Manufacturer: | Estes |
Brief:
I changed t' booster t' a triple 18mm cluster by installin' motor mounts into
the two side pods along with a conventional waddin' type recovery system in
each side pod capable o' utilizin' either streamers or 12" parachutes in
each pod. Avast! Begad! Nose weight added t' compensate.
Modifications:
T' biggest trick on this one be determinin' a balance point. Begad! Blimey! I tacked t' kit
together in t' manner that Estes prescribed and determined t' center of
gravity. From thar it be a relatively simple matter o' addin' enough nose
weight t' reproduce t' CG position in t' modified version. Avast! Blimey! 1 1/8 oz. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! o' nose
weight was added in t' form o' #7 1/2 lead shot and sealed into t' nose with
PML expandin' foam. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' side pods were attached with epoxy, matey, t' rest o' t' kit
was built with Titebond yellow glue. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I had read in EMRR about t' problems with
the side pods chafin' t' sustainer air frame on separation. Aye aye! Blimey! I solved this by
usin' coffee stir sticks as shims betwixt t' booster air frame and t' side
pod tubes. Aye aye! Blimey! This provided about 1/16" o' offset. Ahoy! Blimey! All balsa parts and the
ends o' all mount tubes, couplers, and airframe tubes were reinforced by
applyin' a thin layer o' CA t' t' appropriate surface and sandin' after
curing. Avast! Blimey! This should always be done outdoors t' disperse t' fumes and with
disposable rubber gloves t' protect t' hands from unwanted bonding. The
sustainer shock cord consisted o' two separate pieces o' 1/4" shock cord
bound together every few inches by zip ties. Blimey! Blimey! This method provides 100 percent
redundancy in separation protection in case one o' t' elastic cords burns
through. Aye aye! Blimey! At that point both elastics are replaced.
Construction:
T' stock BT-50 x 5" side pod tubes were exchanged for two BT-50 tubes
6.25" long. Begad! T' plugs for t' aft o' t' pods were discarded and
conventional 18mm Estes mounts were installed in each pod, ya bilge rat, t' aft o' the
mount tube flush with t' aft o' t' pod tube, motor hook extendin' aft and on
the outboard side o' each pod tube. Aye aye! T' motor mounts were all installed with a
length o' 100 lb Keelhaul®©™®
shock cord attached t' t' engine block in t' manner o' Quest kits. Blimey! The
Keelhaul®©™®
was then attached t' elastic shock cord before mountin' t' t' nose cone. Ahoy! Aye aye! 12
inches o' 1/8" flat elastic was used in t' side pods and a double
24" strand o' 1/4" flat elastic in t' sustainer.
T' overall kit quality is quite typical for t' 'Made in China' Estes kits and all o' t' parts were good quality and fit was as one would expect.
Finishing:
Previous experience with Estes stickers has taught me t' avoid them. Blimey! T' tube
spirals were filled with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish before construction commenced
and more FnF be applied t' t' fins and fillets after sealin' t' wood with
CA. Avast! Ahoy! Three coats o' primer were applied and sanded out after each coat. Avast! The
model be finished with Createx Pearl red, matey, Pearl gold, and Pearl purple. Avast, me proud beauty! All
paint be applied with an airbrush. Hologram tape and stripin' tape completed
the decoration with t' rocket then clear coated with Future floor finish.
Flight:
Only one flight so far, ya bilge rat, arrr, ya bilge rat, B6-2's in t' side pods and a C6-0 t' C6-7 combination
in t' booster sustainer core. Booster ejection occurred very shortly after
stage separation and both booster and sustainer were successfully recovered
with no damage. A very successful flight with an estimated max altitude o' 1500
ft.
Summary:
A very enjoyable experiment, this deals with t' Renegade's problems o' being
underpowered and prevention o' damage t' t' intricate booster section.
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