Re: Spaceplane!

[Kerick]

Here's a project I've been wanting to do for quite a while. I built a Titan missile with SRBs as a satellite launcher a few years ago so now I'm building one as a space plane launcher. Kind of a Dyna-soar, X-38, Dream Chaser mashup. The SRB parts I already have and I'm using a dowel rod for the Titan body. The space plane it looks like I'll have to scratch build using wings from the "big ol' pile o' parts boxes". It will be roughly 1/144 scale judging from the SRBs.

I covered the dowel rod in aluminum tape in two different directions and burnished it down with my thumb nail. It's my first time trying to use something like metal foil and it's not bad. I was thinking that actual foil would show the wood grain and that would not do. I need something better than my thumb nail as it left tiny scratches.



The SRBs are coming together. The skirt is about 5mm cut from the bottom of a communion cup from church.



I made a cone shaped connector from UV resin poured into a cone shaped piece I cut from a cookie package a long time ago. I poured the resin into the PETE part and held it in the sun for a few minutes to get it to harden enough to hold its shape then left it out for an hour or so while I did other stuff. It popped right out of the PETE part. The resin will glue more securely as the plastic part was PETE that doesn't play well with CA glue. The bubbles are all safely within the resin shape.



I have some left over plastic wings that can become part of the space plane and I'll see what else I can dig up.

[Buzzbomb]

Changing direction on the tape rocks... good work

[raafif]

Here's a project I've been wanting to do for quite a while. I built a Titan missile with SRBs as a satellite launcher a few years ago so now I'm building one as a space plane launcher. Kind of a Dyna-soar, X-38, Dream Chaser mashup. The SRB parts I already have and I'm using a dowel rod for the Titan body. The space plane it looks like I'll have to scratch build using wings from the "big ol' pile o' parts boxes". It will be roughly 1/144 scale judging from the SRBs.

I covered the dowel rod in aluminum tape in two different directions and burnished it down with my thumb nail. It's my first time trying to use something like metal foil and it's not bad. I was thinking that actual foil would show the wood grain and that would not do. I need something better than my thumb nail as it left tiny scratches.

The SRBs are coming together. The skirt is about 5mm cut from the bottom of a communion cup from church.

Those SRB nozzles look suspiciously like the pour-tops from soy-sauce bottles I buy.

[Kerick]

I need to know what brand of soy sauce that is.

[Kerick]

I spent the evening searching the parts boxes for little bits that will be needed soon. No luck at all. There will be scratch building! I drew an outline on the desk for the space plane which I outlined using dimensions of the Dream Chaser. I’m going to transfer that to paper and then to plastic. I also found a couple basic shapes to glue to the plastic outline and the rest will have to be filler. The Dream Chaser has a very organic shape so lots of sanding will be required. The latest version has no cockpit windows at all and folding wings so it can fit inside a shroud. I think I’ll build an earlier version with space shuttle style windows represented with decals.

[apophenia]

Very cool project and sounds like getting even better with your scratch-built space plane 

Good call on the space shuttle windows - no cockpit windows would leave it a bit 'faceless'.

All that said, it was your aluminum tape-covered doweling that blew me away! I glance at the photo before reading your description and just assumed that you were using aluminum rods of some form. The effect of that 2-direction tape is dead impressive!

[Kerick]

Thanks!
I have stuff all over the basement and I walked by the roll of tape and thought, hey, why not? It works with aluminum foil!

[Kerick]

There's been a little bit of progress here. I've started on the space plane. I lucked out and found a battery cover from some sort of remote that fit the dimensions I wanted perfectly. A couple of F-14 outer wings will provide the stabilizers. I've used parts of these wings in lots of projects but it looks like this will use them up.





Here's a shot of the X-38 half scale drop test simulator. This is another angle of what I'm going for. Lots of sanding and filling to do before these things resemble each other.

[Kerick]

A ton of putty has been applied. I sanded and carved away a bunch of the Aves Epoxy Sculpt but there is a lot left. This thing will be top heavy! Tomorrow will be mucho sanding. I’ll have to do it outside to avoid the dust. I need an air filter or something like a paint booth for sanding. It will be a little rough doing it outside when the temp drops below freezing!

[raafif]

It will be a little rough doing it outside when the temp drops below freezing!

Nah ! Just sand faster & harder - you'll warm up quickly enough

[Kerick]

Talk about rough! This is fugly! Nothing sand paper can't fix.



I do need a new tube of putty. A good excuse to go to the auto parts store.