Honest John-Nike-Nike-Hydac - 1:10.32 Scale

Work in progress: Parts may need to be improved and will be updated if necessary.

Please post questions in the "Comments" section.

Last update: 02 Aug 2024

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Some history on this sounding rocket

The Honest John-Nike-Nike-Hydac rounds produced by the US Air Force were used for research within and outside the Air Force.
The USAF provided sounding rockets including the Honest John-Nike-Nike-Hydac, for project ROME (Recoverable Optical Module Experiments) produced by the Lincoln Laboratory of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). ROME was developed to
measure optical, radiometric, and dynamical behavior of objects in the exoatmosphere, nearly 200 miles. A USAF Honest John-Nike-Nike-Hydac was also used for a DASA launch in support of the International Quiet Sun Year (IQSY) scientific program.

The Honest John-Nike-Nike-Hydac was over 58.5 feet tall and weighed approximately 7,600 pounds. All four stages had four cruciform fins for stabilization and used solid fuel motors. The Honest John stage drag separated from the second stage Nike M5, while the two Nike stages were clamped together until stage 3 ignition. The Hydac was clamped to the third stage Nike until it ignited. Normal ignition times for the stages were ten, twenty, and thirty seconds.

Payload weight ranged from 100 to 250 pounds and a length of 77 to 130 inches by 9 inches in diameter.

Source Text: https://cv41.org/newsletters/V24I3.pdf (Jackson Model Rocketry Club)

Thanks to Chris Timm for providing many scale diagrams und pictures for this scale project.

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Build instructions:

• This rocket is designed for 29mm motor mount.
• Parts Honest-John_Nike_Adapter_T and Honest-John_Nike_Adapter_B are glued together and centered over a BT-60 body tube. The BT-60 body tube should stick out on the top by 0.095" (2.413mm).
• Nike_Body and Nike_Fine are glued together using thin CA glue and an accelerator. Make sure the area where the CA glue will be applied is clean and free of paint.
• Nike_Body is inserted and glued into Nike-Nike_Adapter.
• Use Semroc Heavy Duty Body Tube SEM-BTH-70-180 for the Honest John Booster

Here is a build thread: https://www.rocketryforum.com/threads/3d-printed-hojo-nike-nike-hydac-build-thread.187332/

Body tube type/length:

• Hydac: BT-50 18" (457,2mm) long
• Nike 3rd stage: BT-60 10.21" (251.33mm) long
• Nike 2nd stage: BT-60 10.21" (251.33mm) long
• Honest John: BT-70 12.7" (322.6mm) long

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Important Notes (my recommendations):

• Hydac-Nosecone

  • Print in vase mode with 4 bottom layers or in standard mode (3 shells and 4 bottom layers)
  • Set shell thickness to 0.8mm.

• Hydac_Fincan

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.
  • I recommend using raft to print this part.
  • The part comes with it's own support ring which must be removed after the print is complete.

• Hydac-Nike_Adapter

  • Print in vase mode or in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.

• Nike_Body

  • Print in vase mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.8mm.

• Nike_Fin

  • Print in standard mode.
  • I recommend using raft to print this part.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm and may be printed with 1 shell. Up the shell count and/or use infill if more strength is needed.

• Nike-Nike_Adapter v1.0

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.

• Nike-Nike_Adapter v2.0 (alternative version with pass through for BT-55 body tube)

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.

• Honest-John_Nike_Adapter_T

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.

• Honest-John_Nike_Adapter_B

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.4mm.
  • Place the part upside down on the print bed!

• Honest-John_Ring

  • Print in vase mode only.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.8mm.

• Honest-John_Bolt_Ring

  • Print in vase mode only.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.8mm.

• Honest_John_Finunit_v1.0

  • Print in standard mode.
  • Set shell thickness to 0.8mm.
  • Place the part upside down on the print bed!