I've been kicking some ideas around my head for my next "project" I was thinking of getting a space shuttle rocket (The kind estes and others makes) And fitting it with two servos for ailerons/elevators like a delta wing. That way I could launch it as a regular rocket and than just glide it back and steer it with the alerons. I was thinking of using equipment meant for park flyers in order to keep the weight done.

Has this been done before, is it feasable??

I know back in '99 nasa Made an r/c space shuttle. I'll go back and read that article later and post it. I think it could easily work and you really should try it

You talking about something like this????

Do you have any more info on the shuttle you pictured GrnBrt?? How was it powered?? Any links for more info??

It was designed by Parker Leung and I built this one back in '95. It has a ST .40 in the back, (pusher) and a Super 8 Futaba radio. You can get the plans from RCM.

Ok NOW I see the prop........its pretty well hidden!!!

I'm not sure how the others were made, but the orbiter on the Estes space shuttle involved large amounts of vacuum-formed plastic (pretty flimsy plastic, at that) that doesn't strike me as easily RC'able. Of course, I'm sure you could just replace the appropriate parts with balsa and have a blast!

Yes it is hidden pretty well. The shuttle is a balsa and lite ply build up and I had a ball building it!!!! It's covered in Ultracote and monokote and all the lettering is hand cut along with the lines for the cargo doors etc. It really isn't that difficult to build if you have some experience and some scratch building under your belt. The prop had to be cut down and balanced to clear the fin and then it just did do it, barely.

Wow,

That is the coolest man. You did a great job!. When I first seen your post and you said "You talking about something like this????"
I honesty thought you just posted a pic of the actual shuttle till I read farther.

It looks real! [sm=thumbup.gif]

Wings

Thank you wings, you just made my day as every modeler loves to have his work appreciated. I built that one after having ear surgery, took a small leave from my custom building business and had a ball doing it. Now except for the flag all the panel lines lettering was hand cut out of monokote, about went bananas with the name 'Atlantis'.[&:]

I built one waaaaay back in 1988. I used EPS foam covered on econokote and was powered by an OLD OS 40 FP. It was very light and flew very slow but opened a lot of eyes specially when I was brought it deadstick on final. Was a fun project and a fun bird to fly around but too big and cumbersome to carry. I did mine as a one piece unit. I am going to try to find old pics so I can post them. This are rough ideas for the main dimensions.

I don't know if you get Discovery's The Learning Channel (TLC: cable channel 52 here) but they had a show about rockets on and a custom rocket was built to behave like the space shuttle, used full rocket power to get it up and then on the return they used RC equipment to bring it down to a landing, wasn't great, but it landed belly down. The thing was huge, and even on TV it was fun to watch fly. I think a project like this would be real cool and probably be a real crows pleaser at fly-ins and the such.

All of you here that have the space shuttles are really cool, and its obvious you put quite a lot of work in it, but I just think it would be cooler if it was like the real space shuttle and used real rockets to get it into the air then was controlled without power on the return. Makes the flight a bit more realistic because if the NASA guys screw up on the landing they are not in too good of a situation because on the real shuttle you can't just power up and circle around to take the landing again. Although I must admit even the powered ones are super cool

I can see it now... You're flying along noe sunday afternoon when, for no appearent reason, your model space shuttle blows up! [X(]

The show was just on at 7:30, the project was called the X-30 or something like that and was modeled after a cancelled hypersonic project worked on and then trashed by NASA. I was slightly wrong, but same basic principle, they used rocket engines to get it into the air and a radio to return it to the earth.

you should put that stuff in a regular rocket. launch it and terrorise a whole park with it

This seems like a really great idea Jacksonjrs, it would only take 2 servos, the Rx, and the battery, as onboard equipment (if you made the shuttle a glider.....<cough flying brick cough> . Using model rocket engines would be safe up to the point where the top clay cap gets blown out for the parashute deployment. might have to find an engine that doesn't have that nor the black powder that shoots the clay cap up. Also (obviously) keeping the exaust gasses away from your model...but all it takes to do that is building the engine mounts far enough down from the back end of the shuddle to clear it (building scale would accomplish that).

anyways, have fun if you deside to do it. and DEF keep me posted, would LOVE to see how you go about doing it . (anything you'd like to send to show how you've gone about building and such can goto [email protected] if you don't mind )

have fun,
Rob

It would be a nice project but get ready to spend about $10 per fligh depending on the size of the model of course. thats a lot of money for a few seconds of deadstick.......impressive but expensive. [sm=stupid.gif]