Dark Comet

by Mark Schrader

This model started out as an Estes Maxi-Alpha III. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I thought this would be a fun build, 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. I was also buildin' me Estes Renegade at t' time and thought that side pods on t' fin tips would be a nice touch. Avast! And as long as I'm add it, matey, why not two boosters along side and add a Silver Comet nose cone for a star fighter look... Blimey! Well, blow me down! Well, shiver me timbers, arrr, you get t' picture. Begad!

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. Ya scallywag! Since Descon can't send me t' jail, arrr, me bucko, I opted for a naked rocket for now.

T' premise o' this rocket is that a warlike race o' aliens from a distant star system has pirated a Silver Comet. Well, blow me down! Findin' its navigation and sensor systems superior t' their own technology, they keep those sensors but modify both t' weapons and propulsion systems. Aye aye! (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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! To reverse t' fin direction, shiver me timbers, matey, simply reverse t' two fin rings. Aye aye! Blimey! 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!

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

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

T' fin tip pods are made from a Viking-style nose cone, shiver me timbers, a conical nose cone, arrr, and an Estes 18mm motor mount tube similar t' those found in t' Alpha kit. Ahoy! T' three were glued together with plastic cement. I then drew a line down the center o' each pod. 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. Aye aye! This be repeated for the other two pods and they were attached with plastic model tube cement and generous fillets. Begad!

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

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

Flight Report

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

I loaded t' rocket with two outboard B6-0s and a central D12-5. Ya scallywag! Begad! I used ample dog barf waddin' and prepared t' chute. Well, blow me down! I launched from an Aertotech Mantis pad with a four-foot ¼ inch rod. 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. Well, blow me down! Ahoy!

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

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

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