Bagged Sub-Assemblies

I learned a lot from building Semroc kits.
One thing I found were bagged sub assemblies. The engine mount and recovery system parts were in separate small bags.
The picture shows the engine mount bag from a typical Odd'l Rockets kit.
As a teen I remember tearing open an Estes or Centuri kit bag. Loose parts would fly! A launch lug or engine hook could roll under the table and be lost.

Why don't the big producers do this? It costs an extra three cents per kit for two extra ziplock bags.

New Upgraded Kits and Accessories

Semroc is sold! I hope the new owner can supply parts for vendors. 
Red River Rocketry has slowed it's production while new part sources can be found.
Fliskits had many custom nosecones made at Semroc. Carl never turned down a custom parts order.

The Odd'l Rockets problem? I use ST tubing (not BT tubing) in some of the kits. Sure you can get almost all sizes of the ST tubing from other vendors, but nobody can match the old Semroc vendor discount! If I were producing standard 3FNC models this wouldn't be a concern. There are just too many custom parts in Odd-Ball rockets.

Okay - rant over. Onto better products!

This next month (or two) I hope to have more BLAST! deflectors.
These will have a wider diameter base closer to the original MPC ceramic deflectors.
The bottom hole will be larger and easily fit over the Adeptor.

A large order of RAISE springs has come in. No real changes, the product is fine now.
I won't be making 3/16" rod Raise springs - Sorry!

The BREAK-AWAY rocket is being re-designed. Based on heavy walled BT-50 tubing, it allows longer couplers so the fit of the segments isn't as loose.

Whatever Happened To . . . The Wedgie?

I thought we really had a winner with this one.
It went through more flight testing than any other Odd'l design.

Roger Smith designed software to input your art or a NAR logo and section name. I drew up Centuri Point, Brick Wall and Christmas Tree body skins.

I had flown pyramids before but was never impressed with the low altitude a shorter four-sided model got.
The Wedgie was a more slender, three sided Tetrahedron. It flew very well with a C6-3.

But, it just didn't sell enough kits to keep it going!
The Wedgie parts box is now home for the Pigasus kit pieces.
As far as I can tell, there are no more Wedgie kits from my vendors.

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!