Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- was chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Well, blow me down! Blimey! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, but that I didn't finish until this summer, was t' Farside-X. T' Farside was Estes's first three-stage model. It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, with a BT-50 sized payload section, me bucko, and t' Farside-X, which had a big BT-60 payload section. Blimey! Blimey! I obtained t' plans for t' Farside-X from t' "JimZ" plan site: http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-12x.htm

Construction:
T' Farside-X uses standard Estes components: Three lengths o' BT-50 body tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. I ordered t' tubes from Rogue Aerospace and cut them t' size usin' this handy chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html 

I also purchased t' motor mount parts -- couplers and centerin' rings -- from Rogue Aerospace. Begad! Blimey! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. T' cone is a special-order item, me hearties, me bucko, t' BT-60L. Aye aye! Blimey! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Aye aye! Blimey! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' retro logo fit t' project. Avast! Blimey! T' shock cord was a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I used barrel swivels and snap swivels t' eliminate "shock cord wind up."

T' Farside-X looks like a relatively simple model at first glance, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, three motor mounts, me bucko, me hearties, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. It has canted fins, matey, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, thus addin' a bit o' stability. T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. Arrr! I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. As with all recreation projects, arrr, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Ya scallywag! There's a good section on these techniques in t' old Estes Model Rocketry Manual: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/estesmrm.html

I had t' "win' it" when buildin' t' motor mounts. Aye aye! Like a lot o' older kits, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, arrr, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. In order t' preserve t' length o' t' I cut t' couplers a bit short so that t' ring/coupler assemblies would be t' same length as t' original kit. I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. Begad! Ahoy! This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, so I wasn't too upset!

Finishing:
I decided t' base me paint job on t' one shown in t' 1971 Estes catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes711/711est32.html

 I didn't end up with an exact match, matey, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, shiver me timbers, with a black fin on each stage, me hearties, a red nose cone, and a white payload section with black trim tape. Aye aye! I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Ahoy! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Begad! In fact, thar be so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. Ya scallywag! T' paintin' and maskin' were a real chore, ya bilge rat, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, includin' many, arrr, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, that simply aren't around any more. Fortunately, me bucko, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. I've flown t' Farside-X once, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, matey, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, me bucko, arrr, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. An odd combination, but I wanted t' both have a stable flight (the B14 gets a model up t' speed really quickly!) and t' come back!

Preppin' t' Farside isn't easy. Ahoy! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, ya bilge rat, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. This isn't easy! Per t' instructions, arrr, me bucko, I inserted a 2 oz. payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. I must have done things right, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Stagin' was smooth, me hearties, and didn't result in any course changes. By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage be REALLY moving. T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it be plain that t' model be spinnin' like a top. Ya scallywag! I was very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Avast! I'm goin' t' have t' find a bigger field if I move up t' anythin' usin' C motors!

Recovery:
Ejection took place near apogee, and t' parachute deployed nicely. Avast, me proud beauty! I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, shiver me timbers, matey, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Farside was a challenge t' build and finish, me bucko, but I'm very proud o' t' results. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It looks great and t' one flight t' date was a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5