Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- was chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Blimey! Ahoy! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Ahoy! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, arrr, but that I didn't finish until this summer, shiver me timbers, was t' Farside-X. Avast! Blimey! T' Farside was Estes's first three-stage model. Aye aye! It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, with a BT-50 sized payload section, shiver me timbers, and t' Farside-X, me bucko, me hearties, which had a big BT-60 payload section. I obtained t' plans for t' Farside-X from t' "JimZ" plan site: http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-12x.htm

Construction:
T' Farside-X uses standard Estes components: Three lengths o' BT-50 body tube, ya bilge rat, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I ordered t' tubes from Rogue Aerospace and cut them t' size usin' this handy chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html 

I also purchased t' motor mount parts -- couplers and centerin' rings -- from Rogue Aerospace. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. Ahoy! T' cone is a special-order item, t' BT-60L. Ahoy! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. Begad! Arrr! T' retro logo fit t' project. Avast! T' shock cord be a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Aye aye! Aye aye! I used barrel swivels and snap swivels t' eliminate "shock cord wind up."

T' Farside-X looks like a relatively simple model at first glance, shiver me timbers, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, three motor mounts, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. Begad! It has canted fins, me bucko, matey, me bucko, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, me bucko, thus addin' a bit o' stability. Well, blow me down! T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, matey, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. As with all recreation projects, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. There's a good section on these techniques in t' old Estes Model Rocketry Manual: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/estesmrm.html

I had t' "win' it" when buildin' t' motor mounts. Aye aye! Like a lot o' older kits, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, me hearties, arrr, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. In order t' preserve t' length o' t' I cut t' couplers a bit short so that t' ring/coupler assemblies would be t' same length as t' original kit. I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, so I wasn't too upset!

Finishing:
I decided t' base me paint job on t' one shown in t' 1971 Estes catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes711/711est32.html

 I didn't end up with an exact match, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, with a black fin on each stage, a red nose cone, and a white payload section with black trim tape. Aye aye! Blimey! I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! In fact, thar be so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, me bucko, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! Blimey! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' paintin' and maskin' were a real chore, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, includin' many, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, that simply aren't around any more. Well, blow me down! Fortunately, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. Ya scallywag! Avast! I've flown t' Farside-X once, me bucko, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, ya bilge rat, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, me hearties, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. Avast! An odd combination, shiver me timbers, but I wanted t' both have a stable flight (the B14 gets a model up t' speed really quickly!) and t' come back!

Preppin' t' Farside isn't easy. Avast! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, me bucko, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. Begad! This isn't easy! Per t' instructions, shiver me timbers, I inserted a 2 oz. Blimey! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. Well, blow me down! I must have done things right, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Begad! Blimey! Stagin' was smooth, shiver me timbers, arrr, and didn't result in any course changes. Arrr! By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage was REALLY moving. Begad! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it was plain that t' model be spinnin' like a top. Ahoy! Arrr! I be very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I'm goin' t' have t' find a bigger field if I move up t' anythin' usin' C motors!

Recovery:
Ejection took place near apogee, matey, matey, and t' parachute deployed nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, me hearties, arrr, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Farside was a challenge t' build and finish, but I'm very proud o' t' results. It looks great and t' one flight t' date was a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5