Scratch Aqua-Orion Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Aqua-Orion {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 07/11/06) (Scratch) Orion

Brief:
This is me second rocket based on an Aquapod water bottle. It was inspired by t' once-proposed Orion nuclear spacecraft, however, it only fits into a not-even-close-to-scale category.

Construction:
Materials included:

  • 1 Aquapod bottle
  • 1 24mm tube
  • 1 24mm-54mm Birch centerin' ring
  • 1 6mm (MicroMaxx) tubing
  • 1 clear Lexan
  • 1 small clear ink pen
  • 1 ~1.5" tube
  • Foamboard
  • Posterboard
  • Lead shot
  • Elastic shock cord

On this model, ya bilge rat, preppin' t' Aquapod included borin' t' hole for t' 24mm motor tube and 5 holes for t' shock absorbers (6mm tubes). Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! These small holes were made in t' flat tips o' t' protrusions on t' bottle's base. Avast! Blimey! I also sliced off t' top, leavin' a hole t' accommodate t' scrap ~1.5" cardboard tubin' that I had on hand. Aye aye! Blimey! This would vary dependin' on t' tube used. I be hopin' this larger tube would make t' chute easier t' pack.

T' inside o' t' rocket consists o' t' 24mm motor tube centered in the larger tube with foamboard rings. Begad! T' elastic shock cord is attached t' the motor tube through these rings. Begad! This unit and t' 6mm tubes were attached to the bottle usin' Liquid Nails. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' fins were cut from Lexan usin' a diamond cut-off wheel and are also attached with Liquid Nails. T' launch lug is a section o' t' body o' a small, clear ink pen. Blimey! Well, blow me down! It is mounted fairly far out on one fin since it has t' clear the fat body.

T' nose cone is a posterboard cone which fits against t' bottle. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I built the shoulder from a piece o' t' aforementioned tubin' and cardstock. Begad! I added lead shot and epoxy based on t' results o' me RockSim modeling. Blimey! Begad! There are only three fins mounted on t' bottle which naturally would accommodate 5 fins, me hearties, thus they are nay symmetric. Ya scallywag! I modeled them as three instances o' a single fin and let RockSim evaluate t' stability accordingly.

Finishing:
T' rocket was painted silver.

(Scratch) Orion

Flight and Recovery:
I first friction fit t' C11-3 motor and packed t' 24mm tube with dog barf. I then picked a large plastic chute from t' range box (never measured it). It still be tough t' get into t' Orion but I thought it be required (as I should have modeled t' descent rate, too, I reckon). Blimey! T' C11s high average impulse got it goin' nicely. Ejection looked t' be around apogee, but t' chute never opened. Begad! Luckily t' grass was long and it only lost a little paint. Begad! Note to self: if you're goin' t' (re)start usin' plastic chutes, start packin' some powder t' dust them!

Summary:
This is just another odd lookin' Aquapod-based rocket. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Now off t' t' Dungeon to work on t' next one...

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