Extra Centering Ring Punches

Where possible, I try to incorporate a few extra features on the Odd'l Rockets kits to make them stronger and easier to assemble.

Here's some centering rings from the Pigasus and Little Green Man kits.
On the left is the lower engine mount centering ring. The ring is punched for movement of the engine hook - pretty standard.

On the right is the upper ring.
On the bottom is a second smaller "relief" for the upper end of the engine hook. This allows an easier fit over the engine hook and the engine tube won't be compressed inward.
Right above that is a small hole for the Kevlar to pass through. Again, no extra pressure on the engine mount tube.

Nose Cones Have Arrived!

That's 45 Little Green Man and Pigasus nose cones just arrived from Balsa Machining Service.
A little more expensive to produce, they are not a standard diameter or shape.
Now to print instructions, cut tubes, make decals and bag'em up!

New Long Boat Tail Design? FAIL!

I was playing around with a new design.
Sort of a Sci-Fi V2 style with a much longer tail cone.
This sketch is just a rough starting place.

I'd seen pictures of nose cones being made from body tubes before.
Long triangular pieces are cut out and the long edges joined.
Can't be too hard - right?
The low end of the drawing shows a BT-70 tapering down to a BT-50.

I won't go into too much detail, the end result wasn't that good!

The BT-70 tube was marked for four sections, much like marking for fins with a wrap around marking guide.

The BT-50 engine mount tube was marked in quarters and those measurements made on the low end of the BT-70.

I tried curved cuts first, there was too much overlap at the centers.
Straight cuts were tried and those edges matched up pretty well.




Here's why you've never seen this type of long boat tail in a kit!

The internal and external body tube seams show up when the tube sections are pulled in and joined up.
Oh well, lesson learned. One 9" tube tossed. Back to the drawing board.

Christmas RUSH!

I've checked with all my vendors.
The Pigasus and Little Green Man kits are all sold out!
There are still other Odd'l kits and accessories available.
You can get matching Pig and L.G.M. T-Shirts at the Odd'l Rockets Cafe Press store. CLICK HERE

There won't be any more kits until I get another order of nose cones. That probably won't happen until after Christmas.
I'm going to call BMS and add to the nose cones order
Thanks to all the buyers and I hope you all have a Great Holiday!

P.S. Be sure to send pictures, you might see them on the Odd'l Blog!

Orion Parachutes - Look Familiar?

If you haven't seen it yet, check out the Orion splashdown video CLICK HERE

When I designed the Odd'l Rockets multi-sized parachutes I based them on the Centuri Saturn V chutes. The Centuri chutes had 64 printed gores in alternating red and white.
64 gores on an model rocket sized 18" parachute looked too busy so I settled for 32 panels.

I was very surprised to watch the Orion splashdown video and see the three red and white parachutes.
All three chutes are slightly different. But in the (above left) picture, the right side parachute looks like the Odd'l parachute! Or vice-versa. It wasn't planned this way, sometimes things just work out.

The parachute kits are available from JonRocket, Balsa Machining Service, Apogee, Uncle Mike's Rocket Shack and in the Pigasus and Little Green Man kits.

Making Raise Springs

Odd'l Rockets Raise Springs don't come fully assembled.
The springs are just that - a spring with a long straight wire out to the side.

The brass tube extensions are cut by hand.
The added tubes are less likely to catch on the engine hook.

If you use a Raise spring, keep it under the end of your model away from the nozzle. Don't slide it right under a launch lug that is a few inches above the end.

The tail end is cut off and a weird tension bend is made to hold the tube on. The bend takes four steps.
The tube is slid on and turned. Turning the rough cut end of the wire cuts a shallow groove inside the tube. That groove and the tension bend locks the tube on the wire.
Do me a favor - Don't pull the brass tube off the end of the spring. You might not get it back on!




125 Raise springs later I've had enough for one afternoon.
My fingers are dirty and sore!

Pig's Fly to Apogee

More Pigs and Little Green Men are on their way to Apogee Components -
http://www.apogeerockets.com/Oddl_Rockets
They went out last Friday and should be listed soon.

JonRocket already sold out of Pigasus kits and had one Little Green Man kit still available. (EDIT: All the vendors are sold out of Pigasus and Little Green Man kits)
After these are gone it'll be a few weeks before any more kits will be made. I'm out of nose cones and custom cones take extra time to schedule.
This picture is from a schoolyard launch on November 30.