x 1/8" rod
A10-3T.........314'......Dv 16 FPS......36" x 1/8" rod
A3-4T..........319'......Dv 14 FPS......36" x 1/8" rod

May be one of my next build projects...

Enjoy!