Brief:
My original Goblin clone (BT-55 based) was one o' t' first I built after really gettin' back into t' hobby. Begad! Blimey!

My 1.7X upscale was finished late last year. Begad! And four months ago, me bucko, t' "baby" was born. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It's a MMX powered, matey, arrr, carded model. It has a hand rolled ½" diameter body tube and triple laminated fins. Begad! All in total, three Goblins. Arrr! Finished, flown and ready for family portraits.

For two extra points (2009 EMRR Challenge), I needed t' add another member o' t' Goblin Family by t' October first deadline.

Construction:
This year, shiver me timbers, loot is tight. Avast, me proud beauty! I set a goal o' buildin' another model usin' just t' materials I had on hand. Avast, me proud beauty! No ordering parts!

I had a ThunderGoon ready for final paint. Arrr! Blimey! It's been sittin' for months. Aye aye! Blimey! I just wasn't moved t' finish it. Nice model but just nay for me. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I decided t' cut off t' fins and body tube, me bucko, shiver me timbers, salvagin' t' engine mount and nose cone. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! The engine hook was made from that metal strip from a windshield wiper blade. I remember t' look me youngest daughter gave me when I pulled it from t' trash can at an auto supply store. Aye aye! Blimey!

I found scrap BT-60 and cut it t' 8-½". Ya scallywag! T' ThunderGoon's nose cone was taller than a Mini Bertha's. It didn't matter, it'll still capture t' original feel. Begad! Aye aye!

I pulled some scrap 1/8" balsa and upscaled t' fins slightly from t' BT-55 dimensions. I cut two o' the fins and realized I didn't have quite enough for other two. Arrr! I didn't want t' cut into another full sheet o' balsa.

I started piecin' together scraps makin' sure t' grain be parallel. I glued t' seams with CA, me hearties, then cut the remainin' two fins. Well, arrr, blow me down! This is when I started thinkin' o' t' "Frankenstein Goblin" moniker.

T' Keelhaul®©™® was already attached t' t' engine mount from t' Thundergoon. Avast! I pulled an 18" length o' elastic out o' me first attempt at a paper rocket. Ahoy! Blimey! I've never flown that paper model or doubt I ever would. Well, blow me down! There was too many mistakes learnin' t' new paper cardin' techniques. Ya scallywag!

T' 12" parachute was pulled from an old Groove Tube, a homemade garbage bag type. For this rocket, shiver me timbers, what else? I found a screw eye in me parts box. Blimey! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This eye is way too large but seemed t' fit t' theme and t' extra nose weight can't hurt.

There was nothin' unusual about t' build. It be a little different buildin' a new model from pieces and parts pulled from other models. Blimey! Aye aye! If you include leftover balsa scraps, shiver me timbers, arrr, I estimate t' Franken Goblin was built with parts from six different models. Aye aye!

Finishing:
Originally, matey, I be goin' t' use some Goblin decals from Excelsior. Avast! They were leftovers from me original BT-55 based clone. Aye aye! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! Phred always seems t' add extra images on t' master sheet.

I thought I would have some fun. I scanned t' Goblin decal sheet, enlarged it slightly then cleaned it up in Corel Draw. Ahoy! Blimey! T' more I drew, t' stranger it got. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I drew t' word "Franken" tryin' t' emulate t' original hand drawn font. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I added Frankenstein "stitches" and neck bolts t' t' Goblin character. T' Goblin even got a bilge-suckin' nose job. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Sure, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' humor is a little inside, me hearties, me bucko, but still fun. Arrr! Blimey!

T' original plans show a decal "3" flipped on it's back, centered on both sides o' one fin. I decided to use a "6" instead. Ahoy! It's only two sixes, matey, almost three--almost evil. Avast! Begad!

O' course, I had t' go with a "Frankenstine" green and black motif. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Normally I use t' Walmart (cheap) spray paint for most primary colors but they didn't have a green I liked. Well, blow me down! Blimey! For this model I bought a can o' Rustoleum Key Lime Green, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' only new expense on this rocket.

I shot t' model with Grey primer and sanded smooth. Aye aye! I then followed with a white undercoat. Well, blow me down! I was pleasantly surprised by how well t' green Rustoleum spray paint covered. Begad! Begad! It's t' old line o' "You get what you pay for." T' Rustoleum went on smartly with far fewer coats than t' Walmart brand usually requires.

T' decal sheets required 3 light coats o' clear acrylic. I had never made decals before and was prepared for the worst. I tested t' printed decal sheet usin' Microscale Liquid Decal Film applied with a foam brush. Arrr!

When I tried t' transfer t' Microscale treated decals, matey, they didn't seem thick enough. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Some o' t' black ink dissolved. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Blimey! I had much better luck with t' clear acrylic sprayed decals. Begad! Avast! Blimey! T' decals instructions did recommend spraying with clear acrylic.

While me homemade decal's "skin" is a little thicker than a decal that would come with a kit, I was still very happy with t' results.

While placin' t' decals I noticed a mistake in construction. Begad! Aye aye! When building, I glued a salvaged one piece launch lug at t' center o' gravity with a C6-5 engine installed. Aye aye! T' lug is now in t' way o' t' thick black decal band above t' fins. I had t' pre-cut a "notch" in t' decal wrap t' fit around t' bottom o' t' lug. Ya scallywag! Another "Frankenstin" puzzle piece, cut and joined together. Arrr! T' original Goblin instructions had you cut t' lug in two. Ya scallywag! Half at t' top, half at t' bottom o' t' body tube.

Flight and Recovery:
I flew t' Franken Goblin three times on March 7, 2009, me bucko, at t' monthly R.O.C.K. section launch.

T' first flight was with an A8-3. Begad! Aye aye! I called for a heads-up. Sometimes "Gooney-fying" a classic leads to questionable stability. Begad! It flew straight and true. Begad! Nay high but stable. Well, blow me down! T' 12" chute ejected fine.

T' next two flights were with B6-4s. Well, blow me down! T' wind be comin' up so I cut a spill hole in t' 12" parachute. This seems t' be t' ideal engine for this model, me hearties, matey, providin' good performance and altitude. On t' third flight it was loaded on t' rack, side by side with it's smallest sibling, me MMX carded Goblin.

After three flights, me bucko, thar were two small body tube dings in t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Both were nay very deep. Well, blow me down! Avast!

I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Begad! Some of t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

Summary:
PROS: I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Some o' t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

CONS: None really.