Saturn 1B 1:156 Part 3

To Engine Mount or Not to Engine Mount? That is the question.

I have a dilemma. An 18mm BT-20 engine mount will not fit in the space left from the BT-4 tank tubes. I was planning on cutting out an 1/8 of an inch down the length of each BT-4 to accommodate the engine mount. However, the diameter remaining as it is happens to be exactly, the interior diameter of the BT-20, this means an 18mm rocket motor fits. So, I could use the BT-4s as the engine mount. I can still glue an engine block in, it would only have 8 touch pints for glue, versus the entire circumference, however, I plan on using epoxy to fill triangular gaps to prevent ejection gases from flowing backwards, so that will further strengthen the engine block attachment. I am capping of the BT-4 ends with a BT-60 to BT-20 centering ring for the same reason. I can also still have an engine retaining hook, by placing it inside one of the BT-4s , it would still be pushed through a slit in the BT-4 at the engine block. It would further be secured with a piece of BT-4 pushed up inside the BT-4 tube and glued to keep the retaining hook in place. All the BT-4s would be glued together as well. I am sure this will work, it just feels odd to not have a traditional engine mount.

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