Hornet 9mm Rocket by Nautilus Aerospace

thingiverse

I'm unleashing this model to celebrate the launch of my new aerospace company, Nautilus Aerospace. I recommend printing this with 1.2mm walls and using an infill of 90% or higher. The fins and rocket body should be robust enough to withstand the impact of a "featherweight" style recovery into soft ground. 9mm rocket engines should fit loosely into the fuseless and eject themselves from the engine's ejection charge. I believe the test rocket exploded at this point, although it was too high up to see and was never found, due to either the printer nozzle needing to be replaced or the number of wall-layers being odd, causing the extruder to double over itself creating a seam. More testing needs to be done. I've been experimenting with Sears-Haack bodies and came up with a design for what I'm assuming to be a featherweight class of model rockets, or at least inspired by one, specifically the Estes "Mosquito" kit from my childhood. The fins should probably be longer, and I'm guessing that the 9mm engines are so powerful that the rocket will reach heights requiring FAA clearance to launch, so it's essential to note that launching this rocket without their approval is quite possibly and likely illegal. This rocket is named "Hornet" after the shape of its nose cone, which resembles the abdomen of a hornet or the nose of the External Tank of the Space Transport System, also known as the Space Shuttle. It's compatible with 1/8"-rod Estes launching platforms. I've tested a similar design with an Estes C6-5 engine, which seems to be so overkill that just the drag on the lug when matched with the impulse of the engine pitched the nose down 15-degrees immediately after leaving the platform, but the course seemed fairly straight once it had picked a trajectory. The test also corkscrewed wildly, which I'm guessing was due entirely to the launch lugs being flush to the side of the fins. This updated design tries to fix that by placing the lugs away from the fins, which I suspect need to be quite a bit longer to prevent the rocket from nosing down. I expect the rocket will still spin due to the aerodynamic vortex created by any non-stabilized, unguided body moving through a compressible fluid, but the effect shouldn't be nearly as pronounced as the prototype. Caution: use at your own risk! This model comes with no warranty and neither I nor Nautilus Aerospace can be held liable for expenses incurred resulting from this purely experimental rocket's use or misuse, including but not limited to tort damages, property damage, fires, emotional distress, court fines, lawsuits, imprisonment, death, or injury. By printing or firing this rocket, you are agreeing not to sue us or get yourself in legal trouble. Estes is a registered trademark of Estes Industries, LLC of Penrose, Colorado, USA.