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rainmanz
11-22-2007, 11:05 AM
I am designing a scale veriosn of the McDonnell Doulgas Delta II used to Launch the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit & Oppertunity). I have the 1/72 calculation pretty much finalized and I have found may photos and drawings that can be used to develop decals. I was woundering if anyone else has tried this scale rocket and may have plans already. If nothing else, they could eb used to confim what I have done. My other problem to solve is a fin design made from clear material to allow for flight since the real version is controlled by guidence system and SRB's. I want to use clear material so that the fins will be less noticible. Please respond if anyone has tried this. I will post my plans and photos once this project is complete.

By the way, new to the site and I like what I see! Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.

sandman
11-22-2007, 12:33 PM
Not a Delta II but I did scratch build a Delta E a long time ago.

It was called the "duct tape" rocket 'cause the techs at NASA were having trouble with salt vapor damage so they covered all the seams with red duct tape. :D

If the women don't find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy!

dwmzmm
11-22-2007, 03:47 PM
Not a Delta II but I did scratch build a Delta E a long time ago.

It was called the "duct tape" rocket 'cause the techs at NASA were having trouble with salt vapor damage so they covered all the seams with red duct tape. :D

If the women don't find ya handsome they should at least find ya handy!

Great looking model, Sandman!!

Intruder
11-22-2007, 05:00 PM
I am designing a scale veriosn of the McDonnell Doulgas Delta II used to Launch the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit & Oppertunity). I have the 1/72 calculation pretty much finalized and I have found may photos and drawings that can be used to develop decals. I was woundering if anyone else has tried this scale rocket and may have plans already. If nothing else, they could eb used to confim what I have done. My other problem to solve is a fin design made from clear material to allow for flight since the real version is controlled by guidence system and SRB's. I want to use clear material so that the fins will be less noticible. Please respond if anyone has tried this. I will post my plans and photos once this project is complete.

By the way, new to the site and I like what I see! Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.

Are you making the Delta II with the SRBs all the way around it? If so, you can make the nose cones of the SRBs removable and you would have tube fins.

Green Dragon
11-22-2007, 05:54 PM
I don;t have an email address right handy, but John Demar (formerly NY, now of texas, iirc ) flew a finless Delta at an early NyPower launch, I remember I was the LCO at the time and it was semi-stable, and got squirrely on initial boost, then got stable and impacted in the rangehed, very tense moments.

Not sure they ever worked out the bugs, but might be a good place to start - I'll seewhat I can turn up for info, or do a google search ' John Demar '.

~ AL

dwmzmm
11-22-2007, 10:07 PM
I don;t have an email address right handy, but John Demar (formerly NY, now of Texas, iirc ) flew a finless Delta at an early NyPower launch, I remember I was the LCO at the time and it was semi-stable, and got squirrely on initial boost, then got stable and impacted in the rangehed, very tense moments.

Not sure they ever worked out the bugs, but might be a good place to start - I'll see what I can turn up for info, or do a Google search ' John Demar '.

~ AL

His (John Demar) "legal" address is here in Texas, but I think he's currently living in New
Mexico, as his job with NASA requires him to relocate temporarily from place to place. Some
time ago, I had an instant message "chat" with him early one morning when I noticed he
was still on - line at the time (I think he was up in the New York area then). A really great
guy, I can tell you.

Bob H
11-23-2007, 06:59 AM
I have a cardstock Delta II that has no added fins and it flies just fine the way it is. The SRB's act as fins just by themselves.

I have almost a dozen flights on it and I will say that it flies a little "squirrely" in the wind but on a calm or light wind day, it flies dead straight.

The review on EMRR is here: http://www.rocketreviews.com/reviews/mods/delta_ii.html

mrhemi1971
11-23-2007, 07:13 AM
It's funny....I recently thought about doing a delta II myself. I've been gathering photos and info on Deltas but have yet to come on any scale drawings or plans. I want to do something a bit bigger in the 6-7 foot range. I even thought about creating a set of removable fins out of clear plexi. If anybody has plans, pass them on to me as well PLEASE!!

rainmanz
11-23-2007, 08:53 AM
Great idea with the cone removal for the SRB's, but that would mean I couldn't have engine/tail cones or they would also have to be removable. Thanks for all the ideas. I will see if I can locate Mr. Demar. Also, the card stock model, is that the model that is availble at Erik te Groen's page with his paper scale models? See these links for the Mars Expolrer models, plus other great paper models.

http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Delta%20II-MER-A-impr-2.pdf
http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Delta%20II-MER-B-impr-2.pdf

He even has the rover if you wnated to build that.

http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Mars_Rover_update-3.pdf

Bob H
11-23-2007, 02:05 PM
Great idea with the cone removal for the SRB's, but that would mean I couldn't have engine/tail cones or they would also have to be removable. Thanks for all the ideas. I will see if I can locate Mr. Demar. Also, the card stock model, is that the model that is availble at Erik te Groen's page with his paper scale models? See these links for the Mars Expolrer models, plus other great paper models.

http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Delta%20II-MER-A-impr-2.pdf
http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Delta%20II-MER-B-impr-2.pdf

He even has the rover if you wnated to build that.

http://www.lansbergen.net/space/Mars_Rover_update-3.pdf
Yes, that is correct. The cardstock Delta II came from the Lansbergen site and is one of Erik's designs. The one I built was one of the 1/96 scale models but I have considered one of the 1/72 models for the future. I left the SRB nose cones and engine cones in place and it flies fine without any additional fins. I'm not sure if the larger capsule on the rover models would disrupt the airflow around the SRB's and render them less effective.

I have also made a CZ-2F which has 4 boosters and it flies without any extra fins also. I think the key is to get the CG forward enough which is easy with cardstock models since they are so light to begin with. You can add a lot of weight to the nose and the total weight is still low enough for good performance.

jsdemar
04-13-2008, 01:02 AM
I am, in fact, alive and well and living in New Mexico. No longer working as a NASA contractor.

The Delta II I flew at NYPOWER in 2000 flew on an I357 to about 450ft for a safe flight.
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/launch/nsl00/delta2.jpg
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/launch/nsl00/delta.jpg
Peter Alway called it the "improbable lob". ;)

I still have the rocket, but haven't flown it since.

The one that crashed near the rangehead was a couple years later, also at Geneseo, but flown by Steve Gerber. It almost hit the video camera guy...
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/dumasbros/movie.htm

Also, at LDRS 2000 someone flew an unpainted Delta II, also 4" dia like mine and Steve's. His crashed. The CG has to be at the midpoint from nose to tail.

-John
jsdemar at gmail dot com

dwmzmm
04-13-2008, 01:11 AM
Hi John! Welcome to the Ye Old Rocket Forum. Had the feeling you'll show up here
sooner or later.

Talk to you later. Take care.

Green Dragon
04-20-2008, 02:56 PM
I am, in fact, alive and well and living in New Mexico. No longer working as a NASA contractor.

The Delta II I flew at NYPOWER in 2000 flew on an I357 to about 450ft for a safe flight.
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/launch/nsl00/delta2.jpg
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/launch/nsl00/delta.jpg
Peter Alway called it the "improbable lob". ;)

I still have the rocket, but haven't flown it since.

The one that crashed near the rangehead was a couple years later, also at Geneseo, but flown by Steve Gerber. It almost hit the video camera guy...
http://rmpitzer.syr.edu/dumasbros/movie.htm

Also, at LDRS 2000 someone flew an unpainted Delta II, also 4" dia like mine and Steve's. His crashed. The CG has to be at the midpoint from nose to tail.

-John
jsdemar at gmail dot com

John !

glad to see you in our little madhouse here ( although I myself have been sadly absent lately :( )

My apologies re: the mix-up.. I have photos of you with Peter ALway with your Delta, must be the first one that flew. I * WAS * however LCO for the one that crashed,did giveave heads up, good thing, too.. don;t recall what NyPOwer that was, but you can hear me on the videos, lol ( scarey, I know ) .

talk at you sometime.

~ AL

jsdemar
04-20-2008, 11:29 PM
John !

glad to see you in our little madhouse here ( although I myself have been sadly absent lately :( )

My apologies re: the mix-up.. I have photos of you with Peter ALway with your Delta, must be the first one that flew. I * WAS * however LCO for the one that crashed,did giveave heads up, good thing, too.. don;t recall what NyPOwer that was, but you can hear me on the videos, lol ( scarey, I know ) .

Steve Gerber's Delta II was at NYPOWER in 2002, two years after mine. But, to give him credit, he's flown far more cool, large scale birds than I have. He's got the nicest Terrier Sandhawk I've seen. The more you fly, the more chance you have of screwing something up. ;) A couple months ago, I flew one of my Sparky Red L motors in my PR Competitor 4 and put the RDAS in upside down. :o

-John DeMar
Las Cruces, NM

Eagle3
05-04-2008, 06:23 PM
I am, in fact, alive and well and living in New Mexico. No longer working as a NASA contractor.


Aren't you a part time drunken frat guy? ;)

Welcome John! Good to see you over here.

Buzz

InFlight
05-09-2008, 02:41 PM
I am designing a scale veriosn of the McDonnell Doulgas Delta II used to Launch the Mars Exploration Rovers (Spirit & Oppertunity). I have the 1/72 calculation pretty much finalized and I have found may photos and drawings that can be used to develop decals. I was woundering if anyone else has tried this scale rocket and may have plans already. If nothing else, they could eb used to confim what I have done. My other problem to solve is a fin design made from clear material to allow for flight since the real version is controlled by guidence system and SRB's. I want to use clear material so that the fins will be less noticible. Please respond if anyone has tried this. I will post my plans and photos once this project is complete.

By the way, new to the site and I like what I see! Thanks and Happy Thanksgiving.
Joe Coker did a Delta II HP build and has it documented here Delta II (http://www.jcrocket.com/delta2.shtml)

Also note that the Delta II scale drawings are in Peter Always book "Rockets of the World, third edition".

I have the book, send me a PM with your email address i'll scan and email them to you.

Edit: Just realised that this thread is a bit old... o'well.

tbzep
05-10-2008, 08:30 AM
Joe Coker did a Delta II HP build

With a little help from his friends? :cool:

Oh....Coker, not Cocker. :D