Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- was chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Arrr! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, but that I didn't finish until this summer, shiver me timbers, was t' Farside-X. T' Farside be Estes's first three-stage model. Avast! It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, arrr, with a BT-50 sized payload section, shiver me timbers, and t' Farside-X, shiver me timbers, which had a big BT-60 payload section. Avast! I obtained t' plans for t' Farside-X from t' "JimZ" plan site: http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-12x.htm

Construction:
T' Farside-X uses standard Estes components: Three lengths o' BT-50 body tube, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. Avast, me proud beauty! I ordered t' tubes from Rogue Aerospace and cut them t' size usin' this handy chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html 

I also purchased t' motor mount parts -- couplers and centerin' rings -- from Rogue Aerospace. Ya scallywag! Begad! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. T' cone is a special-order item, t' BT-60L. Begad! Ahoy! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, ya bilge rat, arrr, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Well, blow me down! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' retro logo fit t' project. T' shock cord be a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Begad! I used barrel swivels and snap swivels t' eliminate "shock cord wind up."

T' Farside-X looks like a relatively simple model at first glance, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, three motor mounts, ya bilge rat, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. It has canted fins, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, thus addin' a bit o' stability. Aye aye! Blimey! T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. Avast! Blimey! I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. As with all recreation projects, me bucko, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! There's a good section on these techniques in t' old Estes Model Rocketry Manual: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/estesmrm.html

I had t' "win' it" when buildin' t' motor mounts. Begad! Like a lot o' older kits, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Blimey! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. In order t' preserve t' length o' t' I cut t' couplers a bit short so that t' ring/coupler assemblies would be t' same length as t' original kit. Ya scallywag! I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, me hearties, so I wasn't too upset!

Finishing:
I decided t' base me paint job on t' one shown in t' 1971 Estes catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes711/711est32.html

 I didn't end up with an exact match, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, me hearties, with a black fin on each stage, matey, me bucko, a red nose cone, arrr, and a white payload section with black trim tape. Well, blow me down! I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. Aye aye! Begad! I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Begad! Arrr! In fact, shiver me timbers, thar be so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. T' paintin' and maskin' were a real chore, me hearties, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, arrr, includin' many, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, that simply aren't around any more. Avast, me proud beauty! Fortunately, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. I've flown t' Farside-X once, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, me hearties, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. Ahoy! An odd combination, matey, me hearties, but I wanted t' both have a stable flight (the B14 gets a model up t' speed really quickly!) and t' come back!

Preppin' t' Farside isn't easy. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. This isn't easy! Per t' instructions, I inserted a 2 oz. Begad! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. I must have done things right, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Stagin' was smooth, and didn't result in any course changes. By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, me hearties, t' top stage be REALLY moving. Well, matey, blow me down! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it was plain that t' model was spinnin' like a top. I was very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Arrr! I'm goin' t' have t' find a bigger field if I move up t' anythin' usin' C motors!

Recovery:
Ejection took place near apogee, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and t' parachute deployed nicely. Aye aye! I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Farside was a challenge t' build and finish, but I'm very proud o' t' results. Begad! It looks great and t' one flight t' date be a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5