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