Dark Comet

by Mark Schrader

This model started out as an Estes Maxi-Alpha III. Ya scallywag! I thought this would be a fun build, arrr, matey, buy when I saw t' thin plastic fins, my first thought was that these need t' be reversed or they'll need o' constant repair. Avast! Avast! I be also buildin' me Estes Renegade at t' time and thought that side pods on t' fin tips would be a nice touch. And as long as I'm add it, why not two boosters along side and add a Silver Comet nose cone for a star fighter look... Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, you get t' picture. Arrr! Aye aye!

Unfortunately, it's been a long winter and I be left with t' unfortunate dilemma o' finishin' me taxes or paintin' me RMR Descon rocket. Aye aye! Since Descon can't send me t' jail, I opted for a naked rocket for now. Ahoy!

T' premise o' this rocket is that a warlike race o' aliens from a distant star system has pirated a Silver Comet. Ahoy! Findin' its navigation and sensor systems superior t' their own technology, ya bilge rat, they keep those sensors but modify both t' weapons and propulsion systems. Avast! Blimey! (For t' future paint scheme, picture a battered Silver Comet up front, fadin' t' a blackish green-metallic with weld lines indicatin' t' alien modifications.)

Construction

This went together mainly accordin' t' t' Maxi-Alpha instructions. Blimey! Aye aye! To reverse t' fin direction, simply reverse t' two fin rings. Begad! T' only modification I made t' t' body o' t' rocket be t' addition o' a length of an 18 inch length o' 1000 pound test braided Keelhaul®©™ (tm) cord glued t' the motor mount tube t' which I attached about six feet o' ¼ inch sewing elastic. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

T' side boosters are 10 inch BT-55 with Black Brant-style nose cones and they feature 18mm motor mounts. Well, matey, blow me down! Each booster has three ¼ inch vent holes near t' top o' t' booster at t' nose cone shoulder. Avast, me proud beauty!

To line up t' boosters and fins, arrr, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I used VCP t' create a five-fin wrap with the correct geometry. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! I used a card stock stand off for t' boosters t' avoid contact with t' plastic fin rings. They are attached with wood glue and generous fillets. Begad! Blimey!

T' fin tip pods are made from a Viking-style nose cone, shiver me timbers, a conical nose cone, and an Estes 18mm motor mount tube similar t' those found in t' Alpha kit. Blimey! T' three were glued together with plastic cement. I then drew a line down the center o' each pod. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Startin' at t' base o' t' paper tube, I used my Dremel tool with a cuttin' disk t' cut along t' line until t' slit was just the right length t' fit flush over t' plastic fin. Avast, me proud beauty! This was repeated for the other two pods and they were attached with plastic model tube cement and generous fillets. Begad! Arrr!

I replaced the Maxi-Alpha nose cone with one from a Silver Comet kit. Aye aye! I needed t' add nose weight so I cut around t' base o' t' cone t' reveal t' inside. I added about 1 ¼ ounces o' BBs and anchored them in t' tip o' t' nose cone with 90-minute epoxy. Avast! I also embedded a loop o' 1000 pound test braided Keelhaul®©™ (tm) cord t' which I connected t' shock cord. Avast! Finally, I used a military surplus 36-inch parachute I bought from Commonwealth Displays. Aye aye! These parachutes are very silky and feature eight shrouds with a ninth in t' center t' prevent cupping. Arrr!

One thin' I did notice in construction be that unless your two fin rings are perfectly lined up, t' fins have a very subtle cant t' them. Ahoy! Ahoy! More on this later.

Flight Report

First flight was on Easter Sunday morning-beautiful sunny skies, matey, light variable wind less than 5 mph. Aye aye! Blimey! Temperature about 400 F. Aye aye! I be a little concerned because our launch field had some fairly wet low lyin' areas, but it was now or never. Blimey!

I loaded t' rocket with two outboard B6-0s and a central D12-5. Blimey! I used ample dog barf waddin' and prepared t' chute. Arrr! I launched from an Aertotech Mantis pad with a four-foot ¼ inch rod. Ahoy! I also used me new clip whip made from heavy-duty clips and heavy gauge wire-to many misfires lately with speaker wire and micro clips.

Launch was fairly slow but perfect and straight. Arrr! Rocket climbed t' about 600 feet, slowly spinnin' as it went due t' t' slight cant in t' fins-I liked it. Ejection was at apogee and t' 36-inch parachute be just perfect for this heavy rocket. It was a soft recovery was 50 feet from t' pad-no damage. Arrr! Blimey! I would have launched again but realized I hadn't take any photos yet. Ahoy! Didn't want t' tempt fate on this perfect rocket launchin' morning! Blimey!

This was a fun rocket t' build usin' basic techniques. Begad! Startin' with the most basic three fins and a nose cone design, me hearties, arrr, I ended up with a very different lookin' rocket that's a great flyer. Ahoy!

Some last minute shots o' a hasty paint job. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' dark part of the rocket is a mix o' silver, shiver me timbers, arrr, green, shiver me timbers, bronze, matey, and flat black paint. Avast! I used a lot o' layers and added a lot o' texture t' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I like t' way it came out.