Back to basics

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Tonight while trying to get myself psyched up for more work on one of the major projects I have going, I noticed something, that being that I normally don't have to psych myself up to work on my projects. Upon realizing that I was headed for a case of burn-out, I decided to take a breather and clean up the mess I've made in my shop of late. I was busily making piles out of different uncompleted projects when I noticed that I had built up a pretty good collection of scrap body tube pieces that were too big to throw out, but too small to do much with. I consulted my notebook and found that I had made BMS parts orders going back several years and had never followed through on the projects. This led me to my nose cone box and just that fast I had three new projects going. Tonight at work I'm cutting fins for the Astron Apogee, Astron Drifter, and Mini-Brute Screamer, three of the rockets that I planned to build years ago, but just never got around to. (Well, I built a Screamer, but I decided to fly it on an A10-3T on its first flight and never saw it again. This was to be its replacement.) Now I'm facing a weekend of lousy weather, but for a change I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure where this might take me, but as long as it keeps me from taking the BIG break, it has to be good. :cool:

[sandman]

Bill,

When I get to the "burnout" stage I do the same thing...clean my workbench!

It really suprises me how enthusiastic I get about an old project when I have a "clean workbench and find a whole bunch of "stuff" I lost.

The other thing I do when I get to that stage is make up some clone "kits" for myself to make.

So when I do finally get in the mood to build I can just go to my "made up kit" box.

[dwmzmm]

Tonight while trying to get myself psyched up for more work on one of the major projects I have going, I noticed something, that being that I normally don't have to psych myself up to work on my projects. Upon realizing that I was headed for a case of burn-out, I decided to take a breather and clean up the mess I've made in my shop of late. I was busily making piles out of different uncompleted projects when I noticed that I had built up a pretty good collection of scrap body tube pieces that were too big to throw out, but too small to do much with. I consulted my notebook and found that I had made BMS parts orders going back several years and had never followed through on the projects. This led me to my nose cone box and just that fast I had three new projects going. Tonight at work I'm cutting fins for the Astron Apogee, Astron Drifter, and Mini-Brute Screamer, three of the rockets that I planned to build years ago, but just never got around to. (Well, I built a Screamer, but I decided to fly it on an A10-3T on its first flight and never saw it again. This was to be its replacement.) Now I'm facing a weekend of lousy weather, but for a change I'm looking forward to it. I'm not sure where this might take me, but as long as it keeps me from taking the BIG break, it has to be good. :cool:

The Astron Drifter was one of my favorite early Estes kit...flew it many times but don't
remember what happened to it. Will have to build a clone of one this year. And those
Mini-Brutes, I pretty much gave up on them shortly after their introduction as I kept
repeatedly losing them. I really did like the Mini-Bertha, though.

[JRThro]

I'm not sure where this might take me, but as long as it keeps me from taking the BIG break, it has to be good. :cool:
Please don't take the BIG break, Bill. We might never see you again, and that would be a shame. Seriously.

[CenturiGuy]

The other thing I do when I get to that ["burnout"] stage is make up some clone "kits" for myself to make.

So when I do finally get in the mood to build I can just go to my "made up kit" box.Gordon,

*Hey.* Now *that's* an idea. :cool:

I'm at the point where I need to take inventory of my Temporarily Abandoned But Ongoing Projects (TABOP?). :confused: ;) :D

And last summer I *did* make up some plastic baggies with all the parts for some of my original designs (minus the fin stock) that I was going to send to a Fellow Rocket Fiend... :rolleyes: but I got bogged down, and never did write up the instruction sheets. :eek: :o


Cheers,

--Jay

[CenturiGuy]

(Well, I built a Screamer, but I decided to fly it on an A10-3T on its first flight and never saw it again. This was to be its replacement.)When I was looking at the Screamer last year, it struck me as being Just Too Tiny, and probably a little more manageable (i.e., "recoverable") at a larger size... say, an ST-10 1.91X upscale. :D (And no, I haven't RockSimmed it, either. :mad: ;) :p )


I'm not sure where this might take me, but as long as it keeps me from taking the BIG break, it has to be good. :cool: (feigning confusion) Do you mean, like, from reality? :confused:


Grinning, ducking, and running,

--Jay :eek:

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

(feigning confusion) Do you mean, like, from reality? :confused:


Grinning, ducking, and running,

--Jay :eek:

Sorry. I was busy drooling. Did you say something? :eek:

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

When I was looking at the Screamer last year, it struck me as being Just Too Tiny, and probably a little more manageable (i.e., "recoverable") at a larger size... say, an ST-10 1.91X upscale. :D (And no, I haven't RockSimmed it, either. :mad: ;) :p )


Yes, it is too tiny. I lost the first one on its first flight. How do you lose a bright orange rocket on a fresh white canopy of snow?
Chan Stevens has done an upscale of this one that he wrote up on EMRR. I've been toying with the idea, but I should probably get my BT-80 Wizard flying first. :rolleyes: I think the new Screamer is going to be a small field flier on 1/4 and 1/2A's only.

[sandman]

Jay,

I found a bunch of cheap plastic "shoe boxes" that I labeled and put my "kits" into.

Then when I'm admiring how neat my shop looks after a sudden burst of "cleaning frenzy", all I have to do is look at the ends of the boxes and think, "What do I want to build next?"

They "kits" don't have to be fancy. Just a bag with all the precut parts and a downloaded copy of the instructions.

I guess you could make hang tags...if you want to...or feel an anal retentive need.

[CenturiGuy]

The "kits" don't have to be fancy. Just a bag with all the precut parts and a downloaded copy of the instructions.I printed out a parts list with a picture of the finished rocket at the top. :D


I guess you could make hang tags...if you want to...or feel an anal retentive need.Y'know, that's even too anal-retentive for *me.* ;) :D :eek:


Cheers,

--Jay :p


Bill Eichelberger: "You mean you've got an engine hook in your BUTT?!?" :eek:

[CenturiGuy]

I should probably get my BT-80 Wizard flying first.Speaking of drooling... :cool:

--Jay

[A Fish Named Wallyum]

Speaking of drooling... :cool:

--Jay

Yeah, it sounds cool, but it doesn't look quite right. Upscales either work or they don't. This one didn't. It didn't help that I tried a new filleting technique using epoxy clay and did a lousy job. Polident would have been better. Or Gorilla Glue. I'm torn between finishing it or tearing it down and starting over, (and leaning toward the latter.) There's quite a bit I could salvage if I start over.

[Eagle3]

The Screamer is an awesome upscale. I flew one to death, literally. The tube finally gave way. BT-60, 1/8" fins, PNC-60RL (Carl sells a balsa equivalent), and 24mm EM. I did the decals on my original upscale with trim monocote, but Phred sells decals for the upscale. I liked this rocket so much I just finished building TWO. *LOL* Here is a pic of the first one I built.

[CenturiGuy]

When I was looking at the Screamer last year, it struck me as being Just Too Tiny, and probably a little more manageable (i.e., "recoverable") at a larger size... say, an ST-10 1.91X upscale. :D (And no, I haven't RockSimmed it, either. :mad: ;) :p )Until today. :D

But that body tube looks too short, and those fins look too big. ("Look, Ma, the original design needs a nose weight!") :rolleyes:

+++

Estes Screamer 1.91X upscale

(Parts by Semroc)

BC-1045 Nose cone
SE-10 Screw Eye
ST-10100 Body tube
LL-122 Launch lug
CP-12 Parachute
Fin set 3/32" Balsa
Kevlar string
Elastic shock cord

EM-710 Engine mount
* ST-730 Body tube
* TR-7 Thrust ring (Engine block)
* EH-28 Engine hook, standard
* 2 - CR-710 Centering rings


Motor -- Alt. -- Deploy. velocity

A8-3 -- 300 ft. -- 20 fps
B4-4 -- 635 ft. -- 27 fps
C6-5 -- 1235 ft. -- 24 fps*

B6-4 -- 638 ft. -- 32 fps

___
*Although you might want to use a streamer, since this weighs just under an ounce.

+++

There ya go.

--Jay

[CPMcGraw]

Until today. :D

(Large body of important stuff snipped for brevity...)



One more for the build pile... Sigh...:o

Like I need another project...:D :cool:

Ya want I should stick this up on BARCLONE?

[CPMcGraw]

Motor -- Alt. -- Deploy. velocity

A8-3 -- 300 ft. -- 20 fps
B4-4 -- 635 ft. -- 27 fps
C6-5 -- 1235 ft. -- 24 fps*

B6-4 -- 638 ft. -- 32 fps

Check this out:

A3-4T (13mm) -- 350 ft. -- 11 fps

Remember, the A3 is more powerful than the A8...

[CPMcGraw]

Jay,

Check out my rendition of the Screamer in RS...

The PDF is ready on this one, including upscaled decal images...

(I went ahead and uploaded the PDF and your RKT file to the BARCLONE area, since you didn't say 'no'... Shout loudly if you need to change something...)

[CenturiGuy]

Ya want I should stick this up on BARCLONE?
(Nicole Sullivan "non-talkative" voice from Mad TV) "Yeh. Okay." :rolleyes: :p


Check out my rendition of the Screamer in RS...

The PDF is ready on this one, including upscaled decal images...

(I went ahead and uploaded the PDF and your RKT file to the BARCLONE area, since you didn't say 'no'... Shout loudly if you need to change something...)
Nicely done! I like your "paint job" better than Chan Stevens' 4.8X upscale on EMRR (although I'm discovering that a bright red is hard to find) :

http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/scratch/upscale_screamer.html


...and I'm hoping my Semroc ST-10 1.91X version is easier to track than the original size:

http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/oop/est_screamer.html


Go for it, buddy! :D :cool:


Cheers,

--Jay :eek:


P.S. Interesting about the 13mm A3... although I'd want to use a 13mm/18mm adapter instead of committing to a 13mm mount. And I haven't asked Carl if he has CR-510's either... *yet.* ;)