Mike-

That is an impressive sized paper model! Good job!

I gotta say you are more brave than I am in those kind of temps. I'm just a southern boy and I think the absolute coldest I have ever been in is just about 1 degree. That was back in the mid-80s and I recall going to work that morning just months out of college and the heater motor in my old Ford Maverick (college car that I was still driving at the time) froze from the cold and would not blow! THAT was a cold drive to work that morning!

Can't wait to see some flight pics when you get to that point.

Earl

__________________
Earl L. Cagle, Jr.
NAR# 29523
TRA# 962
SAM# 73
Owner/Producer
Point 39 Productions

Rocket-Brained Since 1970

I don't know how people live in that miserable weather up in Alaska.
Winter weather in Michigan is bad enough.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Its the views for me. Winter it becomes absolutely the most beautiful place.

Used to ride my mountain into West Swan Lake Cabin, about 12.5 miles from the nearest road. Snow machines keep the trail open, so if you can ride on ice no problem riding in.

Been several years since my last ride. Need super cold temps, meaning clear days and nights. Any new snow it could become life threating to get out. Usually go in with a bunch of snow machine buddies, that way if anything happens have a way out.

Rent a cabin, eat king crab, drink molson ice from a keg kind of time, hike and ski using only the full moon for light. Sleep during the day for these trips.

Trail is actually faster, no mud, bugs, bears, and tree roots to deal with, just packed, ice-hard snow.

After being up here since 1982 winter is still my favorite time. Used to it actually. This kind of weather we can expect to work/last for about 5-minutes in a t-shirt outside. Get grocery from the car, no problem.

Mike

Waiting on an engine order from Estes. They are the only ones who will ship outside the Lower 48.

In serious need of BT-50 tubes and engine mounts. Requested (100 BT-50 body tubes) a bulk size order so don't have to order again for a year. I have about 20 rockets to adapt to Estes Engines.

Soon will have six rockets ready for flight. Need more Bt-50 tubes to get started on others.

Mike

The only winter weather I like is that of Florida all the way down South to the Equator.
I never need to see another snowflake. Yuck.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Stationed to long in Hawaii with only one season. Add the old military MOP suits to the heat and real easy to see why don't like the hot so well.

At least you can add layers for the cold. Too much heat and well not wanting to look at that picture.

Mike

Hawaii is EXACTLY the kind of weather I like.
Warm with ZERO seasonal changes.
If it's too hot, I stay inside and CRANK up the duty cycle on the A/C.
Problem solved.
When we were kids my parents supplemented the winter heat with a fireplace.
My brother and I were expected to haul the $#*@& wood, which sucked.
I decided then I would NEVER have a stinkin' wood burning fireplace as an adult.
Proper fireplaces are NATURAL GAS fed from the utility company.
The CORRECT way to control dwelling temperature is via the THERMOSTAT.

__________________
When in doubt, WHACK the GAS and DITCH the brake !!!

Yes, there is such a thing as NORMAL, if you have to ask what is "NORMAL" , you probably aren't !
Failure may not be an OPTION, but it is ALWAYS a POSSIBILITY.
ALL systems are GO for MAYHEM, CHAOS, and HAVOC !

Agree with you on most points.

I do have a fire pit in my front yard.

A friend gave me a bunch of beetle kill spruce to burn in it. Waiting on another Astra Rocket Launch at night from Kodiak to have a Blast Off Party. Launch scheduled in January might be Astra.

The wood will be used to help with global warming, intentionally warming the surrounding area to a comfortable temp to watch the night sky in just a T-Shirt.

The wood needed cut to length and then stacked. Delivery was full length trees, that had been limbed.

Burned pallets last Sunday while drinking a beer or two. Hot enough for a T-shirt and vest, no smoke so people driving by saw me standing outside in a T-shirt drinking beers without a hat.

Snow deep enough that the flames were not visible either. Sure got some interesting looks from the neighbors.

Photos below of my Fire Ring and the snow it created a huge pit in. Yes, I cut all of the animals in the ring. Sometimes buy old propane tanks (250 gallon size) and turn them into fire rings, selling on craigslist.

Extra money for the animals-or sea life that habitat Alaska and in its waters.

Did a Lynx face once for a customer.

Every year: have parties at the fire ring.

Try for the 1st weekend in March and have an Alaskan Beach wear party. Cut chairs and couches in the snow/ice spray with water mist and let freeze.

Use a beer bottle to make cup holders at the same time so they are ready to use once frozen enough.

Beach wear has to be on outside of what ever type of insulation you prefer to use to stay warm with.

Barb'que, supply burgers and hotdogs, whole beach party type of thing. Sticking the beer into the snow delays freezing so the holes made actually are to warm the beer...

Fire ring: the rocks you see are from when I put a lawn in, instead of burying them used them for the ring, used 3/4 minus and pea gravel to create a footing that is a 20ft circle around these rocks you see.

Once the fire clears the surrounding snow away, all that water has to go someplace, the gravel around will allow the water to drain away instead of turning into a mud slippery surface that eventually freezes far enough away from the fire.


Mike

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I have enough engines to launch a couple of rockets. The 1/8scale and Saturn V 1/65 scale are ready to go.

These are not going to do well in much wind. Add to how short the days are and a very small window for launching is the result.

Don't mind launching below zero. Use snow shoes for recovery. Snow that cold doesn't stick to the paper and destroy it. Soft landings are guarantied.

Below are screen shots of the weather for today, looks good except for winds, and the 10-day outlook.
Although usually wrong, does give a basic look at what's ahead.

We are gaining 36seconds of daylight over yesterday. Soon it will be 5min+ a day.

Dark outside and cold.

Ready to launch when it will work.

Mike

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Working on a 1/32 Scale Saturn.

This one is going to be heavy for its size due to all the card stock required to make.

1/32 Scale because plan to make the early man carrying rockets this size. Once they are built will do the new man rated rockets from the private/commercial rocket builders.

This is a monster to make. Had to re-draw several times due to making part building easier. Usually model take 1-2 days to make, so far 4-days and still have the fins and bottom bulkhead to install.

Designed for E12-4 power. After verifying it will fly on these, might try the D12-3 to see if they will get it off the ground.

In Alaska to buy engines is a super hassle. Only the manufactures will ship the special hazmat shipping needed for the E12-4 and larger. Bought 60 each of the D12-3 that can be shipped outside the USA without the hazmat.

Bought 70-body tubes to mate the card stock internal tubes to the BT-50 Body Tubes. They take the initial shock of the ejection charge which they are designed for. My tubes can withstand 90lbs of air pressure, thinking they should handle the eject pressure.

To deal with the heat, have sprayed inside and outside of the Ejection Charge Card stock portion with NO Burn after the tube was dry after gluing.

Ink did not bleed, the card stock could not be handled because it was soaking wet, stood them up on the 3/4" Electrical Metal Tube that they fit over and let dry for two hours.

Weight at this stage is 14-oz. Still have fins and the chute recovery system to install. Estimated weight at project start was 17.5oz. Rocket/recovery system only, looks like it will be close.

Lots of re-gluing and repair work. Foam kept breaking on the really thin edges of the bulkhead formers. Probably 2-oz of extra glue (real close estimate from weighed glue syringes).

Bottom fairing that blends the Fuel Tank tubes to the bottom of the model was not designed right, hand cut the Tube openings until the tubes fit-looks like crap, final photos will show this.

Had to use extra glue to glue the tanks to the bottom fairing. Big gaps used lots of glue....

Re-drew 75% of the printed model. Never had to do that much re-designing on a project once at the print stage.

Flying part is 6ft 10-1/8 inch tall.

Photos
Coloring back of LES Rocket Cones
Photo 2657

Installing cones into LES
Photo 2666

LES done
2672

Gluing Bottom Fuselage shell to the Fuel Tank Fairing. Those arcs are the right size, just need to be closer to the forward edge. Gluing two parts at the same time while one dries keeps the project moving forward.
2674

Lots of tabs in view in this photo, the more the more round the final final part fit. Too Few? Look at the CSM Apollo tabs. Those have been re-designed instead of a flat look in places around the curve surfaces the extra tabs made it look round.
2680

Both parts done, see the fins? Wrong everything, had to be re-drawn for the start.
2684

1/2 inch pencil mark inside CSM for foam bulkhead-clears the tabs when gluing the LM cover in place.
2685

Foam this size is slightly less weight than the card stock part.
2688

2691 Fit Test!


Mike

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