(BAR-45) Sci-Fi F1 ZER0 Racer

This is a design I found on the Internet: Sci-Fi F1 Zer0 Racer.

It's got an F1 vibe going, yet it's got enough rear mounted fins to make a good simulated flyer.​

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I'll need to use my oval tube forming technique for the body, starting with BT/C-204 and forming the nose into a rectangular shape, and then make a nose cone to match up to that shape. The rest of the rocket is fairly straightforward. I will not be installing the front canards, at least not for flight.​

• Basswood and Plywood Fins
• Rear Mounted 29mm Motor
• 24" Parachute

 

 

2025-04-10 Forming the Body Tube

A piece of BT-204 was cut to 13" long.​

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Checked the stock here and there isn't any C-204 (??) so a piece of C-80 was cut to 13" long and then (2) longitudinal cuts were made in the tube, spaced 6-3/16" to make a split internal coupler. I then used Elmer's White Glue to glue the coupler inside the BT-204.​

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After waiting an hour for the Elmer's White Glue to cure a bit the tube sub-assembly was soaked in water, about 4 inches at the end of the BT/C-204. Then my BT-60 Oval Tube Mandrels were used to form an oval on the end of the tube. It was clamped for drying.​

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The coupler longitudinal split will be wood glued tomorrow, after the forming operation has dried.​

 

 

2025-04-11 I've settled on the design...  something like this:

 

Nose Cone CAD & Drawing

Knocked out a CAD Model and Drawing for the Nose Cone... and glued up the wooden blank.​

 

 

       

2025-04-12 

Fabricated the Nose Cone today. It's not quite as "pretty" as the CAD model, but it'll get the job done.

 

Glued the Nose Cone into the Body Tube.

 

 

 2025-04-14 Cutting The Nose Cone Angles

Used the Radial Arm Saw to cut the two side angles on the Nose Cone.​

 

2025-04-14 CAD Model and Drawing

Here's the preliminary drawings, still need to do the details.

 

 

 

 Starship Nova... A BT-60 Upscale

The Starship Nova was an Estes sci-fi rocket design from back in the early 1980's.  It had lot's of tubes, weird fins and a funky nose cone.​

 

For me, this 1980's era was when I had abandoned rocketry. Cars, girls and college were my main focus at that time. But now, maybe an upscale of this rocket would be a fun adventure.​​

 

Here's a stock Starship Nova OpenRocket simulation that I created, using The Estes' Instructions and fin templates for Kit No. 1371​. 

 

Armed with this OpenRocket simulation, I'll work up an upscaled version of the rocket.​ 

 

Starship Nova Upscale BT-60

The Stock Estes model was scaled up in OpenRocket to a BT-60. The length of the Body Tube was reduced to 17".​

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The Nose Cone was rotated 180 degrees. It is solid pine and a ballast of 3/4" Dia. Steel Bar was added, 1" long.​

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An oval shaped BT-60 was used for the Lower Tube, which also acts as Altimeter Stowage.​

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BT-80 Tube Fins are used​

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A Rear Eject configuration is used. The 29mm Motor ejects out of the back, which is attached to the Recovery Spool with a Shock Chord, which deploys the 30" Parachute.​

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Dual Launch Lugs are used... which are actually rapid fire pew-pew cannons.