Saturn V - progress

Body tube seams filled with high build primer and sanded, couplers started, engine mount installed.  

The centering rings were a bit of a loose fit in the couplers, so the outside diameter was built up a bit with white glue. 

To be continued...

Estes Saturn V

The Estes Saturn V build has begun...  I pulled out the box yesterday...  I will be using Chris Michielssen's excellent blog as a reference.

The only change I will be making will be a substitution of a 29mm motor mount in place of the 24mm.  It will fly on the new Estes 29mm black powder motors.

Updated loft bed

Boy never cleans his room - but the ladder upgrade has been completed.  Total cost - about $15 + some polyurethane I had on hand.

Shed Expansion

Not the prettiest concrete ever poured, but it'll do the job - covered with a wood subfloor.

Workshop expansion...

Well, it's decision time.  The shed door hinge pulled out of the shed over the weekend - note to builder/previous home owner - 1" screws into 1" pine to hold up a door made of particle board and 1" pine?  Really???

Roof deck is rotted, sheathing is rotting.  At a minimum, those need to be pulled off and replaced.  For not too much more (36 bags of concrete, six or so additional sheets of plywood and some 2x4s), I can increase the size of the shed by 50%.  

Here is the plan: 

1) Excavate the area behind the existing shed, exposing the edge of the existing 4" concrete slab.  I did this already.

2) Build form for 6" thick 5x9 concrete pad, and excavate two additional inches for stone base

3) Drill holes in edge of existing concrete slab for rebar - doweling the two pads together so they act/move as one slab

4) Pour the concrete (using a rented mixer) and let cure

5) Wait until spring. The back yard is very soggy in the spring, and moving dirt is....  difficult to say the least without destroying the yard.

6) Tear the rear sheathing off the existing shed and frame the addition

7) Tear the existing roof off, and then frame the addition roof - 2x4 rafters like the existing

8) Install new roof

9) Remove all sheathing and install new

10) Paint exterior

11) insulate and finish interior walls - paneled

12) Enjoy 40+ SF of new space.

Fun project! 

Blu Baby 42

Another completed project - 42" blu baby foam airplane. The two different wings were left over from the original - one with ailerons, one without.  First flight attempt will be on Wednesday or Thursday. Power provided by a Tower Pro 2410-9 electic motor from Hobby King.

Update - Need some downthrust.  

Blu Baby 33 - 2nd flight attempt

It was a little windy, but I made another attempt to fly the Blu Baby 33 this morning at the park.  A little too windy.  The right and down thrust seem to have helped, but the wind made it difficult to tell for certain.  The landing approach was basically pull the throttle down and the plane just hovered .  Cut the throttle and it actually landed backwards!

Adding a little more throw in the rudder tonight, and trying again tomorrow.

UPDATE:
It flew much better without wind.  One more washer under the motor mount and we should be good to go!

Next project

The big winter projects will be... covering the Mystique (I know, I'll believe it when I see it) and...

Estes 2157 Saturn V 1/100 model rocket.  I will be replacing the 24mm motor mount with a 29 - to fly on the new 29mm Estes black powder motors.

Blu Baby - 1st flight

Wow - does this plane ever need down and right thrust (adding a couple washers to the motor mount to point the motor down and to the right).

Under power, the plane pulls hard up and left.  No power and the thing will glide forever...  Will try again tomorrow.

Blu Baby 33

Another completed project. I'm going to try and fly Monday AM. 

Plans are here- http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=681556

Current projects...

Now that the Pegasus is done, the current list of projects looks like this:

Driveway repair (fun...) Completed

Update to boy's loft bed - new ladder Completed

Rockets - semroc Astron Spaceman (base coat painted)

Semroc Astron Spaceplane (primer) Completed

Estes Leviathan (base coat painted)Completed

Estes Super Big Bertha (painted, needs final details)Completed - flew in August

Airplanes:Craftair Mystique - still needs covering

Blu-baby 33 foamy - replaces one with a folded wing - Completed

Foamy Pirahna - motor upgrade to power 450 sport - Completed and then crashed, now retired

Retired stuff:

Original blu baby 33 - wing folded in flight

Hobbico Sky Fly (upgraded motor) - never flew right after upgrade. 

NASA Pegasus - upscale.

One of my favorite model rockets of all time - the Estes NASA Pegasus. I built two as a kid, cloned one a few years ago, and just finished a 1.67x upscale on a BT-70 airframe.  The upscaled rocket has interchangeable motor mounts: Single 24mm, Dual 24MM, Triple 24MM, and 29MM.  In theory, I could fly on 4-18mm C6-3 motors.

Pegasus #2 - circa 1987

Upscaled fins - Basswood

Ready for primer

Pegasus #3 and newly finished big brother. 

Some completed projects

Some completed projects- Estes Mega Mosquito, Estes Mosquito, and Quest X-15

Some in process projects -Upscaled NASA Pegasus (BT70 with removable motor mounts), Super Big Bertha (BT80 with removable motor mounts), & Estes Leviathan.

Workshop expansion?

A major project for next year is replacing the roof of my shed. The plywood deck is, um, bad.  Being a 10x10 shed, it can get a little cramped in there.  I'm considering adding a 6 inch thick concrete 4x10 slab tied into the existing slab and then building a 4x10 extension on.  Benefits include more workspace, adding a window large enough for a small AC unit, and since I have to replace the roof anyway (and I still have insulation left), minimal additional cost.  At the same time, I'll run an additional 15 amp circuit to the shed.  Debating whether I should pull off the existing wood siding (which is rotting) and replacing with new exterior grade stuff.

Updates....

It's been a while since I updated this.  Current projects are:

Craftair Mystique (still)
Estes Leviathan (in primer)
Estes Mega Mosquito (in primer)
Estes Astron Elliptic II (in primer)
Quest X-15 Sport Scale (in primer)
scratch Super Big Bertha w/interchangeable motor mount
scratch BT-70 based upscale of the Estes Nasa Pegasus w/interchangeable motor mount
Concrete pad in front of tool shed
Bog garden in the backyard for child #1's carnivorous plant collection.