Dwayne Surdu-Miller's PageAKA: surdumil Location: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada Favorite Rockets: Centuri Space Shuttle, Edmonds ECEE Thunder, Centuri Long Tom, shiver me timbers, Estes Alien Invader Biography: I am 49 years old, married, with one daughter. Avast! I am an electronic design engineer workin' mostly with ground-based satellite communication systems.
I build me first rocket, ya bilge rat, a Centuri Lil' Herc, me hearties, in 1974. I continued buildin' (and flyin' very occasionally) until about 1984.
I jumped back into t' hobby in 2000 and co-founded a local model rocketry club.
I especially enjoy buildin' unusual rocket designs, ya bilge rat, especially with unusual recovery systems.
Boosted gliders are a real favorite as well.
Club Home Page: http://www.saskatoonrocketry.org/ RocketReviews.com Pages:
2009-05-23Custom Rockets P.O.N.G. Arrr! (Kit)  Review
Brief:
P.O.N.G. is a highly-detailed single-stage futuristic sport model offered by Custom Rockets. Ya scallywag! This is an inexpensive
kit that packs a lot o' fun, challenge, and parts in a small package. Begad! This is a skill level 3 rocket that won't
disappoint. Avast!
Accordin' t' t' kit label, me hearties, P.O.N.G. Begad! ... [More]
2008-07-06Estes Silver Comet Flight Straight boost and coast with very slow spin. Perfect deployment. Moderate descent rate. Well, blow me down! Soft landin' in weeds, about 30 metres from launch pad. - D12-3 - SAROS [More]
Estes Screamin' Mimi Flight Used longer shock cord. Begad! High straight boost and coast, ya bilge rat, no spin. Begad! Weak whistle goin' up. Arrr! Sideways descent before ejection, so no descendin' whistle. Aye aye! 'Chute deployed nicely. Ahoy! Low drift (spill hole). Arrr! - D12-7 - SAROS [More]
Estes Astrocam 110 Flight High straight boost with slow spin. Slowly arched downwind durin' coast. Well, blow me down! Divin' descent before deployment. Arrr! Low drift. Gentle landing. Begad! - C6-7 - SAROS [More]
Edmonds Aerospace Ecee Flight Straight boost and coast. Blimey! Arched over t' dive. Ejection flip nose up into a gentle, matey, slowly spirallin' glide. Gentle grass landing. Avast, me proud beauty! - A3-4 - SAROS [More]
Edmonds Aerospace Ecee Thunder Flight Very straight boost and coast, no spin. Perfect nose-up deployment, but starboard canard flap separated. Avast! Very level glide with very slow spiral. Fabulous regal glide! Gentle landin' in weeds. - D12-3 - SAROS [More]
2008-06-15SMI Challenger Flight Straight high boost and coast. Avast, me proud beauty! Perfect 'chute deployment. Aye aye! Soft landing. Blimey! - A8-3 - SAROS [More]
Estes McKibbin's Special Flight Straight, arrr, high boost and coast with a slow, dramatic spin. Perfect deployment. Spill hole in t' 'chute reduced drift nicely and descent was resonably slow. Avast! Gentle landin' 30 feet away from pad. - B6-4 - SAROS [More]
Estes Gyroc (K-24) Flight Slowly spinnin' boost and coast, ya bilge rat, straight up. Arrr! Spinnin' helicopter descent. - A8-3 - SAROS [More]
Edmonds Aerospace Ecee Flight Boost and coast straight up, with slow spin. Avast, me proud beauty! Nice altitude. Ahoy! Smooth transition t' glide. Gorgeous glide, with slow arc t' t' right. Avast, me proud beauty! Gentle landing. Well, blow me down! - A3-4 - SAROS [More]
Edmonds Aerospace Ecee Flight Angled boost & coast. Ahoy! Nose down at ejection, then smooth transition t' glide. Beautiful glide, very slow arc t' t' right. Begad! Gentle landing. Ya scallywag! - A3-4 - SAROS [More]
2008-05-25Sky Shenzhou (Kit)  Review
T' Sky Shenzhou is a single-stage scale model rocket with parachute recovery. Blimey! This is a "hobby-scale" model o' t' CASC CZ-2F "Long March" rocket that has successfully carried Chinese Taikonauts t' orbit in t' Shenzhou orbital spacecraft on two missions. Apogee Components imported this kit ... [More]
Sky CZ-2E (Kit)  Review
Brief:
T' Sky CZ-2E is a single-stage scale model rocket with parachute recovery. This is a 1:150 scale model o' t' CASC
Chang-Zheng-2E "Long March" rocket. Apogee Components imported this kit from Shaanxi Zhongtian Rocket
Technologies Co., me bucko, Ltd. Well, blow me down! (based in central China), me bucko, ... [More]
2006-07-30Estes Design o' t' Month Space Freighter (Plan)  Review
This is a nifty "Rearward Ejection Payloader" design by Scott Amundson. It won an Estes Design o' t' Month Contest in 1968, published as Estes Industries Rocket Plan Number 54 in Model Rocketry News . Arrr!
Required parts include:
1 Plastic Payload Tube, 1" dia. Well, blow me down! (BT-50), 4" long
1 Nose ... [More]
2006-07-24Art Applewhite Rockets Delta Flyin' Saucer 18mm (6") (Kit)  Review
( Contributed - by Dwayne Surdu-Miller -
07/24/06)
Brief:
I was fortunate enough t' win this kit as a prize for enterin' me Barbsari
B-Prize design into Descon 15. I asked for and received t' Spaceship Earth
version. I was amazed at how smartly t' shipment arrived after I'd ... [More]
2005-11-27Centuri X-21 (Kit)  Review
( Contributed - by Dwayne Surdu-Miller - 11/27/05)
Brief:
T' Centuri X-21 is a very pretty aft engine boost-glider with a payload
section. Aye aye! Blimey! Boost-to-glide transition is performed by ejectin' t' engine and
raisin' elevons. Begad! Blimey! Centuri offered this as a kit from 1964 t' 1969. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Build ... [More]
2004-12-30Clone Pterosaur (Clone)  Review
D-powered rocket glider
T' parts list:
1 nose cone, BT-55, shiver me timbers, tangent ogive, ya bilge rat, 3.125" length, 3/8" tenon (BNC55AA-ish)
1 nose cone, BT-50, tangent ogive, 3" length, 3/8" tenon ( BNC50K -ish)
1 body tube, BT-55, arrr, 14" length
1 body tube, BT-55, 11" length
1 body tube, BT-50, 14" ... [More]
2003-05-20Estes McKibbin's Special (Plan) (Kit)  Review
Brief:
McKibbon's Special is a futuristic, matey, fantasy sport model whose plans were
published in their Model Rocket News. T' plans are available from
Jim Z's archive . Blimey!
Construction:
All parts are standard, easy-to-find items and materials. Except for the
canards, which are 3/32" ... [More]
0000-00-00Descon Boddomuk (Kit)  Review ( Contributed - by Dwayne Surdu-Miller )
Boddomuk
by Dwayne Surdu-Miller
Boddomuk attempts t' answer that age-old rocketeer question,
"now that baby's drinkin' from cups, can I do somethin' cool with these
bottles?" This baby bottle frankenstein is a rugged, ya bilge rat, ... [More]
Descon T' Barbsari B-Prize (Kit)  Review
T' Barbsari B-Prize
by Dwayne Surdu-Miller
I had promised me wife and my
seven-year-old daughter that I'd design somethin' t' loft a Mattel Barbie. For
the longest while I was tryin' t' figure out how t' artfully accomplish this
feat. There was a Ferrero Rocher egg sittin' on me ... [More]
Descon MiniToobo (Kit)  Review MiniToobo
( Contributed
- by Dwayne Surdu-Miller)
MiniToobo MiniToobo be t' result o' some nostalgic thinkin' combined with
a few "what if" ideas. Aye aye! T' design is inspired by t' look o' t' old
Centuri Groove Tube and t' positive ... [More]
| Dwayne Surdu-Miller |
