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  #1  
Old 10-19-2021, 11:43 PM
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blackshire blackshire is offline
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Default Scout X-1 question

Hello All,

Peter Alway's booklet "Rockets of the World: 2000 Supplement" covers the Scout X-1 vehicle (the first one flown [in a suborbital shot], number ST-1), on pages 10 and 11. The fourth Scout X-1 round flown, ST-4, orbited the 12' diameter Explorer 9 satelloon (satellite balloon, the first of several such 12' satelloons). Now:

Did Explorer 9's Scout X-1 ST-4 (the first all-solid propellant launch vehicle to orbit a satellite) have a paint scheme the same as--or very nearly the same as--ST-1 that is depicted in the booklet?

Many thanks in advance to anyone who could help with this!
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Old 10-20-2021, 07:50 AM
BARGeezer BARGeezer is offline
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Here's a pic (Wikipedia) of the launch of Explorer 9.
The Scout X-1 vehicle appears identical to the drawing in Alway's supplement.
But you decide.
FWIW.
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  #3  
Old 10-20-2021, 11:40 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BARGeezer
Here's a pic (Wikipedia) of the launch of Explorer 9.
The Scout X-1 vehicle appears identical to the drawing in Alway's supplement.
But you decide.
FWIW.
Well...that round (Scout X-1, round ST-4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scout_X-1 [the fourth Scout to be launched; it orbited the 12' diameter, radio beacon-equipped Explorer 9 air density-indicating satelloon--Explorers 19, 24, 39, and 57 https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_sdat/explorer_ad.htm were very similar]) looked superficially identical to Peter Alway's drawings and the NASA photograph of Scout X-1 ST-1 in "Rockets of the World: 2000 Supplement." But launch photographs of both rounds, and dimensioned drawings of them (Peter's and another, in a report), indicate a difference in the payload fairing diameters (of their uppermost cylindrical sections) between ST-1 and ST-4:

ST-1 had a 20" diameter uppermost payload fairing, but that of ST-4 was ~24.80" in diameter (converted from 0.63 m, as shown on page 27 *here*: https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewco...ess-proceedings ). It--the 0.63 m figure--may be referencing the payload fairing length, but comparing ST-1 and ST-4 photographs shows the ST-4 (Explorer 9) Scout X-1's payload fairing to have been wider than ST-1's. (The USAF's Thor-Burner I, also called the Thor-Altair https://www-b14643-de.translate.goo...&_x_tr_sch=http , also used what appear to have been both the narrow [20"--or ~24.80"?--diameter] and bulbous Scout payload fairings.) Pictures of both Scout X-1 rounds, ST-1 and ST-4 (Explorer 9), show paint scheme differences between them:

These two Scout rounds' paint schemes were very similar, but not identical. The vertical "UNITED STATES" lettering on ST-1's Algol first stage rocket motor was larger than the same lettering on ST-4's first stage, and ST-1 didn't have horizontal, smaller-font lettering reading "ST-1" between the bottom of the "UNITED STATES" lettering and the top of the "vertical hash marks" (short vertical lines) roll pattern, which was close above the vehicle's fin assembly. The vertical "UNITED STATES" lettering on ST-4's first stage was slightly smaller in font size than ST-1's, and the round designation ("ST-4") was painted, in horizontal lettering of smaller font size, between the bottom of the "UNITED STATES" vertical lettering and the roll pattern.
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Last edited by blackshire : 10-21-2021 at 12:14 AM.
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  #4  
Old 10-21-2021, 09:49 PM
PeterAlway PeterAlway is offline
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I had to re-draw the color scheme for the First Scout X-1 flight because I stumbled into color photos showing some fluorescent red and orange fins on the first three scouts. The explorer 9 scout hadno red or orange on the fins. The first flight had some weird stencil lettering unlike the UNITED STATES lettering on later scouts. I'v made the changes in my drawings, but don't have them handy.

The Explorer 9 payload fairing is different from the esarlier flights.

Unfortunately, I don't have my sources with me right now, so i can't be more useful.
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  #5  
Old 10-22-2021, 04:35 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterAlway
I had to re-draw the color scheme for the First Scout X-1 flight because I stumbled into color photos showing some fluorescent red and orange fins on the first three scouts. The explorer 9 scout hadno red or orange on the fins. The first flight had some weird stencil lettering unlike the UNITED STATES lettering on later scouts. I'v made the changes in my drawings, but don't have them handy.

The Explorer 9 payload fairing is different from the esarlier flights.

Unfortunately, I don't have my sources with me right now, so i can't be more useful.
I've never seen a color version of it, but that sounds like one of the pre-ST-4 (Explorer 9 [ST-3 carried the same 12' diameter inflatable satelloon payload, but failed to orbit]) Scout X-1 vehicles--perhaps the very first one (ST-1) or the second one (ST-2)--that's shown on the old original Scout launcher, in Shortal's Wallops history book:

That Scout vehicle had a wider (the same diameter as the Antares third stage, if memory serves) fairing, with a short, radiused-tip nose, that fit over the Altair fourth stage; that particular vehicle had only "live" first and third stages, with stages 2 and 4 being dummies. Its paint scheme was odd, with a dark nose and two dark vertical rectangles running down opposite sides of the rocket--I wouldn't be at all surprised if that round had fluorescent red and orange markings on it. Also:

If what I'm working on works out, a kit of Scout X-1 ST-4 (Explorer 9) will result.
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http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
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  #6  
Old 10-24-2021, 12:52 PM
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Ez2cDave Ez2cDave is offline
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ST-4 in color . . .

Dave F.
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Old 10-24-2021, 12:58 PM
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SX-1 and ST-3 had fluorescent fins . . .

Dave F.
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  #8  
Old 10-24-2021, 06:10 PM
PeterAlway PeterAlway is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ez2cDave
SX-1 and ST-3 had fluorescent fins . . .

Dave F.


These are the photos that I stumbled into somewhere on the web. And then went crazy trying to find again, in case there were other useful photos there. One other color source is the NASA "Scout: The Unsung Hero of Space." (Fun fact, color shots of the NACA RM-2 show the color palate used to paint them, which compined with NACA reports on the RM-2 with drawings and B&W photos gives complete scale data).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btRk6AhoOmI

At about 8:10 in the video, there is a shot that shows that the fin facing the camera is red or orange. (you see the shaded side so that the color is quite dark, but unmistakably not black or white).
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Old 10-24-2021, 06:34 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterAlway
These are the photos that I stumbled into somewhere on the web. And then went crazy trying to find again, in case there were other useful photos there. One other color source is the NASA "Scout: The Unsung Hero of Space." (Fun fact, color shots of the NACA RM-2 show the color palate used to paint them, which compined with NACA reports on the RM-2 with drawings and B&W photos gives complete scale data).


Peter,

Never fear . . . I will "hook you up" with my LTV Scout data "archive" . . . Gratis !

Watch your email for an invitation from "MEGA", an online cloud storage service .

Dave F.

Last edited by Ez2cDave : 10-25-2021 at 10:35 AM.
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  #10  
Old 10-25-2021, 10:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ez2cDave
ST-4 in color . . .

Dave F.
Ah--Thank You!
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Black Shire--Draft horse in human form, model rocketeer, occasional mystic, and writer, see:
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperba...an-form/8075185
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6122050
http://www.lulu.com/product/cd/what...of-2%29/6126511
All of my book proceeds go to the Northcote Heavy Horse Centre www.northcotehorses.com.
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