1/17th scale modular Aries Model Rocket

thingiverse

The Aries is a rocket used by the military and by NASA from 1973 through the 1990's. It was made from the second stage of surplus Minuteman I missiles. The first photo shows a model built mostly from stock Estes components (left), and the printed Aries (right). It stands about 18.5" tall. When printed in MARS while PLA, the entire rocket weighs 6.7 ounces or 190 grams, compared to 4.7 ounces of the scratch-built model. Parts are joined with bayonet fittings that lock when you turn them clockwise just short of 90 degrees. I have not flown this model, but I have added features to make it flyable. The removable nose tip will hold nose weight as deemed necessary for stable CG/CP relationship. The mid section has an internal shock cord lug, and the external fairing is open so it can be used as a launch lug. The fin section has a lip that will retain a motor mount with BT-80 centering rings. The forward ring would need to have four notches cut into it to clear the bayonet bumps when inserted. The rearmost ring can be tilted to get it past the bumps, and should probably not have notches in it because the ejection gases could escape there and prevent deployment of the parachute. Thanks to Peter Alway and his "Rockets of the World" book for scale information on this rocket. Update 12/27/2017: Added "Fin Section Hollow" - removed the internal structure to eliminate some weight. Added "Fin+Mid Section.stl" and "Nose Cone Single Piece.stl". These can be used if you don't need to add nose weight, and don't need to separate the mid section from fin section. You still need to print the nose base. Update 6/6/2018: Uploaded new fin_section.stl and mid_section.stl that are oriented correctly for printing.