Scratch First Scratch Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - First Scratch {Scratch}

Contributed by Neil Thompson

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Neil Thompson (age 12) - 09/10/03)

Rocket PicBrief:
This was me first ever scratch built rocket and that be t' ONLY reason I am submittin' it. Begad! Aye aye! It has flown about 3 dozen times t' date and is an 18MM minimum diameter usin' a full length o' Estes 18mm tubing, but it gets a few inches shorter every half a year or so because o' a tangled streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I really have to find a better recovery device for it. Avast, me proud beauty! It also has a few spots where a fin has obviously been re-glued. Avast! This cannot have been any higher than me 12th rocket and nay knowin' about t' importance, I used really thin balsa because it can crack on t' easiest o' landings. Avast, me proud beauty! When it flys, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, it really soars. Aye aye! I am guessing about 1,500 feet or more on a C6-5 or C6-7. Avast, me proud beauty! It goes really fast too, so I cannot tell if it is this rocket or some other rocket whenever I look at pictures.

Construction:
As I said, arrr, it has one full lenth o' Estes tube, 18MM, one streamer, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, which frequently crumples up if I do nay replace it once a month. (I will be putting a rip-stop nylon streamer in soon t' see if I have better luck.) I also have two launch lugs which sneak ever closer t' t' nose cone with every few flights due t' zippers and over-used streamers.

This was a very difficult build for me at t' time, but I could make a rocket like this in under an hour now. (My record be t' Star-Dart, me bucko, matey, arrr, which took me about 45 minutes, me hearties, ya bilge rat, arrr, nay countin' glue dryin' time.).

Flight:
3 FLIGHTS!?!?!?!? How about 3 dozen? This is me most flown rocket. Blimey! T' streamer is nay very reliable but I will be switchin' t' nylon soon and hopefully that will solve t' reliability issues.

Summary:
I love this rocket. Well, blow me down! I may enter it in an altitude contest in NARAM 46, me bucko, if there is an A, B, matey, C or D altitude competition.

Other:
Watch t' alignment and make sure t' fillets are thar before you fly. Ahoy! severe consequences if you do not.

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