Korean War Era planes

[rayd]

Mitch:
If interested, there's a pretty good diagram, printwood and all, for the Lockheed straight wing Starfire F94C, about 25" ws once kitted by Comet. Scratchbuild though, but plan shown looks good, clear, comprehensive. Designed for Jetex and those Rapier (one shot deal engines--both likely tough to get here..maybe easier elsewhere.) Plane diagram is on Page 10 of the Plans section on Hippocket site. If you need HPA link, I'll get it for you. Registration and log-in can be tedious, but lots of good stuff when navigation becomes familiar, and as with outerzone, a UK site, it is for scratchbuilding out of print "stuff" in public domain or older material. May be helpful somehow. You could get lost there, so much good "stuff" and I never experienced problems. A cousin of mine served in the Korean war/conflict...he never talks about it, ever.

[Mitch]

Thanks... that would be cool... I have the plane for the P-80 Shooting Star... Got too much going on right now... Just got home 2 days ago and plan to go to Denver for a flight contest over Labor Day... Mitch

[David Lewis]

I've experimented with propelling small model planes with bottle rocket motors and they work nicely when properly matched to the airframe. Unlike Estes, they are cheap, lightweight, put out low levels of thrust for long periods of time, and leave a contrail. Also designed and built these type of rocket motors from scratch in order to tailor the thrust curve.

[Mitch]

I hope you don't use the bottle rockets with a "REPORT". I believe that is what they call it when the rocket ends with a "BANG"!

Seriously, I would like to try that, tell me more. I have 4 Rocket/Jet powered planes under construction. For now they will be rubber power with prop, or glider. Gliders will be launched with catapult.

I have now under construction 4 models:
Mig-15, Bell X-1, Me 163 Komet, FW 226 Flitzer.

I also have a Grumman Panther (Easy Built) and a Grumman Cougar (OOP Comet Kit)

I am VERY interested in what you do! Mitch

[David Lewis]

It's like rolling a cigarette. I roll black powder, available at gun stores, in aluminum foil, then insert a piece of wire into the end of the aluminum foil tube (combustion chamber) and swage the end into a nozzle. Stick a fireworks fuse into the nozzle and twist the other (nose) end closed. I've also used cardboard with good results but then the nozzle has to be a separate piece. The thrust-to-weight ratio is much lower than Estes but adequate for model aircraft. I've also scraped the heads off wooden kitchen matches for fuel and it worked fine although less thrust.

The smaller the bore of the nozzle, and larger diameter of the tube, the more thrust you'll get -- up to the pressure limit of the combustion chamber, and of course, the longer the tube, the longer the burn time -- up to the temperature limit of the nozzle. You can switch to a clay nozzle if needed to withstand longer burn times.

Sometimes you can get away with stock bottle rocket engine(s) if its/their thrust curve close to what you want. Multi-motors are a viable option in this situation. Also might be able to glue bottle rocket motors together end to end for longer burn times, but haven't tested it. Always test experimental motors in a stand, not in an aiplane, until you work the bugs out.

Observe strict safety precautions because these motors are prone to explode and set things on fire at random. Building and testing rocket motors is very dangerous I do not take responsibility for any harm, injury or damage.

[Mitch]

THANKS for the reply... I realize they CAN be dangerous. I expect that is why Jetex motors are OOP and Raipiers made in Checeslovakia (how do you spell that? Pardon my ignorance if you are from there.) are hard to come by. The model kits I have include MULTIPLE warnings against FIRE hazard... Especially around "thatched" houses. Were ARE these people from? I think I entered Alice's Wonderland or something!

Seriously, friends of mine even said "If you can not get those motors, I am sure you can make them yourself"

For now I will stick to RUBBER BANDS... I can not hurt myself or others... at least not burn down any nearby villages! Mitch