Brief:

Conversion o' Lansbergen Delta II t' fly on 18mm motors. Ahoy! T' particular Delta II that I chose t' model be Delta 7920-8 247, launcher o' t' solar observation satellite ACE. Well, matey, blow me down! T' plans are available on t' Caltech web site.

Modifications:

T' model is a 10 page PDF file. Begad! I printed t' 3 pages o' instructions on regular paper, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me hearties, t' 3 sheets o' boosters be printed on 65lb cardstock, arrr, matey, and t' remainin' pages were printed on 110lb cardstock. Well, blow me down! For t' main tubes, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I used full width tabs so t' body be double thickness. Avast, me proud beauty! It turned out that BT-50 body tube was perfect for t' couplers. Well, blow me down! I made an 18mm engine mount with CR2050P centerin' rings. Avast! Aye aye! T' rings were spaced t' exactly line up with t' booster mountin' holes. T' body sections were joined and t' motor mount was glued in. Holes were drilled through t' booster mountin' holes and almost through t' centerin' rings. 18 dowels made from round toothpicks were cut t' 5/8" each and glued into t' booster mountin' holes. Aye aye! T' booster tubes were rolled double thickness and t' holes on t' booster were opened up. I poked a pin through t' hole location and open them up with a round toothpick. Well, blow me down! T' booster tubes were glued onto t' dowels with t' dowel goin' all t' way t' t' opposite inside wall and glued there. Begad! T' booster nose cones and exhaust nozzles were rolled and attached. Boosters 4, arrr, 5, me bucko, and 6 have a larger exhaust nozzle so take care when attachin' them. Begad! T' main nose cone be rolled and a nose cone shoulder was rolled from double thickness 110lb stock. Begad! I made t' shoulder 1" long so thar would be plenty o' room for nose weight. Begad! I used a standard paper shock cord mount on each end o' t' 36" shock cord. I used a 12" chute made from a plastic table cloth. Blimey! I didn't know where t' CG should be so I took an educated guess and balanced it just forward o' t' boosters. I then did a swin' test and it turned out that it be stable at that balance point. Ahoy! I put a C6-5 into t' mount and added enough clay t' t' nose t' brin' t' balance point back t' t' previously determined location. Ahoy! Begad! It took .7oz o' clay t' balance which brought t' all up weight t' 2.0 oz. Begad! Avast! A couple o' coats o' clear were sprayed on and it be done.

Construction:

T' followin' is a list o' materials that I used in t' construction.

Finishing:

Everythin' was pre-printed and only a couple coats o' clear were required.

Flight:

Based on t' weight, I determined that an A8-3, me bucko, ya bilge rat, B6-4, matey, or C6-5 would be appropriate. Begad! T' day o' t' first launch be as ideal a day as one could ask for: sunny blue skies, arrr, temperature in t' 70's, and almost a complete lack o' wind with occasional gusts t' 5mph or less. Arrr! Blimey! I chose a B6-4 for t' first flight. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' motor mount has an engine hook so no tape was needed. Begad! Begad! I used "dog barf" for wadding. Ya scallywag! I was a little apprehensive because o' t' lack o' fins but t' flight was perfectly straight. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' rocket was easy t' follow and ejection was just about at apogee.

Recovery:

T' recovery on t' 12" chute be slightly faster than I would have liked considerin' all t' boosters stickin' out. It was flown in a corn field and it happened t' hit a corn stalk upon landin' and knocked one o' t' boosters loose. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' damage was minor and be easily repaired. Blimey! I didn't fix it until I got home so I could inspect all t' booster attachments. T' rest were all solid. I think I will switch t' a 14" chute for t' next flight.

Summary:

I am really happy with t' end result. Aye aye! T' rocket be nay difficult t' build for anyone with a little cardstock modelin' experience. Aye aye! Blimey! T' price was right (read: free), and when completed, shiver me timbers, you have a good representation o' a rocket that is nay often modeled.