Scratch G125 Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - G125 {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 07/18/02)

Rocket PicBrief:
Basically, me hearties, this is G125 motor with fins and a nosecone. Ahoy! Would your RSO let it fly?

Construction:
I guess I'll fess-up now - this be nay me idea, arrr, nor is it a ‘live' G125. A year or so ago I ran across a picture o' a rocket, shiver me timbers, whose body be a spent motor casing. Bein' a wise-#@!, I thought it would be fun t' build one t' get a rise out o' me RSO/LCOs. Begad! Blimey! Usin' me Dremel with various cuttin' wheels and grinders, I managed t' ream out t' casin' from a spent G125 motor. Ya scallywag! I cut some G10 fins and some brass lugs, me bucko, me bucko, matey, and attached them with epoxy. Well, blow me down! I made fillets out of epoxy clay. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! A piece o' 24mm tubin' fit nicely inside and I added some Keelhaul®©™® twine for a shock cord. When I went t' search for a nose cone, me bucko, I found that I didn't have any junk nose cones that were suitable. Avast! I was goin' t' have t' add a lot o' nose weight t' offset t' heavy casing, fins, ya bilge rat, and fillets. I had recently bought a PML resin cone, but t' shoulder was obviously t' same diameter as t' OD o' t' motor tube. Avast! Begad! Since I didn't want t' sacrifice this fairly expensive cone by grindin' t' shoulder down, I cut a 1 ½" piece o' 29mm tubin' t' ‘adapt' t' cone t' t' body tube/casing. Ahoy! I attached it t' t' cone with a tiny screw, ya bilge rat, me hearties, formin' a reverse shoulder that overlaps t' body tube rather than fittin' inside.

Rocket PicTo complete t' effect, I removed t' nozzle from another spent casing. Avast! It sits in t' end o' t' rocket and, me hearties, me hearties, along with a protrudin' Copperhead, completes t' effect o' a motor with fins glued on. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I also added some red/white checkerboard tape t' t' small piece of 29mm tubing. Begad! T' rest is unfinished.

Flight:
I first took this rocket t' a NARRRRR launch. Blimey! I be sure t' get some raised eyebrows there, shiver me timbers, matey, matey, since t' G125 isn't even a legit motor at that site. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Well, matey, I neither got t' desired effect or did I launch it (I can't remember why). Begad! At the next high-power launch, I again pulled it out. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! There, me hearties, people see odder things and didn't have much reaction. Begad! Oh well. Ahoy! I guess a gag is all in the presentation?

I used a small plastic chute (8"?) and some Estes wadding. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' boost on a D12-5 was a little wobbly, me hearties, me bucko, but nay too bad. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' chute was under sized and the cone embedded itself in t' relatively soft dirt. Ya scallywag!

So far, me hearties, I have nay been able t' convince myself t' expend an E15 or E30 on this little rocket. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! It will probably just sit in me fleet until I re-use the nose cone.

Summary:
This was a novelty rocket built mostly from scrap materials. Aye aye! T' nose cone is really nice, matey, and can be re-used in another rocket. Arrr! I hope someone finds this article amusin' and still think it would be fun t' trick a RSO…maybe next April Fools Day?

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