Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 24mm

Art Applewhite Rockets - Cone Rocket 24mm {Kit}

Contributed by Dave Stout

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Art Applewhite Rockets

Art Applewhite 24mm ConeBrief:
The Art Applewhite Cone rocket is a single stage, cone stabilized rocket.

Construction:
Art's rockets are amazing. They are comprised of a small number of lightweight parts. This kit comes with a 1/4" foamcore board with printed patterns, a piece of gold mirror cardstock with patterns printed on the back, a piece of plain cardstock with parts printed on it, two nice white motor mount tubes (24 and 29mm), and a couple of feet of gold (!!) elastic shock cord. That's it! All the components are of very good quality.

Although Art's rockets may be tricky for you to build if you are unfamiliar with paper construction techniques, his instructions are clear and to the point. He will "walk" you through the process, and even if it is difficult for you, his instructions will get you there.

Construction of the cone rocket is unlike anything I've ever seen. The rocket is of a skeleton/shroud construction not unlike builtup R/C planes. Centering rings are cut out of the foam core with an X-Acto knife, then the edge is tapered with it. The shrouds are cut from the card stock and fit over the centering rings- these support the shroud and help maintain the shape.

There are two shrouds, an inside structural shroud and an external finish shroud. The internal one can be tricky to do- it has to be rolled precisely to the correct form. I had a little too much glue on mine, and it started to "grab" before it was in the proper position!! Fortunately, there was time to slip it into alignment before it set. The manufacturer has been informed of this, and will include a note in future instructions.

Next, you cut out the external shroud from the gold card stock, roll it to form, and glue a tab over the seam to form the shape. Additional gold reinforcing strips are added along the bottom 1/2" of the inside diameter. This is then glued over the structural shroud.

This rocket builds quickly, and despite my lack of experience and cautious pace, it was assembled and ready to fly in 2 hours!

Finishing:
Absolutely no finishing of any kind is required, and this rocket looks STUNNING. If you have other than the mirrored finish, you may want to spray the outside in clear enamel to preserve the preprinted graphics.

Easy and looks great- outstanding!

Construction Rating: 4 out of 5

Art Applewhite 24mm ConeFlight:
Prep is super easy. The completed rocket has a base plate with the motor tube built in, that "nests" into the forward shroud and tube. They are connected by the shock cord. Just tape in your motor, feed the shock cord into the shroud, and nest the tubes back together. (Be sure to align launch rod holes in the shroud with the one in the base plate) You are now ready to add ignitor and launch!!

Although this rocket requires no wadding, I put a generous ball of Quest wadding into the forward shroud (not motor mount) tube.

Since this rocket is built without a thrust ring, you can theoretically use a large variety of motors. Just extend them out the top of the motor mount tube and into the shroud tube. It is recommended that they protrude no more than 1/2" from the bottom, though. For the first flight, an Estes C11-3 was used.

The rocket was stood off from the blast plate 6" as directed in the instructions. Lift-off was fairly slow. Boost was straight, but not as leisurely as Art's saucers. This rocket gains some speed! The wide, flat base results in a HUGE smoke trail. It nosed over at apogee and fell for about a second before the ejection charge went off. Altitude looked to be about 250-300'.

The Cone is a GREAT candidate for demo flights on small fields. One of the most interesting low altitude flights I've ever seen.

RecoveryRecovery:
The cone rocket separates into 2 pieces at ejection. The shock cord is retained by the centering ring at the top, and by an Estes-style tri-fold mount onto the bottom centering ring. The motor mount has a rolled paper gasket on the top which seals it into the 29mm tube. When the ejection charge goes off, it pressurizes the 29mm tube and separates the rocket with a loud POP! The lightweight pieces then tumble down, held together by the shock cord.

The tip of the nose stuck into the turf with a THUNK, but there was no sign of damage other than some soot stains on the base and inside.

Flight Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary:
If you are willing to take your time and learn the required techniques, the cone rocket is a rewarding build. You will want to be cautious during forming of the shrouds and tapering the centering rings.

Even with all due caution, it builds fast. You get a simple but VERY UNIQUE looking rocket that flies unlike any other you'll ever see. It's a wonderful addition to Art Applewhite's line.

Get one of these!!

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Other Reviews
  • Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 24mm By David Urbanek

    Brief: It's an unusual cone rocket. No fins, but the nose weight makes it stable. Pre-printed paper cone, so you don't need to paint it. Very simple to prep. Construction: You have to be ready and willing to roll cones out of light cardstock. There is also a short piece of nesting body tubes, and some foam board for the base and mid-section bulkhead. If you're not used to ...

  • Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 24mm By Dick Stafford

    I have really been digging Art's saucers and now Art is branching out to other designs. As the name indicates, this rocket is a simple cone that flies on 24mm motors. This seems to be the next logical step after the Delta saucer design, which is sort of a hybrid between a classical saucer and a cone. Materials: Two sheets of cardstock for the shrouds One piece of foamboard for the ...

  • Art Applewhite Rockets Cone Rocket 24mm By Bob Cox

      Diameter: 5.5 inches (14cm) Height: 4.75 inches (12 cm) Weight: 1.3 oz (35 gm) Finish: I built the Mirror Gold version. Other patterns available include Stars and Stripes, Texas Special, Silver, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Green, Hot Pink, and plain White. CONSTRUCTION: Parts: All parts are packaged in a heat-sealed clear plastic bag with no ...

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