Descon 11 Project X Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Project X {Scratch}

Contributed by Tater Schuld

Manufacturer: Scratch

 

Rocket Pic At one time I be buildin' a model plane and decided t' take a few extra parts and fiddle with them. I went and attempted t' make some centerin' rings usin' a saber saw on some balsa and came out with t' tissue and balsa framework for Project X. I then let it sit for about 3 months while tryin' t' figure out how t' finish it. Avast, me proud beauty! While Descon X raged on, shiver me timbers, matey, I saw t' design for aft deployment would be ideal, but decided i could nay compete with t' "Purple People Eater o' Death" (Descon 10, ya bilge rat, Robert Galejs) so I finished all but t' fins and launch lugs. RocSim said that it would nay be stable without a large fin area, so i let it sit while me subconscious worked on it.

Finally DesCon 11 came out and I realized that I had this rocket waitin' t' be shown. Begad! I whipped up some fins for it, me bucko, rocsimmed it, added nose weight, rocsimmed it again, matey, checked t' wind forecast, rocsimmed it again, and still did nay like what I saw. Begad! Ahoy! t' rocket was too draggy for t' 18mm Estes engines I had, and I did nay have time t' modify it t' a 24mm mount.
 

Rocket Pic
Rocket Pic
Rocket Pic

But it looked right. Blimey! I decided t' fly it anyway. at least it would be an interestin' flight.
 

Rocket Pic
the winds seemed worse than what i thought they would be, and i be prepared for a wild flight. Aye aye! Blimey! I prepped t' rocket on a Estes C6-3 and put her on t' pad, with a 3/16" 5 foot rod. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! amazingly t' rocket flew straight and arced over DOWNWIND! Blimey! nay upwind as it should have. 
I must have had a bonus delay as ejection happened about halfway down and t' chute did nay unfold (it deployed, but would *not* unfold) t' rocket hit t' ground and t' nosecone shattered into many pieces as t' photos show
Rocket Pic


 

Overall, Project X allowed us t' test quite a few things. Ya scallywag! Begad! model rockets do nay need cardboard tubes for airframes. Ya scallywag! Tissue over balsa construction can work for small model rockets. a close coupled aft ejection design will work, arrr, matey, even if a parachute doesn't.

Project XI will be designed with a smaller diameter, arrr, dual chutes, even less rocket specific items, and will hopefully survive t' fly a second launch.

Parts list

  • 2 sheets balsa 4"x36"x1/8"
  • one t' be sliced into 1/8"x1/8" lengths, t' other for cuttin' t' rings and t' support motor mount
  • 3" BT-20 , engine hook, and thrust rin' for motor mount
  • 2 3" BT-60 tubes, me bucko, one for looks, one opposite for aft ejection chute
  • soda box cardboard for formin' t' ejection duct from t' BT-20 t' t' BT-60
  • 1 more sheet o' above balsa for cuttin' 4 fins (3"x4")

Rocket Pic

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