BACKGROUND:

I have never made it a secret that I love t' looks o' Nordic Rocketry's Meanie. It is usually t' first rocket I fly at every launch and I love it on D's t' F's. Begad! Ya scallywag! Bein' t' case, I decided that I would love a 2x version.

Comin' up with a 2x version wasn't exactly possible since t' original was 2.6" diameter airframe and t' nearest t' 2x tubin' I could find was 5.5". So be it, I have a 2.11x version.

I decided on usin' Phexible Phenolic tubin' which be purchased from Red Arrow Hobbies. Aye aye! I also decided t' use 1/4" plywood for t' fins and t' LOC 5.5" Long Nose Cone (longer than t' Minni-Mags).

In addition, arrr, it be goin' t' be a 38mm motor mount and have an ejection baffle.

THE BAFFLE:

I heard about t' troubles that people expressed with baffles gettin' clogged up and even on t' LOC Baffle kit, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I purchased, me hearties, it said t' clean it out with a pin every so many flights. Avast, me proud beauty! This bein' t' case, I decided t' create a removable baffle unit.

T' removable baffle unit was constructed usin' plastic plumbin' components. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' diameter o' t' 38mm tube was much too small t' securely fit inside t' plastic plumbin' collar so I wrapped it with tape until it fit in loosely. Then usin' liberal amounts o' epoxy I glued t' motor tube in place. Avast, me proud beauty! I then epoxied t' plastic ferrule t' t' LOC baffle so that it slid inside o' t' 38mm tube and so that it was above t' collar-nut. Begad! Ahoy! T' pictures tell t' story better. 

THE NOSE CONE:

In order t' get t' Center o' Gravity where it needed t' be on t' "stubby" rocket, I needed t' get weight into t' nose cone. I didn't want it permanent though. Blimey! Well, blow me down! So I came up with a way t' do it.

I first cut a 1" hole in t' bottom o' t' nose cone. Then I used enough 24mm tubin' so that when pushed into t' hole it would reach all t' way t' t' top (tip) o' t' nose cone. Ahoy! Begad! I then used a large and small washer t' secure it. Aye aye! I then used bb's until I had enough weight t' brin' t' CG t' where I needed it. T' bb's were epoxied in and then t' rest o' t' 24mm tube was filled with foam. Ya scallywag! (Do this in small layers so it will dry) Usin' this method, me bucko, I could use different 24mm tubes (weighted differently) as I changed motors . . Ya scallywag! . Begad! or at least that was t' plan.

DID IT FLY?

Yes. Ya scallywag! Weighin' in at 6 1/2 pounds, utilizin' two 43" JP parachutes with a 20 foot tubular nylon shock cord, and loaded with an H128 (usin' a 29mm motor adaptor), me bucko, matey, this bird looked great on t' pad. Blimey! Arrr! A windy, shiver me timbers, windy day at Battle Park 1999, shiver me timbers, me hearties, however, she was goin' t' fly.

T' countdown . Avast! Blimey! . . Begad! ignition . Ya scallywag! . Well, blow me down! . Avast! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! lift off. Well, blow me down! It was beautiful! Blimey! It reached about 500 feet and then started downward. NO EJECTION!

WILL IT FLY AGAIN?

Yes. Avast, me proud beauty! I will rebuild it. I still have t' other half o' t' 5.5" tubin' but I need a new nose cone.

Below are t' makings for t' new motor mount. When finished it will be 1-29mm and 3-24mm. Avast! Aye aye! Notice how t' 24mm are angled. Avast! These are aligned t' have thrust in line with Center o' Gravity. Blimey! (I read about this cantin' in some publication)

In addition, matey, I decided t' do it right, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so I paid Public Missiles t' cut me new fins from G10.

LESSONS LEARNED APPLIED:

I will nay be usin' a baffle unit this time. Nay that it wouldn't work, shiver me timbers, however, me bucko, I have moved toward altimeter based ejection on this one.

In addition, with t' 29mm motor, I have only made t' length o' t' motor mounts long enough t' handle me 29-180 casing. This has given me more room t' pack t' shock cord, me hearties, altimeter and parachutes in t' body. Avast! It was previously a very, shiver me timbers, very tight fit.

I will utilize t' nose cone weight method again because I liked how that worked, shiver me timbers, arrr, however, I will be also need t' consider t' addition o' a shock-cord tube in t' nose cone. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This will be used like a deployment bag for t' shock cord.

SUMMARY:

T' exterior design o' t' rocket is obviously nay me own, shiver me timbers, however, t' "guts" are. I learned a lot durin' t' first-round and should have t' second one ready t' fly at t' NSL in NY at t' end o' May. It is gettin' primed right now!

NARAM-43 Update 8/01:

After sittin' nearly 2 years in t' "ready" state. Avast, me proud beauty! I was able t' brin' her t' NARAM-43 for t' maiden voyage.

Weighin' in at just over 6 pounds, shiver me timbers, I loaded me 29-180 case with an H238 and also three (3) 24mm E18's. Ya scallywag! It be set up for motor ejection off o' t' H238 usin' a "S"hort delay (6 seconds) and t' 24mm motors used 10 second delays and then capped. Accordin' t' RockSim, matey, shiver me timbers, this should boost this rocket t' just over 1000 feet and t' delay time was perfect!

T' "heads up" flight (first flight) was announced and t' countdown began. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' launch button was pushed and t' H238 "punched" t' rocket into t' air. Six seconds o' silence and a straight boost, ya bilge rat, me hearties, boom, ejection and descent only 50 or so feet from t' pad. Ya scallywag! Perfect lookin' flight and several people commented on it. One guy said (and I agree), matey, "it doesn't have t' be high t' be a great flight, me hearties, good job."

But...upon inspection, me bucko, only t' H238 lit.

T' next day, matey, t' rocket be prepped exactly t' same way and actually turned in an identical performance on another H238 and 3 x E18 (same ones, didn't even remove them). Avast, me proud beauty! Again, me hearties, only t' central H238 lit.

I be pleased t' get both o' these flights and at how t' rocket performed. Ahoy! It was very stable and t' big RocketMan 'chute did t' job. Aye aye! Looks live Rev 2 was a good design.

3 Oaks, Michigan Update 11/01:

I really wanted t' have a full perfect cluster launch, shiver me timbers, so I toted t' Meanie x2 t' Michigan. Ahoy! This time t' fly on those same three (3) E18's and this time a central H165 Redline Motor. Well, blow me down! Avast! Well, I had very different results this time!

Everythin' was prepped and t' launch button pressed. Begad! T' rocket slowly lifted from t' pad, me bucko, cleared t' rail, lifted ever so slowly t' about 25 feet. Begad! Ya scallywag! Turned gracefully and dived into t' soft mud. Blimey! By now you've guessed it. Begad! ONLY t' three (3) E18's lit!! I was actually surprised that they lifted t' rocket.

Well, ya bilge rat, I collected t' rocket, went right back t' t' inspection table and filled out another flight card. Well, blow me down! Returned t' t' pad and launched t' rocket on t' central H165. Avast! It gave a nice flight and perfect recovery.

I'll be tryin' again and tryin' t' perfectly match t' 4 ignitors t' get all motors t' fire, but in t' meantime am very pleased about t' performance o' me Meanie x2, ya bilge rat, number 2.

LESSONS LEARNED:

I regret nay buildin' t' motor with a central 38mm. Begad! I didn't own any 38mm hardware and really didn't have t' intention when I built t' rocket over 2 years ago (almost 4 years for t' first version). Ya scallywag! Now, I really stuck with H128's, me hearties, H238's and H165's. This is goin' t' give me flights betwixt 1000 and 1200 feet usin' 24mm RMS E's and F's. Well, blow me down! I can get t' about 2400 feet with some 24mm G55's, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but that is about peak. Begad! I'm okay with t' altitude limitation, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but with t' 38mm hardware I could have tried many other motors.