Could you bring yourself to destroy a 21 foot long X-wing replica?

[danny_galaga]

I watched it over and over trying to work out exactly what happen. I am actually wondering if it was overstable and "weathercocked". ie- It tried to start flying horizontal but couldn't handle the forces of such a maneuver.

Looking at it and how far it got into the air, I am not really convinced it was a under-stability issue.

Bloody spectacular that's for sure. 

that's what i think too. when it flipped over the stress was too much. that or one of the O rings failed 

[ChadTower]

Many small planes are heavy cloth over light metals, though, aren't they?  That could be why.

[danny_galaga]

i'm not sure what you are getting at there but yes, some small planes are as you describe. a good example would be the Pitts S1. It could handle much more severe changes in G force than that x-wing so it's more a matter of execution of design than materials in that case...

[ChadTower]

Or maybe that wood screws and glue don't hold like sheet metal screws and welded joints.

[danny_galaga]

Or maybe that wood screws and glue don't hold like sheet metal screws and welded joints.

oops. thats what you meant! yes, if they had made it from welded tubing and covered it with nothing more than cloth it would have had a better chance...

[Ed_McCarron]

oops. thats what you meant! yes, if they had made it from welded tubing and covered it with nothing more than cloth it would have had a better chance...

Don't the model rocketry folks frown upon construction that doesn't fall apart?

When it goes CATO, its one thing to get hit with some plywood splinters, its a whole other thing to get hit with 75 pounds of welded steel...

[ChadTower]

Yes, we all love being pelted with hundreds of spears at terminal velocity.  Much better than a few chunks of aluminum you can avoid.

[romperwomb]

Woah!  The Y-Wing they also built missed out on all the glory at this event!  It made out a bit better though.  It even had an on board video cam!

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/star-wars/the-y+wing-underdog-takeoff-obliteration-and-in+flight-footage-308477.php

[Ed_McCarron]

Yes, we all love being pelted with hundreds of spears at terminal velocity.  Much better than a few chunks of aluminum you can avoid.

Find me the metal in your average (OK, I realize this one was above average) model rocket.

The little clip that holds the engine in.  Period.

The rest is wood, cardboard, and plastic.  Even the engine nozzle is made of clay that will shatter if the engine explodes.

Wait'll little Johnny gets hit with a chunk of metal from space instead of slowly falling splinters...

Eff Chad.  He stabbed little Johnny.

[ChadTower]

I think we can dispense with arguing over a model X wing launch.  If there is a geekier thing, I can't think of it at the moment, and I'm going to go slam my head against my desk for a bit to try and forget I participated.

Then maybe some lunch.

[Ed_McCarron]

I think we can dispense with arguing over a model X wing launch.  If there is a geekier thing, I can't think of it at the moment, and I'm going to go slam my head against my desk for a bit to try and forget I participated.

Then maybe some lunch.

Don't forget dessert.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

If there is a geekier thing, I can't think of it at the moment...

Uh...this whole forum.   

At least the X-wing launch involved fire and explosions. The biggest disasters we face are marble contact paper and broken Nintendo joysticks.

[ChadTower]

Uh...this whole forum.   

Hell no... the stuff we build/restore here is nothing compared to a 21 foot X wing.

And let us know when you make with the building.  Or the restoring.  You should give that a try before taking shots at this community as a whole.

[Ed_McCarron]

The biggest disasters we face are marble contact paper and broken Nintendo joysticks.

IIRC, the Nintendo joystick argument did, in fact, involve fire.

[ChadTower]

Would a Nintendo joystick survive solid fuel launch?

I guess if it wasn't broken in the first place.

[TOK]

Uh...this whole forum.   

Hell no... the stuff we build/restore here is nothing compared to a 21 foot X wing.

And let us know when you make with the building.  Or the restoring.  You should give that a try before taking shots at this community as a whole.

Hows that horror bartop coming along? 

[ChadTower]

That's far from the only project I've ever worked on here, bro. 

That one was put on hold because I had to focus on the house, sadly.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

And let us know when you make with the building.  Or the restoring.  You should give that a try before taking shots at this community as a whole.

Coming soon. Don't worry.


And speaking of your house...How's that Mario Patio coming along?

[ChadTower]

Got about halfway done and the materials that were on order turned out to not be what the catalog said... so we went with plain grey for much of the space and are in the process of filling in the rest with loam and seed.  Even the retailer was like WTF I wouldn't sell these things at this price and he sent them back to the distributor.  Took freakin' forever and the colored bricks were total crap.

[missioncontrol]

Uh...this whole forum.   

Hell no... the stuff we build/restore here is nothing compared to a 21 foot X wing.

um... that's exactly what they did... built an X-wing, but then destroyed it with cool explosions upon take off.... yep, they are geeky, but then again so are....

[ChadTower]

Right... and when someone builds a 21 foot cab and destroys it with explosions, we'll be on their level.  Until then, fire + scale > cabs in terms of geekiness.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Until then, fire + scale > cabs in terms of geekiness.

So, is the Nerd²?

[boykster]

sombody needs to strap some rocket engines to a cab and launch it....

Bones?

[SithMaster]

I think we can dispense with arguing over a model X wing launch.  If there is a geekier thing, I can't think of it at the moment, and I'm going to go slam my head against my desk for a bit to try and forget I participated.

Then maybe some lunch.

Don't forget dessert.

Coolest cake ever.

If the frame is made of metal then the rockets will have to twist and bend it to tear it apart.  A wooden frame will just splinter (like the republic).  If it fell from space the xwing would be burned apart on re-entry and so would a scale model.

I think we can dispense with arguing over a model X wing launch.  If there is a geekier thing, I can't think of it at the moment, and I'm going to go slam my head against my desk for a bit to try and forget I participated.

Then maybe some lunch.

I actually found the topic fun to read (maybe cause i made a funny reference).

[leapinlew]

Right... and when someone builds a 21 foot cab and destroys it with explosions, we'll be on their level.  Until then, fire + scale > cabs in terms of geekiness.

Seriously... your arguing on who's the geekiness? I say that trying to decide what is the most geeky makes you the most geeky.

Besides, you're going the wrong way. The X-wing was built smaller than the design they were building from. These are full sized cabs - not scaled down miniatures.

[ChadTower]

Seriously... your arguing on who's the geekiness? I say that trying to decide what is the most geeky makes you the most geeky.

Stop saying things that make sense and wang.

[mr.Curmudgeon]

ChadTower has too many wang pictures.

[danny_galaga]

Yes, we all love being pelted with hundreds of spears at terminal velocity.  Much better than a few chunks of aluminum you can avoid.

Find me the metal in your average (OK, I realize this one was above average) model rocket.

The little clip that holds the engine in.  Period.

The rest is wood, cardboard, and plastic.  Even the engine nozzle is made of clay that will shatter if the engine explodes.

Wait'll little Johnny gets hit with a chunk of metal from space instead of slowly falling splinters...

Eff Chad.  He stabbed little Johnny.

actually, now i think about it i just realised why they made it from ply etc. its actually illegal for amateur rickets to be made from metal...

[SithMaster]

Yes, we all love being pelted with hundreds of spears at terminal velocity.  Much better than a few chunks of aluminum you can avoid.

Find me the metal in your average (OK, I realize this one was above average) model rocket.

The little clip that holds the engine in.  Period.

The rest is wood, cardboard, and plastic.  Even the engine nozzle is made of clay that will shatter if the engine explodes.

Wait'll little Johnny gets hit with a chunk of metal from space instead of slowly falling splinters...

Eff Chad.  He stabbed little Johnny.

actually, now i think about it i just realised why they made it from ply etc. its actually illegal for amateur rickets to be made from metal...

it isnt amatuer if they are professionals.  worst case scenario is the cops call in a star destroyer or something.

[ChadTower]

It is amateur if they are not licensed and approved to do it, depending on where they are located.  In the US if they don't have FCC approval they can't launch something that big professionally.

[ErikRuud]

I don't think the FCC care what size object you launch.   

They do care what frequency you use to control it though.

Model Rockets use 1/4A through G engines

Thee FAA only cares if you launch them where they might interfere with aircraft.

High Power Rocketry uses engines size above G.

You have to have an FFA waiver to fly these and posiibly a BATF Low Explosives User Permit

http://www.nar.org/NARmodeltypes.html

[ChadTower]

Erm, yeah, FAA.   

[Bones]

What really happened.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a8d_1192187599

[patrickl]

 

[danny_galaga]

Yes, we all love being pelted with hundreds of spears at terminal velocity.  Much better than a few chunks of aluminum you can avoid.

Find me the metal in your average (OK, I realize this one was above average) model rocket.

The little clip that holds the engine in.  Period.

The rest is wood, cardboard, and plastic.  Even the engine nozzle is made of clay that will shatter if the engine explodes.

Wait'll little Johnny gets hit with a chunk of metal from space instead of slowly falling splinters...

Eff Chad.  He stabbed little Johnny.

actually, now i think about it i just realised why they made it from ply etc. its actually illegal for amateur rickets to be made from metal...

it isnt amatuer if they are professionals.  worst case scenario is the cops call in a star destroyer or something.

im sure boes will correct me, but im pretty sure if you arent military, or NASA, you are amateur...

[missioncontrol]

It is amateur if they are not licensed and approved to do it, depending on where they are located.  In the US if they don't have FCC approval they can't launch something that big professionally.

In the rocket hobby even though they are highly qualified. The are still considered amateur because it is in a hobby situation.

[danny_galaga]

What really happened.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=a8d_1192187599

oh, and that is too cool! makes me wonder what would have happened if they had tried to build a tie fighter instead...