Saturn Towers

I've built a lot of towers over the years.
For comparison, here's the Saturn towers from various kits.

On the upper left is the BT-20 based Dr. Zooch Saturn V tower. It's really a silhouette tower, made of four sided card stock. Still, very strong and effective at this size.
In the middle is another Dr. Zooch tower make of dowel and wire from the Saturn 1B series of kits.
To the right is the Estes 1/100 scale capsule and tower from the recent, reissued Saturn V kit.















The silver capsule to the left is the Semroc Little Joe II kit. 1/70th scale, it's constructed from dowels.
And finally, the Apogee Saturn V tower. This picture was taken while the model was still under construction.
Both the final two builds are 1/70th scale. Compare the two towers. The Apogee Saturn is closer to the truth in strut diameters!

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/31    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 10 Paint and Trim

After the gray primer was sanded down, here's the main body with the white undercoat.

I decided to paint the model with metallics, gold and silver.
I'd always liked the bare metal look of the science fiction concept ships.

Two opposing fins were glued in place and fillets applied.
This entire assembly would be silver.
Actually, I'll be using a can of the cheap WalMart Aluminum. I've had great luck with it in the past.
The two other fins and long nose cone were painted with Krylon gold.


This trim material is amazing. It's Contact paper, a semi gloss black made to be used as a blackboard covering. I picked up a roll at Michael's craft store.

Tapered strips were cut with a straightedge and stuck down a little below the leading edge.

This will be the cockpit glass on the nose cone.
All pieces were cut to size while still on the Contact paper backing sheet.

Only the black top layer was cut completely through.




The masking tape is there as a guide to line up the two opposite sides.

A final piece of the canopy glass went over the top.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/31    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 9 Uh Oh!

This actually happened twice before. I'm tired of gluing them back on.

On the low side of the nose cone base and top of the engine mount sections are a scalloped area with a "suspended" circle.

The laser cutting was rough and the side strips supporting the center circles are too thin! This was the third area that broke during construction.
To be honest, this was one design feature I didn't like.

So - I broke them off.

There was no way to sand the rough laser cuts smooth. I didn't like the idea of a charred up decoration on the finished model. This design is so different, nobody will miss them.

Here's how the ends look now.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/31    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 8 Fins

All four fins were warped!

I'll take out the curve before gluing them in place.
A little bit of water then sitting in a heavy book overnight should take care of it.


I tried a dry fit of the fins.
You can see the cant of the fin in it's root edge slot.
The two launch lugs are also in place.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/31    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Min inre trygghet - Har du hittat din?

När man har både tid och kroppslig smärta, som omöjliggör hetsen i sitt liv,  så har man både tid och utrymme att tänka på både det ena och det andra. När själva livet bara rullar på, så ger man sig oftast inte tid till att se var man håller till i livet.

Jag följer olika människoöden i bloggvärlden. Det är omöjligt att sätta sig in i sånt man själv inte genomgår. Oftast tycker andra att dom vet bättre än en själv  hur andras liv ska vara.

Desto äldre jag blir, ju mer inser jag att livet inte är svart eller vitt. En ocean av gråsoner finns i våra liv, som vi oftast inte tar oss tid att utforska.

Dom här dagarna jag har varit helt solokvist här har varit så himla bra. Jag har kontakt med mina barn, så att jag vet att dom har det bra och att min fostran till självständiga individer fungerar och att dom provar sina vingar och ser att dom bär.

Dels har jag kunnat vila mig ikapp efter flytten och studenten. Dels har jag inte kunnat göra nåt speciellt alls genom jag har så ont. Då kommer många tankar, som man oftast aktiverar sig med annat för att slippa ta tag i. Det är en nåd utan dess like att ha sådana dagar.

Jag har alltid varit öppen för förändringar. Nu är livet i ett nytt skede och det är så spännande att se vart det bär hän  hädanefter.

Kram

Strömmar

منبع:
http://lojrom-vittvin.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/30    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 7 Mid Body

The narrower mid-body is glued together. There are no internal supports, it's a hollow square tube.

This is the dry fit of the three sections. Everything slip fits very well.

You can see the laser cut geometric design swirls over the side walls. I can't see how to finish these, sanding the parts square just about removes them. If I didn't sand everything smooth, they'd probably show up in a color coat.

This is the Teflon engine lock ring in place.

An 18mm engine slips in easily. The ring tabs go into their four slots and the ring is turned to hold the engine in place.
Pretty ingenious, as long as you don't lose the ring.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/29    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 6 Engine Mount

Before gluing the motor mount together, I covered all the (engine side) baffle pieces with white glue. This will help protect the baffle faces from the ejection charge.

Once again, the tab sides that will make contact were lightly sanded to remove the rough edges.

The engine mount goes together much like the nose cone except there is four supports.

The lowest support is the engine block, in the middle is two baffles. The shock cord attachment is on top.

This is the mount glued together and drying.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/29    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Harry Stine Shock Lock Patent

This is the approved patent for G. Harry Stine's Shock Lock or shock cord retainer.
This one goes back to 1970 when he was with MPC.

I remember seeing these first in the old Minijet kits.
It's a simple and clean design.






Page two is interesting. The drawn model is the old Dirty Bird design with a plastic fin unit from an old fireworks rocket. I wouldn't expect to see this unit in a model rocket drawing from 1970.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/28    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 5 Nose Cone

The front support piece is then glued into the first nose cone wall.

The two side wall are glued on, and lock into the long tabs on the first side's base.

This is the nose end. I lightly sanded down the rough laser cut edges for a little better fit in the end.

The nose cone tip must be bent to meet at the tip. CA glue was used to tack it together, followed by white glue fillets inside.

To glue town the last side, white glue was applied to the edges. the glue was applied to the inside of the edges so the glue wouldn't ooze out to the outside surfaces of the nose cone.

I didn't know yet if I wanted to stain the rocket or not. Stain won't permeate white glue.

Rubber bands were used to hold everything together while it dried.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/28    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Sure Shot Igniter Patent

Irv Wait from Rocket Development Company developed this igniter that went on to become the Centuri Sure-Shot igniter. it was filed in 1965 and approved in 1969.

The illustration at the top / middle looks like an Enerjet style where the pyrogen is coiled at the top of the propellant.

I used many of these style igniters in the 1970s and preferred them over the Estes igniters available at that time. Back then, these were the best igniters to use in clusters.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/28    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 4 Lug Gluing

Here's a dry test fit of the forward and rear nose cone supports. The lower support has a slot for the shock cord lug attachment.

The shock cord "lug" is slid through the slot and glued in place.

If you ever build one of these kits, be careful here. I broke the centering ring support on the engine mount side when pushing the low lug in place.

The laser cut pieces are thin and delicate.

The shock cord is tied on before gluing the support into the nose cone side. It'd be hard to tie it on after the support is glued in.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/28    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

En tid av avsked. Vilse i pannkakan

I går morse klockan fem, så skjutsade jag mina söner och sons fästmö till tåget. De åkte till Göteborg för konsert och kommer hem på måndag. Dom var ett helt gäng härifrån som åkte och har säkert jättekul.

I morse halv sju, så skjutsade jag dottern och hennes kille till tåget. De åkte till Hellesylt i Norge för att jobba i sommar. Hon var där förra sommaren också och jobbade och trivdes så gott där. Jag fick sms för en stund sedan att dom var framme. Först åkte dom Nabotåget härifrån och sen flyg från Trondheim till Ålesund och sen buss 20 mil till Hellesylt. Så jag anar att dom är ganska trötta och möra nu :-).

I kväll har jag varit till min väninna och sagt hejdå. I morgonbitti går hennes flyttlass till Stockholm. Jag är så glad för hennes skull att tiden är inne för hennes flytt. Men ack så tomt det blir för min del. Jag blev nästan illamående av att se allt flyttkartongerna. Har nog min egen flytt för nära inpå än. Hon körde ju min bil då vid flytten och nu är det dax för henne själv.

Ens uteomgivning påverkar nog en mer än man tror. När vi bodde i stan, hade vi trafiken alldeles utanför, med ljud mest dygnet runt + att hissen hördes hela tiden. Nästan aldrig tyst omkring en. Man tror att man vänjer sig. Men nu när jag bor på bottenplan med egen ingång och lugnt omkring här, så märker jag hur jag varvar ner och mycket som kommer ikapp en då. Dels har jag så ont i ena höften som strålar ner i benat,  så jag knappt kan gå och inte ruscha på som jag vill. Då kommer mera tankar när man måste ta det lugnt och det är  stillhet omkring en. 

Jag vet att det bara ett par år till som jag har ungdomar kvar boendes här hos mig. Men nu har det blivit än mer påtagligt och det är en så ovan känsla och förvirrande också. Jag har ju haft barn sedan jag var 22 år och i olika omgångar med åldersgrupper. Att ställa om sig till att bli ensamboende, när man då fyllt 60 år,  känns ganska märkligt. Det är ändå skönt om krisandet kan komma redan nu om det. Bättre att ligga lite före och ha skapat lite mera liv för mig själv tills dess. 


I går blev äntligen bredbandet påkopplat. Jag har nog inte varit med om en flytt där det har gått smidigt på den fronten. Den här gången var jag ute i god tid med att beställa. Redan 19 april. Sen var det krångel med det att deras fax inte hade nått fram och det blev nybeställning när jag ringde upp i maj. Sen har det krånglat med att dom påstått att jacket här inte varit fritt. Men hursomhaver. Nu är det inkopplat i alla fall och jag kunde installera själv med trådlöst till min dator och det fungerar som det ska nu.


Nu ska jag bara vila och hasa runt här dom dagar som sönerna är borta tills måndag. Har inte så stort val, genom jag knappt kan gå. Det är nog någon mening med det också *ler*.

Kram

Strömma

 

منبع:
http://lojrom-vittvin.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/27    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Old Centuri Baffle Patent

It's amazing what you can find doing some patent searches.
Here's one from March 6, 1973, that's the date the patent was approved.
The application was submitted July 21, 1971.
Enlarge the picture and you can see the inventor names as Lawrence Brown and Leroy Piester.



Page two shows a generic Mark style cutaway showing the path of the ejection charge.
There are other pages of copy with all the legal language explaining the operation in layman's terms.

It's interesting that this style of line art has been used in patent applications since patents began.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/26    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 3 Parachute

While the lugs dry, the parachute is next up in the instructions.
The tape strips are unlike anything I've ever seen in a kit.
In addition to the weird shape, they seem too large for a 12" parachute.



A reinforcing plywood piece is stuck near the center fold of each strip.




The lower half goes under each corner.
You have to be careful when folding over the tape strip. The shroud line holes must line up.




I used a toothpick to be sure both holes were on top of each other.
The parachute material is translucent, it's easier just to look through before folding over the strip.

These tape strips are difficult to position and center correctly.
I don't see any reason for the plywood reinforcements.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/26    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

S.D. Xanadune Build Part 2 Lugs

The instructions are confusing. It looks as if the patent illustrations were used.
There is plenty of copy but only four illustrations are shown.
The illustrations are exploded drawings. While the laser cut parts are lettered, the instruction parts are numbered.

A first time builder would have trouble getting through the build.

First up, the lugs are made.
Two are glued back to back, making two sets of each.

The larger holed lugs on the left are the launch lugs.
The smaller holed "lugs" are actually a shock cord retainer.

The two matching pieces were glued together and held in a clothespin until dry.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/25    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

New Version of Open Rocket V 1.5.5

The newest version of Open Rocket is now available!
You can find it here:

http://openrocket.sourceforge.net/

This is version 1.5.5 and includes updates to the printing system for use on Windows.
If you haven't downloaded this free simulator you are missing out!
While it doesn't have all the features of RockSim it's still a great freebie.

For some Open Rocket tips from an earlier blog post, go HERE

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/25    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Stellar Dimensions Xanadune Part 1 Parts

I picked this kit up for $10.00 at the May TTRA Tampa launch.
I'd seen a few on EBAY, but never closeup.

Stellar Dimensions is no longer in business, they had a half dozen kits in production in the late 1990s.
Their claim to fame was their rocket bodies were square. Most all parts were laser cut from basswood and thin ply. The visible side of the body parts had faint laser cut lines in geometric patterns.

Here's all the parts laid out. If you count everything, there is 48 pieces to put together.

In the bag, the kit seems flat. There is no round body tube or nose cone to be seen. Some of the laser cut parts had broken free from the sheets. The loose pieces were taped together for the picture.

Along the bottom from left to right are the 4 engine mount sides, 4 fins, 6 engine block centering rings and 4 mid body pieces.

The four long tapered pieces above are the nose cone sides.

Here's some of the more interesting parts.
One the left are the big shroud line tabs and plywood reinforcements. The tabs look like Breathe-Right nasal strips!
The white circular piece is the Teflon motor lock ring.
The black coil is the short shock cord. It's like a thin piece of licorice, too short for my liking.
On the far right is the "centering rings / baffle" pieces. More on those later.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/24    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

EBAY Auction Cox Starter Set

Here's another rare EBAY find.
This is the complete shrink wrapped Cox Model Rocket starter set.
It featured their RTF Honest John.

The Cox rockets were made from the same tough plastic as their control line airplanes.

The launcher looked a little "Apollo-ish". Much like the old Estes Electro-Launch, it had the batteries in the base.
The controller looked a little like the Centuri style of the time.

For me, the interesting element was the Cox igniters.
They looked a little like a match head in a plastic holder. The head of the igniter "plugged" into the engine nozzle. There were no micro clips, the igniter holder was joined to the cable from the launcher base.

You can see that Cox igniter and many others on Wayne Hill's Rocketry Blog HERE
The entire 1972 Cox Catalog is on the Ninfinger site HERE

This starter set auction sold for $227.50 and $12.00 for shipping.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/24    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Estes Saturn V Build FINISHED!

Oy! Its finished!
Definitely one of the longest builds and build blogs I've ever done.

Lessons learned along the way:

Take extra time sanding the fin fairings to the body contour, otherwise they won't fit high enough on the lower wrap.

Use a better grade of masking tape for masking the tricky corrugations.

That Centuri Saturn V you always wanted as a kid was harder than you'd thought it'd be at middle age.

When painting something this big, start with NEW cans of spray paint.

You'll get a LOT more hits on your rocket blog when you tackle a build like this.

Slow down, take your time. Repeat.

Take a year off before masking another Saturn V.

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/23    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

TIP Tying Untangled Shroud Lines Part 2

Without twists in the doubled line, feed it into the snap swivel eye.

Take the loop over the top and pull tight, keeping the center mark in the middle. You might need tweezers to get the loop to the bottom of the swivel eye.

Continue with the next doubled line being aware of how the line sits in the swivel eye.
Try to keep the next tied line beside or on the other side of the previous looped line. Just watch for line overlaps and twists.

Like any other technique, it'll take practice. In the end it should look like the first picture in the last post.

Check this older post to keep your shroud lines from tangling when tied too close to the nose cone: HERE

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/23    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

TIP - Tying Untangled Shroud Lines Part 1

This is one of the 8 sided parachutes from the Saturn V build.
Notice the shroud lines aren't tangled.

Tying the lines without tangles is fairly easy, it just takes a few more minutes.
The trick is to not tie all the lines through at one time.
Take them one by one, watching for twists along the way.

Before tying, find the centers.




Hold the two adjacent lines at their tape disks with one hand.





With the other hand, pull the line taught without twists and mark the center point.

Continued in the next post -

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/22    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()

Estes Saturn V Build Part 70 'Chute Tie In

Step 21 has you loop the shroud lines over a double knot tied in the shock cord.I had concerns that this loop could loosen.
I upgraded to snap swivels.



It did take a little time to get all the eight shroud lines through the small eye, but I felt much more confident in this connection.

This was repeated on the other 24" main body parachute.

Time spent on build: :30
Total time on build so far: 61:15

منبع:
http://modelrocketbuilding.blogspot.com

نوشته شده در تاریخ 1390/03/22    | توسط: فیروز قوچ داشی    |    | نظرات()