(BAR-26) R2-D2 Android

03-04-2024 Ballast and Swing Tests

The nose ballast is a 1" dia. x 2-1/2" long steel bar.  I installed it into the nose and did (2) swing tests.   The 1st was nose into the wind from start to finish.  The 2nd started out backwards and then started to tumble, but when sufficient air speed was reached it leveled out.  I think ole R2-D2 is a flyer.

(13) Swing Test #1 - R2-D2 Flying Model Rocket - YouTube

(13) Swing Test #2 - R2-D2 Flying Model Rocket - YouTube

R2D2 Scream (Star Wars) - Sound Effect for editing (youtube.com)

03-04-2024 Spool Finished

03-02-2024  Spool, Day 02

Glue, Glue and more Glue...​

03-01-2024  

When the motor ejection charge fires, the recovery spool ejects from the rear of the rocket and deploys the parachute.  It needs to slide into / out of the rocket easily and be attached to the rocket via a piece of Kevlar twine.

Recovery Spool, Day 01

I glued two small square tabs of 1/16" Basswood to the MMT and let that dry a bit.​

Then glued the center legs to the small square tabs and let that dry a bit. The tabs space the legs out, so the motor fits.​

Then I lifted the body off the spool, added some wood glue to the lower transition I.D. and reinserted the tube into the body.

Now, we wait for this to dry.​

 

02-27-2024 She's Got... Legs

Glued a BT-3 into the leg sub-ass'y. This is the launch lug.​

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I used a thumbtack to make holes along the body where the leg supports will be glued. Then glued the first leg.​

02-27-2024 Body, Nose Cone Modification and Legs

Started gluing the leg supports and added the lower stiffener to the body. I modified the nose cone and added a 3/8" dowel for the recovery harness and then glued the nose cone into the body.

02-26-2024 Lower (spool) Transition and Legs

I cut the Lower Transition from the same Pinyon Pine as the Nose Cone.  The Legs are made from 1/4" Plywood.

The transition fractured while turning it on the lathe and had to be glued before finishing it.

02-25-2024 Nose Cone Turning

I used a piece of the trunk of a Pinyon Pine we cut down about 5 years ago to make the nose cone.  Custom turned on my ole JET 1236.

01-05-2024 Drawing Set

    Finished the CAD model and drawing set:

01-01-2024

Here's another scratch design / scratch build based on the Star Wars R2D2 android.

It's a rear eject design and uses the legs of the droid as fins.

The Plan

Use 4" shipping tube as the main body.

Custom turn the nose cone

Custom turn the lower divider and spool rings

Make the legs and feet from 1/4" plywood