Large Scale Central

Giant X-Wing set to launch!

General Discussion
#1

Our local rocketry club, Tripoli San Diego, is hosting its big annual launch this weekend. Every year a bunch of the guys build a large group project. This year’s project is jaw-droppingly awesome: It’s a 1/2 scale X-Wing fighter, complete with mechanized wings! Here’s an article about it, with pics:

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/star-wars/rocket+powered-21+foot-long-x+wing-model-actually-flies-305976.php

And here’s a link to some of the other special projects set for this launch:

http://www.plasterblaster.com/projects.html

#2

I definitely want to see piccies of this thing in flight. Hopefully it will have an on-board camera too…:slight_smile:

#3

Red Leader, I’m hit, I’m hit!

#4

Bob McCown said:
Red Leader, I’m hit, I’m hit!

Be just like Beggers Canyon back home…

#5

Are they goingto bring it up to the desert and launch it from Rabbit Dry Lake? What a great project.

#6
Doug Arnold said:
Are they goingto bring it up to the desert and launch it from Rabbit Dry Lake? What a great project.
Our club's launches are held in the desert east of San Diego, near a place called Plaster City.
#7

Plaster City?

The last freight operating Narrow gauge rr in the US.

TOG

#8

I spent a week there one afternoon.

#9
Steve Featherkile said:
I spent a week there one afternoon.
Did you shake the dust off?
#10
John Bouck said:
Plaster City?

The last freight operating Narrow gauge rr in the US.


Yep, the U.S. Gypsum plant runs a narrow gauge line hauling ore from their quarry to the plant. I’ve driven alongside the tracks several times.

Several years ago, the engineer and brakeman working a night shift fell asleep on the way to the quarry and crashed the train into the tipple, which collapsed onto the train. Took rescue crews several hours to get the guys out.

#11

That must be how they destroyed one of the DL535’s they had that were originally to go to the White Pass.

#12

Ray, how did the launch go?

#13
Doug Arnold said:
Ray, how did the launch go?
Ummmm, uhhhh, not to well..... :(

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_8v162NSCcw&mode

Some more…

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2NXAK80_wgw&mode=related&search=

#14

I had planned to attend, but my car had other plans and ended up in the shop. So I wasn’t there, but I heard that the X-wing launch did not go well. Apparently it had a stability problem, perhaps due to unequal thrust, and tore itself apart. At least with rockets this big, it’s always a spectacular flight one way or another!

#15

That’s a shame. It looks like the wings were not strong enough to handle the thrust from the rockets…:frowning:

The second rocket appears to have tried to launch the second stage prematurely. The 3rd rocket must have been Rays…it worked…:smiley:

#16
Warren Mumpower said:
That's a shame. It looks like the wings were not strong enough to handle the thrust from the rockets..:(

The second rocket appears to have tried to launch the second stage prematurely. The 3rd rocket must have been Rays…it worked…:smiley:


That, …and a complete lack of any real aerodynamics :wink:

#17

Damn, they got Porkins!

#18

The only word for that is OUCH!

#19

Bob McCown said:
Damn, they got Porkins!

Maybe this explains why it didnt get that far from the ground …

#20

Victor Smith said:

Bob McCown said:
Damn, they got Porkins!

Maybe this explains why it didnt get that far from the ground …

I guess it would have if he would have been fitted with his very own booster rocket. :lol: :wink: :lol: