You guys have gotten me excited talking about these fins so I have decided to finish up a plied pair as I plan to launch this beautiful bird! Once you you get the jig locked in on the correct angle, they tend to go pretty quick. Next step later today is to get a coat of Aeroseal on them and begin to add all the external parts.

Thanks to JHarding for the conduit and JeffyJeep for open ended discussion of the various details and wealth of info. This has been one of the hardest builds for me to date but really an enjoyable experience. Great website and appriciate all the educational posts from everyone.

Attached Thumbnails

     

Nice looking build!

I would only put the retros (conduits) on after you have dobe the roll pattern. The white retro housing sits right at the base of the color break so it is easier to paint it, then apply the retros on to the black section of the pattern. That and the antennae boards and camera target pads of course.

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

Anytime!

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

I understand. Sort of like the old Quest X-30.

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Going to be a long, long shock cord, but doable. The 1/70th S-1B is 32" from the base of the skirt to the top of the SM - the nominal break point. The attachment of the shock cord to the chute would need about 24" to the tail sling to stop that from being ripped out of the tail when the chute opens. Forming that perfect nose down triangle with a 32" base would need about 34" of line from the tail to the shock cord junction, and then 44" of shock cord down to the attachment within the BT. So you have a triangle of 32" of model, 34" of fishing line and 44" of shock cord with a 24" cord to the chute/capsule.

The same concept in reverse is used with the upper section of the Saturn V to keep the LES from smiting the ground upon desecnt.

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

You said smitten, heh, heh.

Still, I think the safest recovery geometry for the 1B is still skirt-first since the fin tips are higher than the bottom of the skirt. In low wind conditions, sometimes the 1B will land and remain upright. If it's slung under a harness, the fins are 100% guaranteed to smite the ground.

I said smite. I can't help it--I'm a Smith.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Never trust an atom. They make up everything.

4 out of 3 people struggle with math.

Chemically, alcohol IS a solution.

NAR# 94042
SAM# 0078

Yep, long cord and up the chute or dual chutes and only fly in low wind. You still have to attach the capsule to something. To be completely frank none of the 1/70th S-1b models I have built in the last three years have been flown. That I know of.

__________________
Gravity is a harsh mistress
SAM 002
NAR 91005
"The complexity of living is eminently favored to the simplicity of not."

Agreed.

Does anyone have any experience with adding the hold-down brackets beneath the fins? They would appear to be just begging to be damaged on landing...and sharing their misery with the fins.


Bill

I am not going to ask what you charge for one, but if I had bought one and did not think I can repair it because I did not feel I was good enough to build it in the first place, I would not fly it either.


Bill