Old Sci Fi Magazine Art Rocket Would be Cool Scratch Build or Kit

[brockrwood]

Woukd be a hard scratch build. Or maybe not with 3D printing.

 

[ReynoldsSlumber]

With shock absorbers like that, it would be cool to make them functional and try to land it on its feet. I'm actually working on a different sci-fi design and trying to do just that. Thinking of using an air piston pod design, with a small hole for damping to let air out on impact and back in on the slower rebound, and using a light compression spring. Anyone tried something like this? Weight is at an absolute premium, since the aft fin tips are the worst place for extra grams.

 

[lr64]

If the hole is small enough, do you even need a spring? Unless, of course, you're landing on some airless moon. ;-)

 

[lr64]

That rocket's body might not be all THAT hard to make. Someone with a good eye could carve and wet-sand that shape from High Load 60 or similar foam with a very fine texture. Then, it could be split open and hollowed out, or it could be used to make a mold. It might be even easier, though far dustier, if one had a lathe and turned it from light wood.