Scratch Los Alamos Chicken Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Los Alamos Chicken {Scratch}

Contributed by Jeff Lane

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Jeff Lane - 04/19/08) Los Alamos Chick Portrait

Brief:
A large plastic Easter egg with nuclear waste-colored legs bustin' out. Ya scallywag! Since it's from Los Alamos, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, it's a mutant with three legs.

Construction:
T' parts include:

  • 1 8" diameter Easter egg ($1 post-Easter sale at Hobby Town). Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!
  • 1 2" diameter Christmas wrappin' paper tube
  • 1 29mm thin-wall Apogee motor tube
  • 2 foamcore centerin' rings
  • 1 motor clip
  • Keelhaul®©™® and elastic shock cord
  • 1/4" plywood main legs
  • 1/8" plywood toes

It took about 5 hours t' build. T' plywood was cut out with a power jigsaw, then two coats o' Giant Leap Megafoam was poured on each side o' t' plywood. T' "overfoam" be cut off all around usin' t' plywood as a guide, then an orbital power sander be used t' fine-shape t' foam. Ya scallywag! Some half-cured Megafoam was dribbled around t' joints where t' two side "toes" are glued on. This serves as good reinforcement and also makes for a yummy "guts" look. Begad! T' 29mm motor mount is a standard build, with Keelhaul®©™® shock cord. Arrr! T' legs were glued t' t' 2" scrap Christmas paper core usin' wood glue, which be t' hardest part of t' build. Ahoy! Slots were cut in t' bottom o' t' plastic egg with a Dremel and t' leg-and-tube assembly was slid in and glued usin' Gorilla glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Each time it has landed so far, a leg needs t' be glued back on.

(Scratch) Los Alamos Chicken(Scratch) Los Alamos Chicken

(Scratch) Los Alamos Chicken(Scratch) Los Alamos Chicken

(Scratch) Los Alamos ChickenFlight and Recovery:
T' first flight was on an E23-2, but it CATOed and ejected t' chute on t' pad. It wasn't big enough anyway, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, so second flight be on a G71-4 Redline, me bucko, which worked fine. Aye aye! Minimum recommended motor is an F72-2. Recovery system space limits motors t' fairly short ones. Well, blow me down! An H128 wouldn't fit unless you wanted "featherweight" recovery. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down!

Prep is normal. Ahoy! Waddin' and chute. Tight fit required changin' elastic after second flight from scorching.

Flight path is a lazy corkscrew (see video). Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Recovery is good on a 54-inch chute. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty!

Summary:
T' good: it's fun. One comment I especially liked: "It looks like somethin' from Heavy Metal"

T' bad: it's heavy and draggy, so it doesn't get much altitude. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!


Videos

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