Click on Pics t' Enlarge     

This be t' model SP2050 Freightliner Space Truck

To me, arrr, this looked like a series o' cargo containers inside a truss framework. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' cargo containers are slid into t' framework. Arrr! Once they are in place, the inertial dampeners and shields are activated. Avast! Life support can be activated if thar be live cargo, arrr, shiver me timbers, matey, such as livestock or if a prisoner transport module is loaded. Ahoy!

T' ship is 1,000 feet long and t' GVW is less than 300 tons. It is an intrasolar vehicle, arrr, me hearties, so warp capability it nay needed. Blimey! Blimey! Havin' a 20,000 horsepower impulse engine made by Detroit Diesel and General Motors maneuvering thrusters, this be t' fastest cargo ship in t' FedEx fleet.

T' forward section contains engineerin' and crew quarters. T' aft section contains t' impulse engine. Well, blow me down! It is designed t' ferry cargo from t' docks in low earth orbit, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' t' docks at Mars and Europa.

Cargo area

• 1 - Balsa Sheet 1/16" x 4" x 36"
• 4 - dowels - 1/8" x 36"
• 1 - bag o' 250 count 5/64" x 2 5/8" "mini dowels" by Forster
• 8 - 1/4 x 1/8 sticks
• Keelhaul®©™ Strin'
• 1 - BT50 x 18"
• 3 - BT50 - BT60 Adaptor Cards

Cab

• 2 - BT50 - BT60 rings
• 2 - BT50 - BT80 rings
• 1 - 5" BT50
• 1 - 4.5" BT80
• 1 - 1 1/2" BT60
• 1 - Paper shroud
• 1 - bt BTXx bulkhead
• 1 - BTx bulkhead

Tanks

• 4 - 2" BT50
• 8 discs from BT50 centerin' rings
• 1 - 4 1/2" length o' BT80
• Tank/Cargo adaptor
• 3 - BT50 t' BT55 rings
• 1 - 1" section o' BT50
• 1 - BT50 t' BT20 adaptor tube
• 1 - 1" section o' BT20 tube
• 4 - BT20 t' BT5 adaptor rings
• 1 - 5" section o' BT5 tube
• 3 - BT50 t' BT20 rings
• 1 - 1" BT20 tube
• 1 - BT20 t' 1.250 card rin'
• 1 - 5" x 1/2" wooden dowel

Aft End

• 1 - BT50 3"
• 1 - BT50 t' BT60 rin'
• 1 - Coupler
• 1 - Paper Shroud
• Fin stock
• 5" x 6" x 1" shroud. Well, blow me down!
• Fin Template

Misc

• 2 - 18" chutes
• Shock cords

Truss and cargo box

Cut t' balsa sheets into 4 sheets 18" x 1 7/8" pieces. This will provide t' spacin' need t' use t' small dowels at a 45 angle. (I made the mistake o' makin' them too wide and nay bein' able t' use them.)

To make t' trusses, cut t' 1/8" dowels into four 19". Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Use the balsa sheets as guides for linin' up t' large dowels. Avast! Glue t' mini dowels to the 1/8" dowels in 1 7/8" intervals, bein' careful nay t' glue anythin' t' t' balsa sheet. Blimey! See pictures 1 & 2 for this. Make two o' these trusses. Do nay glue t' 45 angle dowels yet.

Figure 1	Figure 2	Figure 3

Make t' cargo box by gluin' t' 4 sheets o' balsa together. See picture 3 to see t' arrangement o' t' sheets. Begad! Well, blow me down! This arrangement will help the positionin' o' it in t' truss work. Blimey! Strong fillets will be needed on t' ID of the box for strength. Avast!

Now back t' buildin' t' truss, trim t' small dowels so that they are flush with t' large dowel. Usin' t' balsa box as a spacer again, me bucko, finish t' truss. Once this is dry, start gluin' t' 45 angle dowels on. It should now look like figure 4.

Usin' Keelhaul®©™ string, wrap t' truss in t' opposite direction t' form a series "X's" over t' truss. Avast, me proud beauty! If I had this project t' start over again, I would use t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' for all t' 45 angle cross bracing.

Figure 4	Figure 5	Figure 6

Finish t' truss work by gluin' on t' 1/8" x 1/4" balsa onto the corners. Begad! Make sure none o' t' small dowels are protrudin' over t' large dowels. I did this with toenail clippers and sandpaper. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! It should now look like figures 5 & 6.

Do nay glue t' box into t' truss yet. Avast! Begad! You'll want t' paint them separately later. Avast!

Centerin' Squares and MMT

Punch out t' center discs from t' CR cardstock. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Save these discs as you will need them later. Avast, me proud beauty! Cut t' BT cardstock t' fit t' ID o' t' box. Begad! Ahoy! Make 3 of them. Once you are satisfied with their fit, you'll need t' strengthen them. Cut some scrap balsa and glue them on t' centerin' squares. Aye aye! This will do two things; it will keep them flat and make them strong. Begad! Once these are dry, shiver me timbers, glue one on t' end o' t' BT50 so that it is flush with t' end. Ya scallywag! Glue t' second in the middle o' t' tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! You can add more support t' this rin' now. Avast, me proud beauty! See figures 7 & 8. Ahoy! Arrr! Use a table t' make sure they are aligned.

Figure 7	Figure 8

When this is dry, me bucko, me hearties, glue it into t' cargo box. Blimey! Blimey! Once it is in place, put glue on t' center card and glue t' third centerin' square in place. T' ends should be flush.

Figure 9

Forward Tank Assembly

If you save stuff like me, then you have a small bag o' those discs from centerin' rin' cards. Begad! If not, you'll need t' get more o' them. Begad! Glue these discs on t' t' ends o' t' 2" BT50s. Sand t' edges smooth once they are dry.

Use a rubber band t' hold t' tanks together. Ya scallywag! Make sure they are square. Figure 9

Cab

Usin' t' 5" section o' BTx, two BTx BTx centerings and t' BTx x BTx centerin' rings, me hearties, make like you see in figure 10. Ya scallywag! Glue a small rin' on t' end, the other about an 1 1/4" from t' first ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Now glue one o' t' big rings 2 1/2" from t' end and t' last rin' on t' far end. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Glue on the tubes as seen in figure 11.

Figure 10	Figure 11

Make a shroud. I used VCP. Aye aye! Blimey!

This one doesn't have a nose cone. Begad! Well, blow me down! Since it never enters t' atmosphere, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it doesn't need one. Ahoy! Just glue t' bulkheads on top o' t' cab t' achieve t' look shown. Blimey!

Glue four 1.5" sections from some 3/8" OD AT igniter tube. Cut them t' match t' angle o' t' shroud. Arrr! Glue these on so that they are between the tanks. Blimey! See t' finished picture for detail. Blimey!

Dockin' Assembly

This is too difficult from me t' describe. Here, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. Ya scallywag! Figure 12 shows t' parts laid out, me bucko, matey, shiver me timbers, and figure 13 shows the completed assembly. Glue t' tanks t' t' cab makin' sure everythin' is square and centered. Ahoy! Blimey! See figure 14

Figure 12	Figure 13	Figure 14

Aft Assembly

I waited until t' end t' install t' motor mount so I had a better idea on the finished weight t' choose a motor size. Avast! Begad! You may want t' consider this as well. Blimey!

Glue a coupler into t' 3" BT50 MMT. Avast! Begad! If you want t' install a motor hook, you'll need t' do that now. Ahoy! Begad! Glue a BT50 t' BT60 centerin' rin' t' t' end opposite t' coupler. Aye aye! Once dry, shiver me timbers, glue t' shroud t' t' assembly. Aye aye! Glue t' motor assembly t' t' cargo container. Well, blow me down!

Print t' fin template guide. Make sure that your printer prints t' right size by measurin' t' shown dimension after it's printed. Avast! Blimey! Make four fins as shown on t' fin template. Glue them t' each o' t' four corners and t' the engine shroud. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

T' rin' be made by printin' a transition shroud with t' dimensions of 5" x 6" x 1" ad was made usin' heavy paper cardstock. I glued a second shroud over t' first one t' stiffen it up and soaked them both with thin epoxy.

Final Assembly

See figure 15 for this step. Paint t' cargo container with red oxide primer. Blimey! Sand t' first coat, but leave t' second coat with t' mat finish. Avast! Now paint t' truss with a flat white, or even a white primer. Aye aye! Figure 16. Once the two pieces are dry, it's OK t' glue them together. Ya scallywag! You'll want t' sand some of the paint off where you will be gluin' them. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I glued mine at each corner and at each end. Ahoy! Don't forget t' add a launch lug as shown in figure 17. Avast! I added two 18" chutes and kept t' two pieces separate on their own chutes. Avast!

Figure 15	Figure 16	Figure 17

Finished weight with chutes is 8.4 oz. Avast, me proud beauty! and t' CG is 16.5" from the nose. Aye aye!

Flight

T' first flight was on an E9-4. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' flight be straight up t' at least 800 feet. T' ejection charge was late but recovery was good. Blimey!