RDC Enerjet Starflite
I was looking around this weekend and came upon an old RDC catalog that Chas scanned and submitted to Ninfinger. I'd seen most everything in it before, but deep in the back of the catalog I found a picture of an Enerjet Starflite rocket that promised 3k to 4k flights on the Enerjet motor. Has anyone ever seen a plan/fin scan of this bird? I printed the page off and tried to take measurements using the old fashioned blow up and measure method, but I thought I'd ask and see if anyone could assist with a shortcut. :rolleyes:
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I built a semi-scale replica using that exact method. Used BT -60 to 50. I believe the full size Honey bee and maybe the Sampson(?)used the same fin pattern I have never seen a copy of the plans or an actual model built or unbuilt. |
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You had me going there for a moment. The way you wrote it made me think you were referring to a "Centuri Enerjet" kit that I never heard of before. But you're talking "RDC Enerjet."
A two foot tall ~bt-60 model rocket isn't going to fly 3000-4000 feet on an Enerjet-8 that's kinda like an Econojet E20 motor. Maybe they flew one way up there using a larger RDC Enerjet motor. I was inspired to create an Open Rocket file for my take on the RDC Starflite. I think you need to cram a G in there to fly up to 3-4000 feet. -W |
I have no intention of flying the poor thing to 3k, but it did catch my eye. :cool: I was surprised to find that the name Enerjet was used by RDC. Did I miss a chapter?
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The story is Irv Wait and the development of the first composite rocket motors. I found a old rec.models.rockets discussion that had some informative posts by Mark Johnson. I'm sure that others could chime in.
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!m...vI/l7hfqG7fUXEJ |
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Ah, the old RMR. I barely scraped into the fray there before it ended, but I would sit and let my printer run big jobs so I could read through the archives. Now I'm nostalgic for Yahoo OldRockets. :rolleyes: |
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It's still there. Kevin and I have kept it going. |
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http://v-serv.com/usr/fx-mosquitocoast.htm As we all know he invented Enerjet which was instrumental to Composite Dynamics and Errortech and of course U.S. Rockets. I made my first MR style composite with thrust and delay in 1972. EJ was deprecated in 1974. |
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That's funny. I was just looking in there for the first time in years. Does Doug still post there? |
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I know, but it's a different world now. So many of the people who made it interesting are nowhere to be found in the hobby anymore. ;) |
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Once in a great while. But it's usually something off-topic. :chuckle: |
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I adapted the Open Rocket plans for the original RDC Starflite to use currently available parts. The plans have been adapted to use 24mm motors and Semroc parts from eRockets. This is a Big Bertha sized model that I would hesitate flying with an E motor from most of the woodsy fields that I fly on.
The original used tube sizes that are not easily found or sold by any rocketry vendor. -W |
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Mark Mayfield had an excellent article on Irv Waite in LAUNCH magazine (sadly I lost all but the last two issues in my recent move) |
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I cut the fins for my clone last night at work. I picked up the other close parts last Tuesday at eRockets and I'll be putting it all together tonight. I'll post a pic when it gets to the point that it can stand without anything falling off. |
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Allis-Chalmers tractors or Terri Garr???? :chuckle: |
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Ah, the good ol' days. ;) |
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I just ordered the parts. This model rocket intrigues me. Nothing terribly unique about the design. It's the history. It's among the first, if not THE first, kit offered for the first composite propellant model rocket motors. |
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Ditto. I have a fin pattern if you want to try it out. Not sure if it's exact, but I think it's close. |
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Orange paint on Allis-Chalmers tractors and Terri Garr's nose. ;) |
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This is where it stands so far.
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I really like the looks of that. I hope you make a full write-up.
I picture it with a checkerboard wrap and a red and black finish. |
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Does that have four fins? I was under the impression from the catalog picture that it only had three. |
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Nice. ST-10 upper tubing? Four fins? I'm looking forward to seeing how this is going to turn out. |
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I went with four. The catalog pic I had was pretty fuzzy and I couldn't tell for sure. |
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Yes, ST-16 to ST-10, all from eRockets. It's nice because when I have a Tuesday night off I can attend the build session. I place my order that morning and pick it up there that night. My last order was parts for the Starflite, Coaster Saturn and Kopter Eagle. All three of them should be ready for my next launch window. |
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It stands in the corner. Is it in trouble? :D |
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It's in my corner, but I'm not pregnant. |
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Fwiw I looked at the root edge of the fins. It seems that the fin closest to you is lonnger I adjusted for the angle and cut my fins accordingly.. I will have to hunt up my model to checck. I used BT 60 Toby 50. Hbt-90 is the closest thing to the RDC tube. |
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I'd be interested in seeing your interpretation of the fins, just to see if we in the same ballpark. If it does turn out to be a 3fnc bird, I've got plenty of tubing to rebuild another ST-16 section. :cool: |
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Cool, reminds me of a shorter version of a FSI EOS. |
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I was thinking the same thing. The top section is thinner than the Eos, but it has similar lines. |
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The EOS is one FSI bird that I haven't attempted, but I'm a) building up quite a backlog of unflown projects, and b) I still have several of my initial FSI clones to finish. :D I know for sure the camo on the Hercules is still unfinished, the Penetrator is still in all white, and the Voyager is still in primer. |
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Bill, I have yet to find my model. Will post some scans when I do. IIRC I enlarged the catalog picture which appeared to have the root edge of the fin perpendicular(i.e. a straight on shot. I then laid out a 3 an four fin circle and extended the lines to get a 120 degree lay out of the span if that makes any sense. I'll continue to look for it and will post scans when I find it. |
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I finally put together my rendition of the Starflite. See attached....
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Oddly enough, I took mine apart. :( |
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With what motor? |
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Estes E9-8 |
Got'z ta LUV an explodo on the pad.
I prefer POWR-PRANGGGGGS though..... |
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No way. Explosions and fire are always better than a dull thud. :cool: . |
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