(BAR-26) R2-D2 Android

12-10-2024

Attaching the Base to R2-D2... Step 4

I sanded the primer off the feet of R2-D2 to ensure a good wood glue bond... then applied the wood glue. Let that dry and then attach the (4) base supports.

Step 5

Applied the rest of the glue fillets to the Base.

Now it's in paint jail, awaiting Spar Urethane for the Base. I'll go ahead and start researching the wraps for the body.

 

 12-08-2024 Building the Stability Octagonal Ring... Step 3 The Following Day

Now that it's dry... pretty amazing just how strong this sub-assembly is.​

​

Adding more glue. I've found a flat piece of wood works great for filling the gaps at the octagon end joints. Kind of lay it flat on both sides and squeegee the excess glue off.​

 

 

12-07-2024 Building the Stability Octagonal Ring... Step 2

Mock-Up and then External glue joints and adding Internal Dowels... repeated (8) times.​

​

I let this dry about 10 minutes and then lay it back down flat on the template and reposition it back into position. It moves out of position quite a bit.​

 

 

12-07-2024 Building the Stability Octagonal Ring... Step 1

Initial Ring taking shape using the full size template as a reference guide.​

12-06-2024 Base Drawing... Rev 00

12-01-2024 Stability Modification

2nd guessing stability. I've been stewing over a simple modification that would up those stability numbers.​

​

I'll build this rear mounted "Ring Pod"... should be an easy retrofit with the rear eject pod.​

 

 

03-19-2024 Paint Day 1

Wow... Primer and Paint on the same day... Awesome! I went out and removed the fuzz from the body tube with some 220 grit, then shot 3 coats of Rustoleum Stops Rust White Flat. It looks all marshmallowy.​

 

03-19-2024 Primer Day 1

I shot 3 coats of Rustoleum Automotive Primer 2 in 1 Filler & Sandable on the rocket. The body will need to be de-fuzzed (it's a technical term) and then re-primered.​

​

The plan is to shoot the rocket with Rustoleum Flat White, then apply wraps.​

 

 

 

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.​

​

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