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WAEC Rockets Space Racer SAM-66 Sunbird II Pi Sprint Leviathan Space Racer II Arcturus Mk. 1 Roswell or Bust! Brinley Short March Discovery XW-1 Apollo-LES Sprint II Lone Star Mercury-Redstone Shenzhou Saturn 1B Saturn V Gemini-Titan II Juno I Chrysler Building More Information |
In early fourth grade (fall of 1996), I read the book A Walk in Space, written by Gene Gurney on the subject of the Gemini Program, which bridged the technology gap between the early Mercury flights and the manned Apollo missions to the moon. This book (and my countless rereadings of it) fascinated me in its description of the complexity of the Gemini missions (and nothing beyond; the book was published in 1967, two years before the first manned lunar landing). Naturally, the technology of the Gemini missions interested me greatly, particularly the booster, a modification of the Air Force's Titan II ICBM. I ended up writing my own hypertext book on the Gemini Program, which took me more than four years. Read it online: Project Gemini: Steps to the Moon. In early 1998, I began seriously thinking of building my own Gemini-Titan II model. I considered cloning the old Estes model, but I rejected that idea, for a reason I can't remember at present (although likely because of the inavailability at that time of some of the important components needed for the model, particularly the BT-70 body tube). I eventually decided to design my own model, which I built partially before abandoning. The design of the prototype was far too complicated for me to ever hope to reproduce in scale with my level of model experiences at the time. (I later resurrected the abandoned rocket body and rebuilt it as Pi.) My various attempts having failed, I still wanted to build and fly a Gemini-Titan II someday. Therefore, it was only natural that I added the construction of a flying Gemini-Titan II second on my list of Nine Objectives to complete in the last year of the WAEC. I looked at various options, and after again rejecting the Estes version as "too big and complicated," I decided to build the Neubauer model in 1/100 scale, which was reviewed favorably in Sport Rocketry on its release a good many years ago. Unfortunately, this model was only available through Discount Rocketry, and after getting no product for six months, I eventually demanded a refund, which was torturously slow in its arrival. By this time, I had decided to convert a paper model into a flying rocket (which I had done with good success with my Mercury-Redstone model). Just like the real thing, I gave the 1/96 model mount for two engines in the rear. (Only these were a good deal smaller.) At ejection, the model would separate at the interstage. At first, I planned on adding fins to the rear for stability, but I decided to try for complete realism, and stabilize the model only with nose weight. I had to add an absurd amount of nose weight before the model behaved in swing tests. The resulting model didn't look very good, and the stage interface didn't line up quite right, making it stand a little crooked. Nonetheless, I declared it ready for flight. After launching my similarly-constructed Saturn V, I fired off the Gemini-Titan II on two 13 mm engines, burning in tandem like the real thing. This was the second and last successful cluster ignition for the WAEC. A little after apogee, the engines fired their ejection charges, and sent the parachute shooting out into the air. Unfortunately, I had packed it too hard, and it never unfurled. The model plumetted earthward, hitting at full speed and destroying the scale spacecraft. My poorly-built model reached an inglorious end in pieces and without a good flight to its credit. Gemini-Titan II
Specifications
Subject: Gemini VIII,
with Gemini-Titan II booster and GLV-8
spacecraft,
March 16, 1966Scale: 1/96 Length: Core Diameter: Engine Mount: (2) 13 mm Nose: scale spacecraft Stabilization: nose weight only Recovery: parachute Number of Flights: 1 Gemini-Titan II Plans
 Official WAEC plans Gemini-Titan II Images
Gemini-Titan II Flight Log
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| All materials
herein copyright 2004-2008
by Willy Logan willy@wilhelm-aerospace.org |
