6/16/2023 0 Comments Airfoil shape rocket finsYou can see how uneven the fins are in the above photo, where they're sandwiched together, but once they're on the rocket, you'll have to look pretty critically at the fins to see the flaw. Since, at this point, I've decided I'm going for looks over performance, I don't mind. Building a rocket that doesn't roll at all is pretty hard. Lift on one side of the fins can cause roll - spin around the vertical axis.īut most model rockets roll to some extent, regardless of whether the fins are streamlined, or how good the streamlining is. Lift is a stabilizing force, but it also causes drag. Lift is a corrective force which pushes on the fins when a rocket starts to deviate from its intended path in flight, but constant lift on one side of all the fins can cause the rocket to spin. That spinning takes energy, and the process increases aerodynamic drag on the rocket. Uneven airfoil over the fins can cause constant lift, an aerodynamic force, on one side of the fins, which may cause the rocket to spin rapidly in flight. Plywood is much harder than balsa, and after an hour working on one fin, I set everything aside for a few days. I made a lot of work for myself attempting to sand the fins into streamlined, airfoil shapes. The 38mm tube is about the same outer diameter as a BT-60, so the rocket is roughly the same size as something like the Estes Big Bertha, but sturdier and much more powerful - it can fly on anything from a D to an H motor! It's one of a couple designs created for the 2015 National Sport Launch as a limited edition commemorative rocket. To catch you up, Sky Wolf is a 38mm diameter mid power rocket, sold by, and created by Sky Pyrates. I'm planning more material for beginners, which is what The Rocket N00b is meant to be about, and once these other three or four rockets are completed, I'll have some more good stuff for you.įor now, however, the night grows short - the witching hour is near at hand, and Halloween is almost gone! So, let's get back to Sky Wolf. But it's nearly done, and I've had a couple projects on the table, so I feel I've been productive. For those following the Sky Wolf rocket build, that will continue until the rocket is finished, despite the fact that I haven't completed it within the month. October has gone fast! While I haven't kept up with the Apogee Components #Rocketober theme of the day on Twitter, I have been building. They'll appear here with slightly expanded text. This month, I've been posting photos on Twitter for #Rocketober. Rocketober 31: Halloween Theme - Spooknik!
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