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NARCON 2005 Following the day’s parallel seminars, Astronaut and Rocketeer Jay Apt
put on a presentation of his spaceflights. He made it seem like great
Shawn Switenky [s.switenky@telesat.ca]
fun, but then he was probably preaching to the choir.
After a dinner break, Saturday night’s keynote address was by Vern and
Gleda Estes. If you’ve never met them, they are the nicest couple.
They told anecdotes about the early years of Estes, up to the time when
Several HUVARS members, including myself attended NARCON 2005
they sold the company. Vern brought in a few model rockets from his
in Racine, Wisconsin. This was my second time and I have to say it’s a
collection like the original Big Bertha and a Farside they use to fly
wonderful experience for the rocket enthusiast.
tarantulas in. He and Gleda were very gracious. They took all requests
for autographs in stride and didn’t seem to be bothered by what I’m sure
It opened on Friday night, with a key note address by Ky ‘Rocketman’
was an overwhelming wave of geeky attention. He signed my cloned
Michaelson. Ky was the one of the people responsible for the Go Fast
Astron Space Plane and John Potts’ original Interceptor.
CSXT project, which achieved the first amateur rocket in space. He had
some great video and some harsh words for the government.
The following Saturday was occupied by 5 different 1.5 hour long
seminars running in parallel. The seminars covered all sorts of rocket
topics, from rockets in education to building sessions and design
seminars. I was able to find an interesting seminar in every timeslot.
First, I attended Kevin Wickart’s Flexie building session. We built little
flexies out of very cheap materials and worked on trimming techniques
after they flew.
The next seminar I attended was the NAR Town hall meeting lead by
NAR President Mark Bundick. He talked about what’s happened in the
last year with our legal challenges to the BATF. But most interestingly
he talked about a event to celebrate the upcoming 50th anniversary of Shawn Switenky, Vern Estes and John Potts
NAR. Similar to the EAA’s Young Eagles program to give 1,000,000 Picture courtesy Randy Boadway
kids a flight in a light airplane, Mark is trying to hatch an plan to give a
similarly large number of kids exposure to model rocketry. The plan After the Saturday night keynote, there seemed to be beer-lofting
isn’t firm right now, but it’s basically a build and fly session for kids. As sessions breaking out everywhere. I had a few with Kelo Wavio and
well as the rocket, they get a certificate of achievement. We’d follow the Bob Kaplow among others in the hotel lobby. It’s great to hang out with
kids over time to see how the event impacted their life. I think this people who you might only meet once a year at a launch or talk to
outreach program is a very important goal and we as a club should be online.
thinking about the logistics of doing sessions like this for large numbers
of kids.
Following the town hall meeting, I attended Trip Barber’s Competition
Boost-Glider’s seminar. This was a real hoot because Trip obviously
had a tremendous amount of experience and love for boost gliders.
The example he brought with him looked as if it had grown tissue on the
surface of the wing, with no seams visible. Mark Bundick also attended
and provided some foil to some of the assertions that Trip had made.
Speaking of Mark Bundick, his Rolling Fiberglas Body Tubes seminar
was next. He showed a fairly straightforward demonstration of the
materials and process he uses to roll his own tubes. One of the great
benefits of attending seminars like these is that you can read about
these all day long and still not feel that you know where to start.
Watching someone do it and maybe even getting involved is so much
better than just reading about it.
In This Issue….
NARCON 2005 by Shawn Switenky ……………………………. 1
Yangel R-12 Scale Drawings by Peter Alway …………………… 2 Pavel Pinkas Ultralight Materials Building Session
Honest, John! Estes Maxi Honest John By Doug Scobel……… 4 Picture courtesy Randy Boadway
Directions to Club Locations ……………………………………… 7
Calendar of Events ………………………………………………… 7
Continued on page 6
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Yangel R-12 Yangel’s bureau began work on the R-12U, a version that could be
launched with a few minutes notice from underground silos. By the mid
Article 8K63 1960’s, the Soviet Union had deployed 608 R-12’s along its European
SS-4 Sandal and Chinese borders. But it was a deployment in Cuba that made the
R-12 famous.
By Peter Alway [PeteAlway@aol.com]
At the start of the 1960’s, Korolev’s lumbering R-7 was the only Soviet
missile that could reach the United States from Soviet territory. With
Excerpt from the forthcoming booklet "Twelve Soviet Missiles of the
only two launchers and a half-day preparation time, these missiles were
Cold War" by Peter Alway
of little value. Yangel’s missiles would pose a much more immediate
deterrent—if they could be based within range of the United States. In
While Sergei Korolev is the best known of the Soviet Union’s rocket
September of 1962, the Soviet Union began shipping R-12 missiles and
pioneers, Mikhail Yangel was at least his equal in creating practical
launchers to Cuba. As many as 20 R-12’s, were deployed on the
military missiles. Thanks to political connections, Yangel briefly served
island, within range of of much of the southeastern US. After a US
as Korolev’s boss at the NII-88 design bureau. In 1954, Yangel started
blockade of Cuba, the Soviet Union withdrew the missiles from Cuba.
his own missile design bureau in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine. Yangel and
Korolev became friendly competitors. While Korolev’s work drifted
The SS-4 served as the first stage of the smaller of two Soviet rockets
toward space exploration, Yangel’s group produced missiles of greater
identified as “Cosmos” in the Soviet literature. It launched 144 small
military value. Korolev gave Yangel the assignment to develop the R-
satellites in the 1960’s and 1970’s.
12 in 1955.
The Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty of 1987 ended the
The R-12 started with the airframe of the Korolev R-5 and the storable
career of the R-12. The Soviets eliminated the last of the obsolete
propellants of the R-11. Valentin Glushko created the R-12’s engine, the
missiles in 1990. However, in recent years the R-12 has made a
four-chamber RD-214, to burn kerosene with nitric acid. The engine
comeback. News reports in 2002 indicate that Iran has paid the
generated 730,000 N (160,000 lb) of thrust. Four V-2 style vanes
Russians for parts and know-how to re-create the R-12 under the name
directed the exhaust for control. The new engine and its control vanes
Shahab 4. Conflicting reports since then suggest that Iran has test-flown
could not fit in the 1.65-meter (65") airframe of the R-5, so Yangel
the resurrected R-12 already.
added a flared tail skirt that doubled as a stabilizing cone. Yangel’s
group also stretched tanks, placing the oxidizer tank above the fuel tank
Yangel R-12 specifications:
in order to maintain a favorable center of gravity during the engine’s
burn. The missile could carry a 1 or 2 megaton thermonuclear
Warhead Weight 1630 kg (3600 lb)
warhead as far as 2000 km (1200 mi), with an accuracy of around 3 km
Thrust 730,000 N (160,000 lb)
(2 miles). The R-12’s inertial guidance system made it immune to radio
Duration 140 s
jamming.
Total Impulse 102,000,000 N-s (23,000,000 lb-s)
Range 2000 km (1200 mi)
Yangel’s design bureau tested the R-12 in 1957 and 1958. By 1959, the
Length 22.1 m (72.5 ft)
Soviet Union deployed the missiles in Eastern Europe. Soon thereafter,
Diameter 1.65 m (5 ft, 5 in)
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Honest, John! in from the bottom of the rocket. After cutting the motor mount tube to
length, I glued on the centering rings using CA glue. When gluing on
Building an honest-to-goodness
the centering rings, I had to make sure that the bottom ring would just
mid-power performer from the
clear the shoulder on the boattail that would be installed later.
Estes Maxi Honest John
By Doug Scobel
Next, I added the shock cord mount, using a trick I learned from fellow
HUVARS member Mark Chrumka. It is simply a nine inch steel fishing
s s,
As teenagers in the late 1960' and early 1970' my brother Don and I
leader. To mount it, I drilled about a 1/8” hole in the forward centering
were heavy into model rockets. Having grown up during what many
ring. I then cut the head off an 8d finishing nail, so that it was just
consider the golden age of American space exploration, I think we
slightly shorter than the radial distance between the engine tube and
owned every scale model and at least half of the sport models that Estes
the inside of the body tube. After placing the swivel end eyelet of the
sold. But, like so many others, we soon "grew up" and lost interest in the
leader through the hole in the centering ring (from the front), I passed
hobby. My interest was re-kindled about seven years ago, when Don
the nail through the hole in the eyelet, and then glued the nail in place
t
bought my ten year old son Nick an Estes starter kit. It wasn' long and I
with lots of CA. One word of caution when using a wire fishing leader
was addicted again - a prototypical Born-Again Rocketeer!
as a shock cord mount. Make sure that the snap/swivel at the end of
the leader ends up just inside the end of the body tube. If it extends
I soon discovered that the hobby had changed considerably since my
past the end of the tube, the very small diameter of the wire could
early rocketry days, and for the better in most all respects but one - most
produce the most perfect zipper you’ve ever seen!
of the scale models I loved as a kid were no longer available. One of my
favorites was the Estes Honest John, the smaller scale version. I
remember thinking it to be about the coolest looking missile ever built,
second only to the awesome rockets of NASA’s manned space program.
So when Estes re-released the huge (in comparison) Maxi Honest John,
I knew I just had to have one!
Upon opening the kit, two things were obvious. Weighing in at 14
ounces, a black powder D12 engine wasn’t going to provide much of a
show. And those flimsy vac-u-formed fins would need some help if they
were to survive their first flight and landing. But, I figured that with a few
modifications, this bird could be made to be as impressive in flight as I
knew it would be on display.
I knew that whatever had to be done to strengthen the fins would most
likely add weight to the aft end of the rocket, and so would also require
adding significant weight elsewhere to the model. I didn’t want to go
overboard, but if I could keep the total weight under two pounds, then F
or G motors ought to provide the needed power to provide impressive How the steel fishing leader is mounted to the front centering ring
flights. So, I decided to upgrade the stock 24mm motor mount up to 29
millimeters. I had to cut slots into the plastic boattail to use through-the-wall fin
mounting. First I figured out how long and wide to make the slots,
Main Airframe Construction which meant a little planning on how I was going to reinforce the fins
As luck would have it, I happened to have on hand a heavy walled (described later). Once I determined what the slot dimensions needed
2.632” O.D. tube from Vaughn Brothers, a 29mm engine mount tube to be, I simply cut them out with a hobby knife. Also, the bottom end of
from Totally Tubular, and a pair of matching 1/8” thick plywood centering the boattail had a wide flange area that I had to trim back to allow
rings. The body tube is only slightly larger in diameter than the stock access into the rear of the rocket where the through-the-wall fin tabs
Estes BT-80, but it is much stronger. I cut the 29mm engine tube (which would bear against the engine tube. Once the boattail was trimmed, I
doubles as a stuffer tube) to give the model about a nine inch parachute simply epoxied it into the body tube, up against the rear centering ring.
compartment. I fashioned an engine hook from one of the steel strips
from a hanging file folder, bending it into the same shape as Aerotech Fin Assembly and Mounting
uses on some of their smaller kits. Next it was time to tackle the fins. I wanted to use the stock fins,
because they already have the “diamond” shaped cross section that
would be difficult to replicate. So the trick was to figure out how to
make them stronger without adding a lot of weight. I opted to use 1/8”
thick basswood as strengthening ribs that doubled as through-the-wall
mounting tabs. The rest of the fin volume would be taken up with about
a 50/50 mixture of two hour epoxy and micro-balloons. I wanted to use
the thinnest, runniest epoxy I had, because the micro-balloons thicken
the mixture considerably.
Motor mount tube with retaining hook
With the engine tube installed in the body tube, I did not want the
engine retaining hook to protrude beyond the bottom of the boattail.
This would allow the model to stand up by itself on a flat surface for The reinforcing fin ribs that would double as through-the-wall fin
display. This meant that the end of the engine tube would be about 1 ¼” attachment tabs
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tube coupler (also a Vaughn Brothers item) up into the nose cone. This
I first assembled the fins per the instructions, being sure to rough up provides a much more precise fit, plus it extends the shoulder area to
the interior with sandpaper first. After filling a fin about half way with the about 2 ½ inches.
epoxy/micro-balloon mixture, I inserted a basswood rib, which helped
force the epoxy filler all the way down to the tip of the fin. After
ensuring that the rib extended from the root edge by the proper
distance (to just reach the engine tube), I added more epoxy filler until
the fin was filled right up to the top. After the epoxy cured, the fins were
solid, with no air gaps or flexure, and with integral mounting tabs to
boot!
A finished fin
Once the fins were complete, it was a simple matter to glue them to the
boattail/engine tube assembly. But first, I cut a couple of reinforcing
rings out of 1/8” plywood. They would be used to tie together the four
through-the-wall tabs, instead of relying on the plastic boattail alone to
provide that strength. I placed one of the rings into the boattail over the
engine mount, and glued (carpenter’s wood glue) the four fins in place,
carefully checking alignment until the glue set. Once that glue dried
completely, I then applied liberal amounts of glue to all the joints to
bond all the individual pieces together. Fillets made of a mixture of two
hour epoxy and micro-balloons finished off the external part of the The nose cone shoulder is replaced with a tube coupler
fin/boattail joints neatly.
To mount the shock cord to the nose cone, I drilled two holes into the
top of the bottom half of the nose cone, per the kit instructions, but
reinforced them with steel washers and epoxy.
Knowing that I added a substantial amount of weight to the rear of the
rocket, I would have to add some weight to the nose to maintain
stability. After experimenting with the heaviest motor I intended to fly it
on (Aerotech G64 RMS) mounted in the engine mount, I determined
that about three ounces would do it. I inverted the top nose cone,
poured in three ounces of steel shot, and sealed it in place with a
couple of layers of epoxy. If you decide to perform similar modifications
on your model, you’ll have to do your own experimenting to determine
the proper amount of weight to add. Three ounces worked for my
model, but it might not be enough for yours.
Once I was satisfied that the rocket would be stable, I tied about ten
feet of 3/8” wide elastic through the holes in the bottom nose cone, and
then epoxied the top half in place.
Final Details
The remainder of construction involved the addition of the scale details
(launch shoes, spin rocket nacelles, and mid-body band) and launch
The finished boattail/fin assembly lugs. I pretty much followed the instructions for construction of the
scale details, except that I used basswood for the launch shoes rather
Nose Cone Assembly than the supplied balsa, to provide a nicer finish and better strength.
The nose cone also required special treatment. The shoulder that fits The instructions have you mount the launch lugs on the scale launch
into the top of the body tube is barely more than half an inch long. shoes, but I did not feel that that would be strong enough for the higher
Moreover, the Vaughn Brothers tube I used for the airframe has a thrust of F and G motors. So, I decided to mount them directly to the
slightly larger inside diameter than that of the stock BT-80 tube. Both airframe. I added 3/8” x 3/8” basswood standoffs (to clear the larger
factors compounded for a too-loose fit of the nose cone into the body diameter of the nose cone), and fitted them with quarter inch I.D. lugs.
tube. I opted to cut the shoulder completely off, and then epoxied a Epoxy fillets ensure that they’ll stay put.
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Close-up of lower details
Painting and Flying
Sorry to keep you hanging, but that’s where it stands right now. It
weighs in at just under 22 oz., well under my goal of a maximum two
pounds. It’s ready for paint, so once the weather warms up a little I’ll be
Ready for paint – and then launch!
doing that. Then it will be time for it’s first flight. Look for a follow-up
article once it’s made its maiden voyage. Stay tuned.
were various raffles all day long with probably hundreds of prizes
NARCON 2005 - Continued from page 1: handed out to attendees.
The seminar continued from that point but I snuck out to attend Pavel
Pinkas’ Building with Ultra light Materials Building sessions. We build
competition egg lofters our of vellum and Easter egg plastic capsules.
The vellum had computer printed templates on them generated in VCP.
They went together quickly and were reasonably lightweight.
One of the best things about a large event like this is that many vendors
show up offering products you might not see in our local hobby stores.
Local vendors like Peter Alway were there with his books and Art Upton
with his onboard video systems. Bill Saindon from BMS was there with
a wide selection of the balsa turnings and kits that he manufactures.
Semroc was also there, with everything they offer. Jim Flis was also
there with a huge selection of Fliskits.
The neatest products there were from a company called Micro Classics
operated by Stuart Lenz and his son Ellison. At this booth there were
maybe 50 MicroMaxx sized downscales of classic model rockets, all
nicely mounted and put on display. They had 12 different models for
sale. For example, a Micro Estes Interceptor at 1/5 scale, all of 5.5
inches long and 1.75 inches wide. For more information you can
contact them at microclassics@aol.com
Micro Classic models on display – picture courtesy Jim Flis
One other thing to mention is that with your registration fees, you get a
lot of free stuff. Quest made up special NARCON rockets. The idea
This was my second NARCON and it was as enjoyable as the first.
with these is that you were suppose to get people to autograph the body
There’s a good chance that NARCON will be held in the same location
tube as a keepsake, similar to having people sign your high school
as this year. It’s a 6 hour drive which is relatively close for an event of
yearbook. Another freebie was a card in your registration material.
this size and quality. I highly recommend you go next year if you can.
Semroc would give you a free Astron Space Plane clone kit if you would
You’ll certainly be happy you did.
give them your contact information and answer a very short quiz. There
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Directions to Club Locations
Schedule of Events
April 9, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch at Gumbert
Field.
April 16, 2005 Spring Thing Location: Jackson Community College
Events: C Dual Eggloft Duration, Set Duration 65 Seconds, Open
Spot Landing
May 7, 2005 HUVARS Sport Launch Lyon Township Park 12 noon.
May 14, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch (Location
TBA)
May 14-15, 2005 Custer Buster 8 Regional Location: Fort Custer
State Park, Augusta, Michigan, Events: Giant Sport Scale, 1/4A
Helicopter Duration, A Cluster Altitude, C Streamer Duration,
Random Duration, Open Spot Landing
May 28, 2005 SMASH Section Launch Location: Fort Custer State
Park, 1:00 pm
June 4-5, 2005 Michigan Spacemodeling Championships
Location: Jackson Community College Events: Sport Scale, 1/4A
Helicopter Duration, 1/2A Boost Glider Duration, D Streamer
Duration, Set Duration 65 seconds, Open Spot Landing
June 11, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch at MIS
Field.
June 12, 2005 SMASH Section Launch Location: Fort Custer State
Park, 1:00 pm
June 25, 2005 SMASH Section Launch Location: Plainwell Airport,
1:00 pm
July 2, 2005 HUVARS Sport Launch Lyon Township Park 12 noon.
July 9, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch at MIS Field.
July 23, 2005 SMASH Section Launch Location: Plainwell Airport,
1:00 pm
July 30 - August 5 NARAM 47 National Association of Rocketry
Annual Meet Location: Voice of America Park, West Chester, OH
(North of Cincinnati) Events: Research and Development, D Dual
Egg loft Duration, Plastic Model Conversion, Giant Sport Scale, 1/4A
Helicopter Duration, 1/2A Boost-Glider Duration, A Cluster Altitude, B
Super-roc Altitude, C Streamer Duration (multi round), Set Duration -
65 Seconds, Open Spot Landing
Aug 6 , 2005 HUVARS Sport Launch Lyon Township Park 12 noon.
Aug 13, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch at MIS Field.
September 10, 2005 Jackson Model Rocketry Club Launch at
MIS Field.
September 24-25, 2005 Falling Leaf Finale Location: Jackson
Community College Events: Science Fiction/Future Scale, B Boost
Glider Duration, B Rocket Glider Duration, D Super-Roc Duration,
Open Spot Landing
Totally Tubular
http://www.totubular.com
Thanks for your support of HUVARS!
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HUVARS
C/O Jim Fackert
Box 430
Hamburg, MI 48139
To:
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