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

My 1.7X upscale was finished late last year. Ya scallywag! And four months ago, t' "baby" be born. Blimey! It's a MMX powered, ya bilge rat, carded model. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! It has a hand rolled ½" diameter body tube and triple laminated fins. Ahoy! Blimey! All in total, three Goblins. Blimey! Finished, me bucko, 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, loot is tight. Begad! Blimey! I set a goal o' buildin' another model usin' just t' materials I had on hand. Aye aye! Avast! No ordering parts!

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

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

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

I started piecin' together scraps makin' sure t' grain be parallel. Begad! I glued t' seams with CA, matey, then cut the remainin' two fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! This is when I started thinkin' o' t' "Frankenstein Goblin" moniker.

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

T' 12" parachute was pulled from an old Groove Tube, me hearties, a homemade garbage bag type. Avast, me proud beauty! For this rocket, me hearties, what else? I found a screw eye in me parts box. Begad! 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. Ahoy! If you include leftover balsa scraps, matey, me bucko, I estimate t' Franken Goblin be built with parts from six different models. Avast, me proud beauty!

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

I thought I would have some fun. Arrr! I scanned t' Goblin decal sheet, matey, enlarged it slightly then cleaned it up in Corel Draw. Ya scallywag! T' more I drew, ya bilge rat, t' stranger it got. Begad! Blimey! I drew t' word "Franken" tryin' t' emulate t' original hand drawn font. I added Frankenstein "stitches" and neck bolts t' t' Goblin character. T' Goblin even got a bad nose job. Sure, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, t' humor is a little inside, arrr, but still fun.

T' original plans show a decal "3" flipped on it's back, centered on both sides o' one fin. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I decided to use a "6" instead. It's only two sixes, arrr, almost three--almost evil. Blimey!

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

I shot t' model with Grey primer and sanded smooth. I then followed with a white undercoat. Avast, me proud beauty! I was pleasantly surprised by how well t' green Rustoleum spray paint covered. Ahoy! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! 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. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I had never made decals before and be prepared for the worst. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I tested t' printed decal sheet usin' Microscale Liquid Decal Film applied with a foam brush.

When I tried t' transfer t' Microscale treated decals, they didn't seem thick enough. Aye aye! Aye aye! Some o' t' black ink dissolved. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I had much better luck with t' clear acrylic sprayed decals. Aye aye! Ahoy! 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. When building, me hearties, matey, I glued a salvaged one piece launch lug at t' center o' gravity with a C6-5 engine installed. Well, blow me down! T' lug is now in t' way o' t' thick black decal band above t' fins. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I had t' pre-cut a "notch" in t' decal wrap t' fit around t' bottom o' t' lug. Begad! Another "Frankenstin" puzzle piece, me bucko, cut and joined together. T' original Goblin instructions had you cut t' lug in two. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, matey, at t' monthly R.O.C.K. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! section launch.

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

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

After three flights, thar were two small body tube dings in t' nose cone. Avast! Both were nay very deep. Ya scallywag!

I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Aye aye! Blimey! 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. 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.