(Contributed - by Bill Eichelberger - 01/22/10)

Brief:
I've long flown t' Goony flag, but a recent thread at TRF showcasin' different Goony creations got me wonderin' if I was neglectin' t' Goony side o' me brain. Ya scallywag! Begad! After much introspection it be determined that nay only was I neglectin' t' Goony side, but t' rest o' it as well. With that decided, I began spendin' time at www.ninfinger.org studyin' t' Estes catalogs tryin' t' find suitable candidates for "goonification". Arrr! Ya scallywag! I came up with a couple before switchin' t' t' Centuri catalogs, where I had an Epiphany. Avast! Begad! I realized that Goony be a life force all its own and that no rocket could be safe from parody. Ahoy! Avast! Nay even t' Centuri Vector V.

Construction:

Parts List:

• PNC-60 nose cone
• 7.5" BT-60 main body tube
• 1.75" BT-80 lower body tube
• 2 CR-2060 centerin' rings
• 3 CR-6080 centerin' rings
• 6080 paper transition
• BT-20J engine tube
• engine hook
• CR-520 engine block
• 3/32" basswood fin stock
• 24" length Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 24" length 1/8" sewin' elastic shock cord

I've forever been intimidated by rockets with paper transitions, arrr, matey, and that, coupled with t' need t' eventually make me own 6080 centerin' rings (this be a "spare parts" build,) made me put this idea onto t' back burner once I had gathered t' bulk o' t' parts. Ya scallywag! My first attempt at a paper transition had come t' a bilge-suckin' end due t' some apparent miscommunication betwixt t' program and me printer, ya bilge rat, an occurrence that took t' wind out o' me sails in a big way.

I got reinterested in t' project one Friday night with a Sunday launch breathin' down me neck. Begad! Begad! I found t' tools I needed t' successfully make t' rings and transition, matey, and Jay Goemmer pointed me in t' right direction t' find a widget that allowed me t' print off a five fin BT-80 fin markin' guide.

Things went pretty smartly from that point. I decided t' stick with t' stock size fins, so that meant goin' with t' Estes Viking-style fin orientation. Begad! I also decided t' go with an internal launch lug mounted on t' side o' t' BT-60. Ya scallywag! This meant that I'd need t' make holes in me beautiful handmade centerin' rings, me hearties, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, so I found and icepick and gouged me way through both. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! It also meant that I'd have t' find a way through t' transition, also nay a problem, me hearties, but also nay an aesthetic high point o' this bird.

Finishing:
T' basswood fins didn't need a lot o' help hidin' t' grain, so I went with one coat o' thinned Fill & Finish and a couple o' coats o' primer, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, which was how it looked for t' first two flights. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! From thar I sprayed t' fin can with a no-name blue, me bucko, Valspar silver and Testor's Candy Apple Red that I'd wanted t' try for a long time. Begad! T' nose cone had been sprayed silver when I did t' mid-section o' t' rocket, which played right into t' Testor's, which is supposed t' be sprayed over silver or gold metallic. Avast, me proud beauty! I was a little concerned about t' possibility o' crazing, ya bilge rat, but t' Candy Apple coated nicely and looked great without a hint o' crazing. Begad! I had planned t' print up a set o' stock decals t' finish t' project, but some o' t' no-name blue metallic pulled away from t' scrap o' BT-80 that made up t' lower body tube durin' t' unmaskin' and I kind o' lost me enthusiasm for t' project. Well, blow me down! For those who might be interested in followin' in me clown shoe footprints, me hearties, Sandman has a decal set that he put together.

Flight:
Flight day turned out t' be beautiful from t' start, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, and with t' sun already up and warmin' things up by t' time I awoke, arrr, I decicded that t' time be right t' spray a coat o' primer on t' rocket t' improve t' looks a little. Blimey! Aye aye! By t' time I had everythin' ready t' leave a couple o' hours later, me bucko, me hearties, me hearties, t' primer was dry and I thought everythin' was goin' me way.

Ten minutes later I be parked off t' side o' US 27, matey, realizin' that despite t' beautiful day, me bucko, t' convertible may have been a mistake. Arrr! Begad! Despite me careful packin' o' t' days birds, two were damaged, one o' them bein' t' Vector G. Turns out that t' hasty fin attachment on Saturday evenin' be over a painted section o' t' scrap BT-80. Avast! I didn't think t' sand t' paint t' rough it up, ya bilge rat, and somethin' as slight as fallin' over in t' back o' t' car was enough t' sprin' a fin despite t' double fillets. Once at t' field I roughed up t' area where t' fin had been, me hearties, shiver me timbers, then re-glued it with LocTite Gel CA. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Good enough for a couple o' flights, matey, shiver me timbers, I hoped.

With a field t' size o' t' VOA, ya bilge rat, I felt comfortable tryin' with a C6-5 for t' first flight. I checked t' fins for any wiggles I might have missed and announced it as a heads-up flight. Arrr! T' Vector G leapt off t' pad smartly and arced t' t' north in t' light breeze. Begad! Much better than I had hoped for. Begad! Ejection was perfect and recovery, shiver me timbers, while a decent walk into t' tall grass, was likewise.

T' second flight, shiver me timbers, matey, also on a C6-5 (because it was all I had,) was almost a carbon copy o' t' first. Begad! T' only difference was a fin breakin' off on recovery, shiver me timbers, but again it was easily reattached with gel CA. Subsequent flights are planned on cozy B6-4 Field usin' A8-3's and B6-4's, ya bilge rat, likely after I break off and reattach t' remainin' fins.

Recovery:
Several years ago I won an Ebay auction for some clear plastic parachutes that came 10 for $1. They got shuffled around durin' our move in 2005 and recently resurfaced. Arrr! I hadn't thought o' a parachute when I left t' house, me hearties, matey, so I had t' scramble come flight day. Avast! T' chute performed perfectly, ya bilge rat, and it would be difficult t' find fault with t' deal now.

Summary:
Pro's: Performance. Aye aye! T' sheer gooniness o' it all.

Con's: Some o' t' "spare parts" I used had been previously used as paint tubes which made fin attachment a challenge. Ahoy! Blimey! T' pizza and win' ad that I used for t' transition be too thin and slick and wouldn't accept t' thin CA that I normally use t' beef cardstock up.