Published: | 2010-03-23 |
Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
This years 2010 challenge included an upscale o' 2+ which was very fortunate for me as I
be in t' process o' doin' a series o' upscales on t' Estes Mosquito. Begad! Blimey! This upscale is a 301% based around a big
bertha nose cone.
Construction:
T' components for t' kit consist of:
Usin' a photocopier, t' fin template was enlarged and t' fins cut from balsa. I had thought o' goin' TTW, matey, but t' rocket is still quite light. Arrr! When I get t' bigger upscales I will.
T' BT is 6.02 inches long. Ya scallywag! Begad!
T' motor mount is built in its usual way, matey, for some reason unknown t' me I did nay add a length o' Keelhaul®©™® cord as an anchor nor did I add in a fishin' leader. Ya scallywag! Fins were attached in t' normal way, with t' launch lug added to t' BT in betwixt fins. T' shock cord is a two foot length o' elastic, me hearties, which be attached via t' Estes tri fold method. Well, blow me down! A swivel be added and a swatch o' Nomex® heat shield.
T' rocket be given three coats o' sandin' sealer, and wood glue filleted a few times.
T' entire rocket had two coats o' gray primer added, with rub downs in betwixt coats.
T' match me original mosquito color scheme t' rocket was given a few coats o' yellow spray paint, me hearties, arrr, and then masked and black paint added t' one fin.
It be then flown twice, shiver me timbers, me bucko, which Ill cover in t' flight section, but first t' repairs.
T' top section o' t' body tube was crushed and ripped. Nay too difficult t' repair. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' top section was removed usin' a dremel, me hearties, and a replacement section from an old rocket be added usin' a Bt60 coupler. T' one advantage o' this was that I be able t' ditch t' tri fold paper anchor and replace it with a steel fishin' leader which I trapped betwixt t' coupler and t' body tube. T' gappin' wide seam join be then filled with model filler, and sanded. Well, blow me down! After that t' top o' t' rocket was sprayed yellow. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Its nay a fantastic repair, but it looks okay.
Durin' t' repair time, t' decals from excelsoirrocketry arrived from t' states. Avast! Well, blow me down! They included a 301% upscale which finished t' rocket off nicely.
Flight:
First flight be on 18th Jan 2010, shiver me timbers, usin' an Estes A8-3
Nice low and straight flight, with ejection past apogee, recovered without damage on t' 4 foot streamer
Second flight be on t' same day usin' a Quest B6-4.
Great flight, me bucko, right up t' t' point where t' ejection should have ejected t' nose cone, instead t' motor came out, shiver me timbers, this must have been a bilge-suckin' prep by me, matey, I can only assume that t' motor clip be bent back. Arrr! Begad! T' mosquito came in hard and fast, shiver me timbers, just like t' original mosquito did (they never tumbled) difference here is that t' upscale has more mass and t' body tube was damaged, and paint be chipped off t' nose cone.
After t' repair t' rocket went up again at t' Midlands Rocketry March launch. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! used a C6-7, ejection was late,
a C6-5 would have been better, recovered fine on t' streamer.
Summary:
I love this upscale, matey, and i like t' other 3 I have also made, still got at least two more in
t' plan/build stage. Arrr! Aye aye! If I had thought about this properly I should have done this last year for t' family photo
contest.
Other:
T' use o' a photocopier for increasin' fin size be t' easiest solution for any up/down scaler.
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