| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
I'm always lookin' for rocket parts, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and couldn't pass up this daiquiri glass from t' Paris Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Ya scallywag! Begad! It'll fly on 24mm motors.
Construction:
Parts list:
Construction began last October when I drank t' contents o' t' glass. Blimey! Begad! T' glass conveniently came with a removable top (nose cone). Although thar be no real shoulder, me hearties, it does snap in place and should stay on well.
Next came t' actual rocket building.
A BT-60 fits nicely in t' upper neck so all I had t' do be cut a hole in t' bottom. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I started t' hole with a circle cutter on a hand drill and finished it with a hobby knife. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I slopped some 5-minute epoxy around t' inside o' t' glass where t' BT-60 was inserted. This pooled and retained t' tube. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I added a standard 24mm motor mount: 2 rings, matey, a coupler tube and an engine hook. Ahoy! Blimey! A length o' Keelhaul®©™ twine was attached for t' recovery harness. Avast! Blimey! I also adjusted t' upper tab o' t' hook so I could use 24mm RMS motors.
I picked a spot on t' outer edge o' t' lower section o' t' tower and ground holes t' accommodate a piece o' 10.5mm tubing, me hearties, which works as a 1/4" lug. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' location is far enough out so t' rod will clear t' nose cone. Blimey! Ahoy! T' gap betwixt this tube and t' openin' was sealed with epoxy clay.
Epoxy clay be also used in t' tip o' t' nose (straw hole) and retains a loop o' 1/8" Keelhaul®©™. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I tied a long piece o' elastic t' t' Keelhaul®©™ leader and then t' t' loop on t' nose cone.
I created a RockSim model early on and spent a lot o' time thinkin' about stability. I applied Bruce Levison's base drag method. Well, blow me down! This almost convinced me that it could be stable without fins, ya bilge rat, but subsequent discussions on TRF and comparisons t' me Quest DC-Y Space Clipper made me reconsider.
While at a club buildin' session, matey, shiver me timbers, I cut some fins from clear Plexiglas usin' a miter saw. Aye aye! This worked well. Avast, me proud beauty! Plexiglas is nay t' best choice but it was scrounged from an old screen protector for a big screen. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Now that I think o' it, me hearties, I really don't know what t' material exactly is. I cut some small through t' wall tabs and attached t' fins with 5-minute Epoxy.
Finishing:
For now, it will fly unpainted.
Flight and Recovery:
I decided t' fly t' Eiffel's Nightmare on an F24. Begad! T' sim showed this would give it a nice ride. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I adjusted t' delay from 7 t' 6 seconds t' more closely match t' simulation. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Despite t' stiff winds, arrr, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' boost was fairly straight. T' rest o' t' flight wasn't that good. T' rocket stopped smartly due t' t' high drag design and lawn darted a split second before ejection. Arrr! RIP.

Summary:
Next time I'm in Vegas I'll pick up a replacement. Avast, me proud beauty! T' concept was cool and it flies well (or could fly well). I still have t' fins and t' motor mount. Aye aye! I'll chalk this disaster up t' operator error. Well, blow me down! Begad! At best, me bucko, this is an example o' GIGO (garbage in, matey, garbage out).
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