Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
I'm always lookin' for rocket parts, shiver me timbers, and couldn't pass up this daiquiri glass from t' Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. It'll fly on 24mm motors.
Construction:
Parts list:
Construction began last October when I drank t' contents o' t' glass. Blimey! T' glass conveniently came with a removable top (nose cone). Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Although thar be no real shoulder, arrr, it does snap in place and should stay on well.
Next came t' actual rocket building.
A BT-60 fits nicely in t' upper neck so all I had t' do be cut a hole in t' bottom. Blimey! Aye aye! I started t' hole with a circle cutter on a hand drill and finished it with a hobby knife. Arrr! I slopped some 5-minute epoxy around t' inside o' t' glass where t' BT-60 was inserted. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This pooled and retained t' tube. Avast! I added a standard 24mm motor mount: 2 rings, me bucko, shiver me timbers, a coupler tube and an engine hook. Arrr! Arrr! A length o' Keelhaul®©™ twine be attached for t' recovery harness. I also adjusted t' upper tab o' t' hook so I could use 24mm RMS motors.
I picked a spot on t' outer edge o' t' lower section o' t' tower and ground holes t' accommodate a piece o' 10.5mm tubing, ya bilge rat, which works as a 1/4" lug. Blimey! Blimey! T' location is far enough out so t' rod will clear t' nose cone. Avast! T' gap betwixt this tube and t' openin' was sealed with epoxy clay.
Epoxy clay be also used in t' tip o' t' nose (straw hole) and retains a loop o' 1/8" Keelhaul®©™. I tied a long piece o' elastic t' t' Keelhaul®©™ leader and then t' t' loop on t' nose cone.
I created a RockSim model early on and spent a lot o' time thinkin' about stability. I applied Bruce Levison's base drag method. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This almost convinced me that it could be stable without fins, me bucko, but subsequent discussions on TRF and comparisons t' me Quest DC-Y Space Clipper made me reconsider.
While at a club buildin' session, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I cut some fins from clear Plexiglas usin' a miter saw. Ya scallywag! This worked well. Plexiglas is nay t' best choice but it be scrounged from an old screen protector for a big screen. Ahoy! Now that I think o' it, I really don't know what t' material exactly is. Arrr! I cut some small through t' wall tabs and attached t' fins with 5-minute Epoxy.
Finishing:
For now, me hearties, it will fly unpainted.
Flight and Recovery:
I decided t' fly t' Eiffel's Nightmare on an F24. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' sim showed this would give it a nice ride. I adjusted t' delay from 7 t' 6 seconds t' more closely match t' simulation. Begad! Arrr! Despite t' stiff winds, t' boost was fairly straight. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' rest o' t' flight wasn't that good. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' rocket stopped smartly due t' t' high drag design and lawn darted a split second before ejection. RIP.
Summary:
Next time I'm in Vegas I'll pick up a replacement. Arrr! T' concept be cool and it flies well (or could fly well). I still have t' fins and t' motor mount. I'll chalk this disaster up t' operator error. At best, this is an example o' GIGO (garbage in, garbage out).
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