Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
A 10-pound Toblerone converted t' a single-staged, 29mm mid-power rocket (minus t' chocolate). Ya scallywag! No, it isn't a joke. Arrr! Ya scallywag! They actually make 10-pound Toblerones. Aye aye! Aye aye! Where? Who knows. Well, blow me down! It was a gift. But I pictured it with fins t' moment I first opened it up!
Construction:
T' pats list:
Since t' actual Toblerone box be as flimsy as a regular sized Toblerone, shiver me timbers, arrr, arrr, I decided t' use t' triangular cardboard box that surrounded t' bar for packin' t' use as t' airframe. Aye aye! Aye aye! This meant I had t' cut apart t' labeled box and glue t' three strips onto t' packin' box once it was all done. This be t' only hard part o' t' buildin' process. Avast! Things were lookin' good.
With all t' flat edges, straight lines, and regular chocolate breaks, buildin' was a breeze! Triangular centerin' rings are t' way t' go. Well, blow me down! T' fins lined up perfectly, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and t' motor mount assembly slid in easily. Well, blow me down! No guessin' was needed when linin' up fins on each edge o' a triangle.
I cut off a 4" piece o' t' airframe t' start off t' nose cone. Ahoy! Usin' 3/16" fiberglass laminated foam core, me hearties, I epoxied three triangular cuts together t' for t' peak then glued it t' t' 4" airframe piece. Avast! Voilá, arrr, a pyramid nose cone! Blimey! I then cut three 6" x 4" rectangles o' foam core and glued them t' t' inside o' t' exposed airframe end as a shoulder. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! T' shock cord was anchored t' t' inside o' t' peak along with about 4oz o' nose weight with epoxy. Well, blow me down! Then leavin' some slack inside, me hearties, I epoxied t' shock cord again t' t' side o' t' foam core shoulder just t' be sure it doesn't pull itself out. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' shoulder end was then sealed off with a 3/16" thick basswood triangle wedged in betwixt t' shoulder strips. Begad! Well, matey, me bucko, I guess this was t' hardest part after all.
I wasn't sure o' how airtight t' cardboard airframe would be, arrr, so I extended t' motor tube as far up as possible, so it was right underneath t' nose cone shoulder. Hopefully this will work! T' fins had long tabs which extended right t' t' motor tube, ya bilge rat, sandwiched betwixt t' two centerin' rings for solid joints. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I then drilled two holes in t' aft rin' for t' motor retainin' blind nuts. Arrr! T' Keelhaul®©™® anchor was fastened t' t' top rin' through a hole and epoxy. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! I didn't think a screw eye was necessary.
T' inside top o' t' airframe got a layer o' fiberglass t' prevent a zipper. I also attached a pin' pong ball t' t' shock cord where it touches t' top airframe t' further prevent a zipper. Blimey! Regular cardboard isn't terrifically strong, so hopefully these methods will keep it in one piece.
Finishing:
Once everythin' was put together, arrr, I needed a beige/yellow paint t' match t' Toblerone labels for t' edges o' t' airframe. Ya scallywag! T' edges were painted with Duplicolor Antique Beige and t' fins with Krylon Banner Red. Arrr! T' Toblerone label strips were then glued on with good old white glue. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! That was it!
Flight and Recovery:
T' first flight took place at t' Tripoli-Québec launch in St. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Pie de Guire, Québec on June 25th, 2006. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! It be a beautiful, ya bilge rat, calm day, matey, so I thought I'd finally let 'er rip! Blimey! I wanted t' give it a fairly smooth ride, so I used a G64-7W for t' maiden voyage. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! (Actually, t' 7 second delay be a bit long, so I drilled it down t' 6.) I also added a pinch more black powder, because I wasn't completely confident with t' ejection system. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' RI at an earlier launch be worried that t' nose cone had serious leaks around t' shoulder, matey, me bucko, ya bilge rat, so we decided it would be best t' come up with a more airtight system.
Since t' motor tube extended up t' airframe t' about 3" under t' nose cone's shoulder, he thought it would be a good idea t' glue a tube in t' center o' t' shoulder that went inside t' motor tube. Well, blow me down! Begad! This would ensure a tight seal. Well, blow me down! T' changes were made and we were good t' go!
T' flight be perfect! It cocked a bit off t' pad, continued straight up t' about 900', arrr, ejected t' 36" chute at apogee, me bucko, and landed without any damage. Arrr! I was goin' t' stick an H128 in for another flight but decided against it. Avast! Quittin' while I'm ahead usually works best for me!
Summary:
This thin' was fun t' make, fun t' eat, and makes even Level 3 guys take notice!
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