It's in the right place. I'm not sure if any of these models have it exactly right; the Estes model, however, does show the fins being attached above the edge of the shroud, so it may be the closest of the bunch.

Chas indicated there was a 1/2" difference in the diameters on the real N-S, meaning this shroud was 1/4" thick. A single layer of printer paper might be close enough.

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I am embarrassed to have to make a retraction on the fin shroud diameter of the Nike booster. Every source I have gone to shows the Nike diameter of 16.5 inches. My comments on adding a paper wrap to the Centuri Nike Smoke kit was done in the late 60's or early 70's. I had half-scale blueprints of the IQSY Tomahawk and the Nike-Tomahawk that I received from Thiokol. I had loaned them a few years back to someone who was going to update and publish the plans along with others. To my knowledge he has not done so or returned my blueprints. I hope to see Mike next year at NARAM. So I can not provide proof of my data. If you need proof that I had the blueprints, see the August 1971 issue of Model Rocketry magazine that should be a www.ninfinger.org, page 41. Seems I was channeling Jim Tressel's sweater vest back then.
I apologize for sending this thread off on a tangent. The only thing I can think of was that the Nike-Ajax used three fins and all of the motors were drilled and set up for that. Perhaps going to four fins required somesort of adapter that added to the dianmeter.
Always model the data you have. Talk quiently among yourselves. I am going back to building for NARAM.
I again apologize for the confusion.

Chas

Izz OKAY, Chas...

If you made a mistake on the diameter, then so has everybody else at some point in the chain. I'm no expert on the Nike, so I'm just following what's being suggested by other designs. Same mistake, different stanza...

So, is the diameter of the main tube the same from bottom edge to top edge? Is that line just a separator between a fin mount and the remainder of the sustainer?

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I have attached a drawing of the nike motor. Please note it is not by the manufacturer. There is a slight flare of the casing at the nozzle end of one version of the motor. See Detail B. Usually there is an area at the bottom of the casing where the tail cone or fin shroud is bolted on. It varies with the size of the motor.

Just more fuel for thought.

Chas

Attached Files

Nike Motor Drawing.tif (101.3 KB, 68 views)

I see what they did. They combined the "nozzle shroud" with the fin mounting assembly. When we look at a drawing, or a model, of the Smoke, the nozzle is completely hidden behind a "cosmetic" skin of sheet metal, and the fin mounts are part of this skin. The actual sustainer fuel compartment begins where that separation line is seen near the leading edges of the fins.

The Quest fin can is really more prototypical than any other method of construction. If we could see a full-scale Smoke with its own fin can off to the side, it would probably look just like the model in the bag...

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That is why I wish I had the blueprints. IIRC, they had the bolt pattern around the base of the motor/top of the nozzle.
I have the Mike Dorffler CD on the Nike Hercules and Nike Ajx. He only have three Ajax drawing with only one of the booster. I did not wade through all of the photos, but there may be one of the Nike booster.
Did I mention getting ready for NARAM. And the job keeps getting in the way <g>.

Chas