Brief:

Conversion o' Lansbergen Delta II t' fly on 18mm motors. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' particular Delta II that I chose t' model was Delta 7920-8 247, launcher o' t' solar observation satellite ACE. T' plans are available on t' Caltech web site.

Modifications:

T' model is a 10 page PDF file. Well, blow me down! I printed t' 3 pages o' instructions on regular paper, ya bilge rat, t' 3 sheets o' boosters was printed on 65lb cardstock, matey, me bucko, and t' remainin' pages were printed on 110lb cardstock. For t' main tubes, I used full width tabs so t' body be double thickness. Begad! Ahoy! It turned out that BT-50 body tube be perfect for t' couplers. Aye aye! I made an 18mm engine mount with CR2050P centerin' rings. Avast! Begad! T' rings were spaced t' exactly line up with t' booster mountin' holes. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' body sections were joined and t' motor mount was glued in. Begad! Holes were drilled through t' booster mountin' holes and almost through t' centerin' rings. Ahoy! 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. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! 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! Avast, me proud beauty! T' booster nose cones and exhaust nozzles were rolled and attached. Boosters 4, shiver me timbers, 5, and 6 have a larger exhaust nozzle so take care when attachin' them. Avast! Ahoy! T' main nose cone was rolled and a nose cone shoulder was rolled from double thickness 110lb stock. I made t' shoulder 1" long so thar would be plenty o' room for nose weight. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. 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 was stable at that balance point. Aye aye! 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. It took .7oz o' clay t' balance which brought t' all up weight t' 2.0 oz. A couple o' coats o' clear were sprayed on and it was done. Ahoy! Aye aye!

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

Recovery:

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

Summary:

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