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GEMINI-TITAN
LEVEL III PROJECT
TAP Commitee: Karl Baumann, Kevin Harness
Updated July 22, 2001
IT FLIES!!!!!
SEE THE PICTURES ON THE PHOTO PAGE!
Click here to see the Photo page!!!
In deep gratitude to:
TAP members- Kevin Harness, Karl Baumann
Steve Hurson- for the use of his garage and tools, great advice and his computer drafting.
Carl Delzell- helping with the Gemini capsule and advise on recovery.
Wedge Oldham- with using the “Coker Jig” to cut fin slots.
Terence McKiernan- For inspiring me to go for it, and advice on LIII documentation.
Brother John Van Norman, The Minister of Missles, the Reverend of ROC. For letting me borrow his LIII docs to model mine on (I am unworthy!)
All members and board of the Rocketry Organization of California. The best club in the west.
My students, the kids of Room 15.
And most of all- my long suffering wife, Susan, for putting up with this project.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
The objective of this project is to attain Tripoli Level III status by building and flying a 1/10 scale Gemini-Titan on an Aerotech M1315 motor or the New 75 mm Redline M. Except for the scale aspects of the project, the K.I.S.S. Principle shall be adhered to. Construction techniques will be using skills already used in previous projects I.E. Fiberglassed airframe, reinforced Through-the-wall Lexan fin mounting, recovery electronics, Etc.
HISTORY
The roots of this project go back more than thirty years to when I was a young boy watching the NASA Gemini flights on T.V. Then in 1967 I found an Estes Catalog with a Real flying Gemini-Titan. In 1972, I finally bought and built my first of many Gemini-Titans and flew it many times on Estes C6-5s. The main problem back then was keeping the clear plastic fins on the the model. When I became a BAR in 1993, one of my projects was the 1/100 scale version by Boyce Aerospace. Then I scratch built a 1/35 scale version with Estes parts that flew on two Aerotech 18mm “D” or “E” motors. As I became involved in High Power Rocketry, I started thinking about a High Power Gemini-Titan and the 1/24 Version was built. This latest version flies on J motors and possibly a K550 in the future to prove the design and construction techniques.
CHALLENGES
There are several challenges to this project. First, the Lexan fins that must be used to maintain stability and scale appearance. I have learned of “M” projects that have failed when Lexan or other Polycarbonate type fins have failed due to flutter or other aerodynamic influences. My solution to this challenge is to use eight small “Clipped Delta” fins instead of three or four larger ones. The entire project shall be designed to stay well below “Mach” to avoid fin flutter and shockwave associated problems.
Another challenge is Size, I have never built a project this large. I shall have to make rings and bulkheads much larger than I have in the past.
SUMMARY
I am looking forward to taking on this project, However, I am sure my wife is having nightmares, When I brought home the two, four foot sections of twelve inch diameter tubing for the airframe she almost fainted.
I have been fascinated by the Gemini-Titan since I was a little boy, sitting in my parents bedroom early in the morning watching the Gemini countdown and lift-off as those early space pioneers started the exploration of space. This project shall be dedicated to the memory of Gus Grissom, Ed White and all of the other astronauts who risked their lives to open space as the new frontier.
GENERAL DESCRIPTIONThe Gemini-Titan Level III project is a 1/10 stand off scale model of the of the famous NASA test vehicle used during the mid 1960s to test many of the concepts and procedures to be used during the Apollo Moon project.
My project will stand ten feet, nine inches tall, and twelve inches in diameter.
It will tip the scales at over 65 lbs. dry and 77 lbs. ready to fly.
The motor mount will be a 3”PML phenolic motor tube mounted on four 0.25 inch aircraft grade plywood inside a 12.325” diameter Quick Tube concrete form reinforced with two layers of 6 ounce fiberglass cloth.
The Titan will be stabilized by eight fins, each 3/8” Lexan attached to the motor mount tube with a “sandwich” of 0.125” plywood and interlocked with the motor mount centering rings.
The Gemini capsule will be a custom made from a foam and epoxy composite. with a Blacksky Altacc accelerometer for Primary deployment.
Recovery will be the responsiblity of a triple redundant team of G-Whiz accelerometer,Olsen FCP-M1 barometric altimeter and Altacc, each firing a primary ejection charge.
The parachutes will be two 15 ft. cargo chutes protected by a nomex parachute protector and attached by 30 yards of tubular nylon.
Level III Gemini-TitanParts list
Main airframe:
2 “Quick tubes” concrete forms, 12” in diameter, 48 inches long.
6 oz. fiberglass cloth, (enough for two layers).
West systems epoxy 501
Fin can:
1 75mm PML phenolic motor tube
8 3/8” lexan fins
16 1/8” plywood stiffener/spacers
1 1/2” Plywood centering ring (aft)
2 1/4” plywood centering rings (middle)
1 1/2” plywood Bulkhead (forward)
16 #8 screws
16 #8 nuts
Coupler/lower electronics bay:
1 “Quicktube” concrete form 11 7/8” diameter, 3 ft long.
2 1/2” plywood bulkheads
1 1/2” plywood seating ring
1 5/8” forward hatch/ gasket assembly (2 1/4” plywood sheets sandwiching a 1/16” rubber gasket)
4 8-32 allthread rods 12” long
12 8-32 nuts and washers
4 8-32 wingnuts
2 3/8-16 galvanized steel lifting rings (Macmaster Carr # 3019t16
2 3/8-16 hexhead bolts and washers
2 ejection cannons (Custom made)
1 wiring block (Radio Shack)
1/4” plywood mounting board for electronics
1 blacksky Altacc Accellerometer (main deployment)
1 G-Whiz accelerometer
1 Olsen FCP-M1 barometric altimeter (backup)
Recovery harness:
2 Military surplus 15 foot cargo chutes.
90 ft. 1”tubular nylon shock cord
10 ft. 12” tubular nylon for Harness
7 quicklinks (heavy duty)
2 nomex heat shields
The lower electronics bay is finished and has been epoxied and screwed into the coupler section. A picture of me sanding the fiberglassed upper airframe satisfies the requirement listed for Level III documentation, Otherwise I wouldn't have inflicted it upon you.