As it turned out, the finished model wasn't stable!
I'll still post the build as a reference for those wanting to make carded models or great "shelf queens". There are many models suitable for flight conversion on the neilspapermodels.com website.
Some cardstock models take time and patience. This one is moderately detailed.
I haven't done a cardstock conversion in a while. This is the Thor Able Launch Vehicle for the Pioneer 1 drawn up by Eric Truax and Jahn Knudsen.
You can find the "one sheet" kit print and instructions at:
http://www.nielspapermodels.com
According to Wikipedia:
On October 11, 1958, Pioneer 1 became the first spacecraft launched by NASA, the newly formed space agency of the United States.
The three-stage Thor-Able vehicle consisted of a modified Air Force Thor IRBM (liquid propellant, thrust about 153,000 pounds) as the first stage. A liquid-propellant rocket engine powered the second stage (modified Vanguard second stage, thrust about 7500 pounds). The third stage was a solid-propellant unit based on Vanguard design, rated at 116,500 lb/sec total impulse.
The spacecraft was launched from LC-17A at 08:42:00 UTC on October 11, 1958 but it did not reach the Moon as planned due to a programming error in the upper stage causing a slight error in burnout velocity and angle (3.5 deg.). This resulted in a ballistic trajectory with a peak altitude of 113,800 km (70,712 mi) around 13:00 local time.
A small quantity of useful scientific information was returned, showing the radiation surrounding Earth was in the form of bands and measuring the extent of the bands, mapping the total ionizing flux, making the first observations of hydromagnetic oscillations of the magnetic field, and taking the first measurements of the density of micrometeorites and the Interplanetary Magnetic Field.
Here's the parts, all printed on a single sheet of 8 1/2" X 11", 110 lb. card stock. The model will (hopefully) fly on 13mm 1/2A3-2t and A10-3t engines.
A BT-5 tube will run down the center.
The finished model will be around 1" in diameter and just over 11" tall.
I'll have to enlarge the fins and add some nose weight.
There is a LOT of small detail work on this one. Get a new, sharp knife!
Chris- Looks like fun. Have you tried the Midnight Express free rocket download on the Fliskits website? Had my doubts on the durability i.e. the ejection charge but launched it for the first time last month and it flew beautifully. Straight as an arrow and no damage. Hardest part of the build was forming the spike nose cone. They give you two on the sheet, I messed up the first one but used a pencil to help form the second one and it came out nicely. BTW thanks for your blog: nice to see how professionals do it. Something for us to aspire to. Keep on rock(ateer)ing.
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
DeleteYes, I've made and flew the FlisKit Caution! rocket, it's similar to the Midnight Express. It lasted a few flights before the ejection blew through the side.
Still, a fun build. You're right, card stock nose cones are the hardest part of the build.
Card stock models can be fun to build and (hopefully) adapt for stable flight.