Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Upsized motor mount t' hold Estes E-9. Begad! Substituted fin design, paint scheme and
Tango Papa decals for Der Red Max. Avast! Arrr! Omitted super sonic whistles and related
fins, me hearties, although I seriously considered includin' them t' make a "Der
Screamin' Red Max." Length o' t' rocket is 26 inches, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, rather than 25.5
inches for t' Screamin' Mimi. Arrr! Also, replaced shock cord with a Keelhaul®©™®/elastic
combination. Well, blow me down! Installed screw eye with JB-Weld into t' hole in t' nose cone
base. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Used basswood for fins. Modified an old Estes E-motor engine hook t' fit
the newer E-9's. Arrr! Basically, arrr, t' only thin' I used from t' kit was t' main
body tube, nose cone, centerin' rings, me bucko, me hearties, me hearties, engine hook retainer, and engine block,
but I got it at a 1/2 price sale at Hobby Lobby for $5.50.
Modifications:
T' motor mount was installed with yellow glue, then JB-Weld was coated around
the outside o' t' upper and lower centerin' rings t' harden them and then
filleted - this may be overkill, shiver me timbers, but I believe I can send it up with an F-21
without any problems. Avast! A screw eye be inserted into t' center o' a piece of
cellophane tape, matey, then a glob o' JB-Weld be inserted into t' hole in t' base
of t' nose cone, then t' screw eye was inserted into that with t' cellophane
tape holdin' it in place and keepin' t' JB-weld from seepin' out, arrr, me hearties, and then
inserted t' nose cone into t' body tube t' allow t' JB-Weld t' seep down to
the base o' t' nose cone - makes a much stronger shock cord attachment point
than t' standard plastic hook on t' base o' t' cone. Aye aye! T' cellophane tape is
easily removed after t' JB-Weld dries. Avast! Also, I installed 1/8-ounce o' clay
into t' nose cone before installin' t' screw eye, just in case I decide to
fly that F-motor. Ahoy! As usual, Estes' standard shock cord is too short and must be
frequently replaced. T' avoid t' issue, I installed t' Keelhaul®©™®
cord into t' shock cord mount so that it extended outside t' body tube, then
formed a loop that placed t' center at t' top edge o' t' body tube. Ahoy! I
attached t' elastic shock cord t' that and then t' t' nose cone. Begad! Also, me bucko, me hearties, I soak
in a little CA into t' top lip o' t' body tube for improved strength there.
T' loop with t' CA seems t' minimize t' potential for "zippering"
when that motor delay isn't just right. I've used this method on rockets that
I've launched many, many times without a problem. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I installed t' fins using
yellow glue, then created JB-Weld fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Use a plastic bag over your finger
to smooth out t' JB-Weld t' make some really nice fillets. Here again, me hearties, the
JB-Weld fillets are probably overkill, shiver me timbers, but I feel better about them when that
F-motor kicks in. Avast! Begad! I had t' hammer out t' end o' t' old Estes E-engine hook
and then reform it t' fit t' new Estes E-engine - pretty easy with a vice and
hammer, ya bilge rat, just go slowly so you don't break it.
Construction:
1-BT-60 18-inch body tube, me bucko, me hearties, 3-3/32-inch basswood Red Max fins, 1-RA5060
centerin' rin' card, 1-engine hook retainer (30160), shiver me timbers, 1-RA2050 engine block,
1-6-inch BT-50 tube for motor mount, shiver me timbers, 1-E-engine hook, 1-1mm X 8-inch Keelhaul®©™®
cord, shiver me timbers, 1-1/4-inch X 42-inch elastic shock cord, shiver me timbers, 1-standard Estes shock cord
mount, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 1-PNC 60 (71043)1-SE-2 screw eye, 1-1/8-inch X 1 1/4-inch launch lug
Except for t' shock cord, Estes kits are always nice and t' instructions very easy t' follow - even t' ones for t' old Der Big Red Max. Avast! T' packaging is cool, and all t' parts were thar and all in great shape. Ya scallywag! T' decals for the Screamin' Mimi are o' t' peel and stick plastic variety. I don't particularly like them, matey, arrr, but I grew up with water-slide decals. O' course, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I used Tango Papa's water-slide decals for me rocket. This was me first time to use his decals. They are extremely thin and took some time gettin' used to, me hearties, but they lay down nicely and look very nice - almost as if they're painted on. Arrr! Begad! I was glad he put some extras on t' sheet, ya bilge rat, because I tore a couple before gettin' used t' t' thinner decals. Arrr! Since I didn't really build t' Screamin' Mimi, me bucko, I can't really comment on any other aspects o' t' kit.
Flight:
I haven't flown it yet, but I used t' same construction design and techniques
on a Big Bertha and it flies great.
Other:
Tango Papa decals are nice!
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