Project Overview
A number of years ago, I bought a remote-controlled (R/C) four-wheeled robot base but didn't end up doing anything exciting with it beyond assembling it and driving it around in the dirt a little bit. Eventually, my brother and I began discussing turning it into a mobile rocket launcher - we grew up obsessed with Estes Model Rockets and still had many of them and all the necessary equipment. Once I had some time to spare, I spent some quality time with some Futaba radio equipment, SolidWorks, a LaserCAMM, and some tools, and voila - I had a remote-controlled, four-wheeled, adjustable angle model rocket launcher.
A number of years ago, I bought a remote-controlled (R/C) four-wheeled robot base but didn't end up doing anything exciting with it beyond assembling it and driving it around in the dirt a little bit. Eventually, my brother and I began discussing turning it into a mobile rocket launcher - we grew up obsessed with Estes Model Rockets and still had many of them and all the necessary equipment. Once I had some time to spare, I spent some quality time with some Futaba radio equipment, SolidWorks, a LaserCAMM, and some tools, and voila - I had a remote-controlled, four-wheeled, adjustable angle model rocket launcher.
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Signing UpStep 1: Establish your base
Before you start the fun part of designing the linkage and the launch platform, you first need a solid base. I used a 4 wheel robot base kit that I had sitting around, but there are a number of possibilities here that could spice up the project - 3 wheels, tank treads, suspension, hover plasma thrusters, anything!
Unfortunately, I don't have any information on the base I used, so the photo will have to suffice. Inside the black metal shell, you'll find 4 12V-200rpm motors controlled by 2 motor controllers with servo leads. On the top of the body there are 4 threaded screw holes which we'll use to attach our platform base.
Also in this photo you can see the following, most of which we'll discuss later:
- On/off switch, charging port, and status LED on side of body
- Drive battery packs (white)
- R/C receiver
- R/C battery pack (red)
- R/C switch (hanging off rear of body)
In any case, because I already had the mobile base built (and because it wasn't my design), I won't talk any more about it. You can decide what kind of base you want, and then move on to plan out what the electronics and the launch platform will look like!
Unfortunately, I don't have any information on the base I used, so the photo will have to suffice. Inside the black metal shell, you'll find 4 12V-200rpm motors controlled by 2 motor controllers with servo leads. On the top of the body there are 4 threaded screw holes which we'll use to attach our platform base.
Also in this photo you can see the following, most of which we'll discuss later:
- On/off switch, charging port, and status LED on side of body
- Drive battery packs (white)
- R/C receiver
- R/C battery pack (red)
- R/C switch (hanging off rear of body)
In any case, because I already had the mobile base built (and because it wasn't my design), I won't talk any more about it. You can decide what kind of base you want, and then move on to plan out what the electronics and the launch platform will look like!
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it would be really awesome if you could find some smaller ( very small) rockets and then set it to a low angle like an MLRS rocket launcher, you would need some method that allowed it to fire one of the rockets at a time.
I'm pretty sure you haven't broken any laws, but in the interest of safety ... if you make it possible to launch with the launch rod at an angle, please make sure it is no more than 30° from vertical per the National Association of Rocketry Model Rocket Safety Code which can be found here: http://www.nar.org/NARmrsc.html
and are HUGE!!!