- Joined
- Mar 5, 2017
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This is going to be a fast build since there isn’t much to it, meaning a short build thread that wraps in a day or so. I just needed something for an upcoming weekend launch in case the forecasted windspeeds go up from single-digit to double-digit ones and I can’t fly my gliders.
I just happened to spot miniature plastic traffic cones being used at my gym and it occurred to me that they’d make a really good oddroc, something like a cross between a spool and pyramid that used base drag for stability. They’d use featherweight recovery and would be unlikely to get lost because they wouldn’t fly too high, drift with any wind gusts, or easily blend in with the landscape because of their bright orange color.
I found these cones on Amazon. I especially like the cutouts on their sides. They don’t just lighten the cones, but it means I can avoid the Krushnic effect and recess the motor all the way to the top to improve stability.
Yes, apparently not an original idea as I subsequently found a link in a post on TRF that took me to FlisKits’ Traffic Cone kit.
It didn’t take much time to throw one together. As it turns out the only time-consuming part was cutting a hole in the top and reaming a hole for the launch lug (didn’t want to thread the launch rod through one of those openings in its side, as it could too easily bind on the launch rod if it didn’t launch perfectly straight, and anyway, those openings are far too large to provide much guidance.
Successful surgery on its noggin.
Next hardest part: determining the angle of the launch lug support standoff. I ended up just holding the lug straight vertical after inserting it into one of the side holes and snapping a pic of it. I took that into Illustrator to trace out the exact angle between the vertical lug and the cone’s sloping sides.
Carved/gouged out a slot for the launch lug. Quite the experience in tedious trial and error.
Centering ring fabricated from matt board.
The assembled 24mm motor tube and CR
To be continued...
I just happened to spot miniature plastic traffic cones being used at my gym and it occurred to me that they’d make a really good oddroc, something like a cross between a spool and pyramid that used base drag for stability. They’d use featherweight recovery and would be unlikely to get lost because they wouldn’t fly too high, drift with any wind gusts, or easily blend in with the landscape because of their bright orange color.
I found these cones on Amazon. I especially like the cutouts on their sides. They don’t just lighten the cones, but it means I can avoid the Krushnic effect and recess the motor all the way to the top to improve stability.
Yes, apparently not an original idea as I subsequently found a link in a post on TRF that took me to FlisKits’ Traffic Cone kit.
It didn’t take much time to throw one together. As it turns out the only time-consuming part was cutting a hole in the top and reaming a hole for the launch lug (didn’t want to thread the launch rod through one of those openings in its side, as it could too easily bind on the launch rod if it didn’t launch perfectly straight, and anyway, those openings are far too large to provide much guidance.
Successful surgery on its noggin.
Next hardest part: determining the angle of the launch lug support standoff. I ended up just holding the lug straight vertical after inserting it into one of the side holes and snapping a pic of it. I took that into Illustrator to trace out the exact angle between the vertical lug and the cone’s sloping sides.
Carved/gouged out a slot for the launch lug. Quite the experience in tedious trial and error.
Centering ring fabricated from matt board.
The assembled 24mm motor tube and CR
To be continued...