Model Rocketry Thread

[Vostok]

Since playing KSP, I\'ve revived a fascination with rockets (hasn\'t everyone?), and have since been making multiple models of rockets. Feel free to post any of your own projects here!

Papercraft, kits, launch models, whatever.

[Vostok]

To kick off this thread, I\'d like to start with a few of my own projects -

Mark I and II of my own design, hopefully functional, rocket. Mk I burned on the pad, so MkII is now made of metal, so it can\'t melt like the last one. I make the fuel myself, it\'s a mixture of Kno3 (Potassium Nitrate) and Sugar, there are heaps of online tutorials on how to do this.

MkI:

MkI Launch video here.

The remains

MkII:

Compared to the MkI

Model of the Saturn V command module. This one I am somewhat unsatisfied with. When I applied the tin foil to give it a shiny texture, it was perfectly smooth, then when the glue dried, it went all wrinkly, and left me with a poor surface texture.

All three:

A papercraft space shuttle (a bit battered, it\'s fairly old now, and I\'ve been trying to get it to glide in a manner similar to the real shuttle) and Jeb Kerman. Not really a rocket, but a rocket man nonetheless.

[shhhilent1]

My dad has a SATURN V that we launched about a year ago. no pics tho. its a great rocket, went higher than excpected, no pics tho sorry

[GOOMH]

I made the same papercraft shuttle a few years back. I had the intent of strapping it to a water bottle rocket did up like the space shuttle launch system with two SRB\'s (non working). Sadly I never finished the project since I wanted to make an elaborate launch system.

[shhhilent1]

Did the crew survive? ;P

[Vostok]

Did the crew survive? ;P

whose crew?

[Kreuzung]

The snail in the video? You can see it alive at the end!

[shhhilent1]

The snail in the video? You can see it alive at the end!

yay XD

[Vostok]

I was very surprised that it didn\'t become a nice plate of L\'escargots avec plastique en train de fondre, especially since all the window plastic was melted in the command module. But it survived, amazingly. I\'ve made a better command module for the next launch, which will take place as soon as I sort out the ceramic nozzle throat on the Mk II.

[shhhilent1]

I was very surprised that it didn\'t become a nice plate of L\'escargots avec plastique en train de fondre, especially since all the window plastic was melted in the command module. But it survived, amazingly. I\'ve made a better command module for the next launch, which will take place as soon as I sort out the ceramic nozzle throat on the Mk II.

Im excited! is this flight gonna be unmanned or is another snail gonna be a test pilot

[Vostok]

I\'ve made a more secure C.M. with a screw on lid (the one that looks like the KSP mkI pod) which should hopefully hold some more crewmembers for the MkII launch. I was hoping for ants, or woodlice, but I\'ll see what presents itself on launch day. (I.E. see who passes the aptitude test*)

*

Aptitude test: who can\'t run away fast enough.

[shhhilent1]

XD! lookin forward to it

[GOOMH]

but I\'ll see what presents itself on launch day. (I.E. see who passes the aptitude test*)

*

Aptitude test: who can\'t run away fast enough.

Sounds like the way the Kerbals do it. Now all you need to do is to strap random boosters to it.

[Vostok]

The next launch* is scheduled for tomorrow. The fuel mix was pretty poor, I didn\'t drive off enough water - hopefully it will burn better under high pressure inside the engine than it did when I tested it on a ceramic tile.

Better rocket nozzle manufactured, ceramic throat with a metal bell, all bolted into a metal tube, carrying the fuel. No more melted rockets.

I shall post again with details of the explosion launch.

*Light the fuse and run away.

[Kreuzung]

Are you going to film this one too?

Hopefully you\'ll find another volunteer in your garden ;P

[Lord Wasteland]

I did make a rocket with some aluminum, but it went up around 850 feet, and it blew up into shrapnel.

[LukeTim]

I only just got into this stuff, so I\'m really glad there\'s now a thread about it!

I recently got an Estes Alpha III for my birthday and finished building it the other night:

I called it the Sass-1... Being from the UK, I don\'t really want USA written all over my rocket.

Hoping to launch it tomorrow, provided the weather is okay. Pretty excited.

What I really want to do is build a flight computer... not necessarily for this rocket, probably for a bigger one with more room. It\'ll have GPS and an SD card for tracking trajectory, and maybe a GSM module for texting me its location once it\'s landed. Then perhaps when I\'m really confident with this stuff, I might try gimballing with a Gyroscope and Accelerometers...

[Vostok]

Luke, film the launch! We want to see how it goes

(hopefully upwards)

[LukeTim]

Luke, film the launch! We want to see how it goes

(hopefully upwards)

Oh, definitely. It\'ll be in HD and on youtube and everything!

[Seanoog]

Great thread for us KSP Rocket Scientist Nuts.

Has inspured me to start doing it myself, hay its a chance to work with explosives...

But a serious question:

The Organic Specimen, an EGG. Are they Fresh or Hard boiled?

For best results?

I will be starting, right from the start, Diet Coke an Mentoes..

Then investing it some amature rockets using gun powder, then maybe formulate my own fuel.

Please keep an eye out for a new blog, an be patient.

(Waiting for good weather {Typical Irish Weather} an the field behind my house to be cut, before spraying it in coke, setting it alight.)

Great first attempt Vostok, the failed launch was hilarious. I am keen to see MK2.

[LukeTim]

Just watched your launch attempt video, Vostok. I really love the launch pad. Much cooler than Estes ones (at least, the Estes one I have).

Looking forward to seeing the Mk. II launch.

[cardgame]

Anyone considered a sparkler-fueled rocket?

My cousin and I tried to set off a sparkler bomb one 4th of July and it blew a hole out the back end, launched itself about 100 feet from starting point. This was with a pinecone-shaped lump, so I imagine a proper job might be able to utilize this...

[popeter123]

try gunpower or thermite!!!(eg.sparklers but better)

[Kryten]

Thermite doesn\'t produce much gas, just heat. You\'d end up with a pool of molten metal, still firmly placed on the launch pad.

[LukeTim]

Thermite doesn\'t produce much gas, just heat. You\'d end up with a pool of molten metal, still firmly placed on the launch pad.

What about Semtex?