Star Scraper

mid-power super-roc sport flyer

By Brian Mardirosian

Introduction:
Always wanted a Mean Machine when I was a kid, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but never got around t' getting one. Arrr! When I raided t' house recyclin' bin after t' holidays, me bucko, matey, me bucko, I discovered five identical wrappin' paper tubes. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Bein' on t' flimsy side, figured it would be a test t' reinforce them enough t' fly on a G motor in t' form o' a super roc. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey!

Nose Cone:
Shaped out o' a styrofoam ball used for a Christmas decoration that had seen better days. Arrr! Hmm, me hearties, shiver me timbers, have t' say t' same thing about t' nose cone. Arrr!

Recovery System:
A parachute that I had created for a min diameter bird that be way too big for it. Begad! Ya scallywag! Small for Star Scraper (about 20" I'd say) but t' long, light body tubes would be glidin' on t' way down, me hearties, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, figured it was enough. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty!

Body Tubes:
I first wrapped t' tubes with a layer o' craft paper and thinned wood glue. Begad! Blimey! Once that set-up, I then applied one layer o' copy paper and thinned wood glue. Ahoy! When everythin' dried, I was amazed with t' amount of strength added t' t' tubes. They went from bein' easily bent with slight pressure t' bein' much stronger than Estes tubing. Aye aye! I was also pleased with the fact that t' tubes remained fairly lightweight, shiver me timbers, certainly lighter than some heavy-duty tubes o' similar size used in rockets. Begad! Overall, matey, ya bilge rat, a worthy compromise in strength-to-weight ratio, shiver me timbers, and you can't beat t' price. Ya scallywag!

Motor Mount Tube:
Nothin' all that excitin' t' report on, matey, basic two centerin' rings o' 1/8 balsa with a slightly oversized motor mount tube o' thick cardboard tubin' from what I believe was t' core o' a fax machine paper roll. Ahoy!

Fins:
Again, arrr, nothin' all that excitin' t' report. Avast! Well, blow me down! I moved t' fins 3" away from the bottom since t' super roc design in inherently over stable, arrr, me bucko, and I wanted to give them some protection from fast landings. Avast! Blimey!

Couplers
I heard it time and time again from others more wise than I that couplers makes or breaks (literally) a super roc. 13" coupler for t' mid-body separation point, with 6" couplers used in t' three other joints. Begad! Aye aye! Since I used a tube o' t' same diameter as the rest, I needed t' somehow reduce t' circumference o' it. Begad! Instead o' doin' it the right way, I just overlapped t' material and filled in t' rest with a scrap piece and sanded a bit. Avast! Avast! It worked, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and I didn't have t' risk t' chance of ruinin' a coupler. Well, blow me down!

Launch Lugs:
I tried me old 1/4" screw eye-in-balsa method. Aye aye! One of them promptly ripped out when t' rocket was on t' pad. Begad! Ya scallywag! A larger set of lugs were needed. Begad! I ended up usin' 1/2" peg-board loops. With a little work, shiver me timbers, I be able t' scuttle t' connective material flush with t' surface o' the balsa blocks on t' rocket, with t' peg board hooks restin' on t' surface of the rocket itself. Ya scallywag! A little 5 minute epoxy in t' appropriate places, ya bilge rat, and I had me an impressive set o' launch lugs. Aye aye! They worked great!

Painting:
Grabbed what I had on t' shelf and went t' work, me hearties, shiver me timbers, just one layer o' each. Begad! Ahoy! If I were t' do it over again, I wouldn't have used black. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Didn't think such a small area would be affected so much by t' sun, me hearties, but it is.

First Flight:
After t' launch lug issue at t' first, me bucko, I was able t' finally get this bird into t' air. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Takin' advantage o' a calm spell, ya bilge rat, me bucko, ya bilge rat, Star Scraper rose without incident up a G38-4. Blimey! Unfortunately, at about 2 seconds after burn-out ejection occurred. Begad! Ahoy! No damage t' report, but I'd say the rocket was only 400' off t' ground, me bucko, tough t' say since it is so tall. All of the kids were pointin' and commentin' on it, and some o' t' adults had some snide comments about it, shiver me timbers, tehehe. Arrr! Aye aye! It certainly is a looker, shiver me timbers, arrr, and it towered above the Mean Machine that was also flyin' that day. Blimey!

Conclusion:
It took a long time t' finish from beginnin' t' end, but it be worth it. Certainly an attention-getter (134"x2.1"), shiver me timbers, and it proves that paper and wood glue can significantly add strength with little weight t' body tubes. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

Star Scraper had a date with some swamp creatures. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Launched on a G35-4 and t' flight looked great, but no recovery system deployment. Was at t' RSO table at t' next launch, minus about 8 feet and a bit soggy, tehe... Ya scallywag! Recovery system was intact, as well as t' fins and launch lugs and I have a feelin' if I stuck a nose cone on what I had left after it dried out, it would fly fine.