Brief:
This is a 1:144 paper scale model o' t' French rocket, Diamant B, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, first launched in 1970. Arrr! Begad! Although Lansbergen's website is in Dutch, me bucko, t' instruction for t' model are in English. Ahoy! T' plans are for a static model, arrr, but with a few alterations, it can be made t' fly usin' Micromaxx motors. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! My version separates at t' shoulder, uses nose weight, ya bilge rat, matey, and has a 6 mm motor mount installed.

Construction:
A list o' what is needed t' make t' Diamant B:

• card stock
• yellow glue
• 6mm motor mount and motor block with extra card stock for centerin' rings
• Keelhaul®©™ for shock cord
• 2 BBs for nose weight

All t' parts for t' rocket are on one page with t' "instructions" on t' other page. Ahoy! Arrr! Construction is fairly easy. Roll t' three different body tubes first, matey, then roll t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! After these have dried, arrr, I rolled t' couplers that link t' various parts o' t' rocket together. I must mention at this point that I be just buildin' without much thought o' convertin' t' rocket t' fly. Ahoy! Ahoy! Yellow glue was used exclusively, applyin' only tiny amounts with t' end o' a toothpick. Avast! After I had t' entire rocket glued from nose cone t' tail, I decided then t' put in a motor mount and skip t' directions for addin' t' nozzle/exhaust unit at t' bottom. Ya scallywag! T' important thin' t' remember when gluin' t' rocket together is t' keep all t' seams lined up so that they are on t' "back" o' t' rocket. When I added t' launch lug, me bucko, I added it right t' t' side o' t' seam as well.

Next, I added t' fins. Begad! Arrr! My card stock was a little too weak, me bucko, so me fins were a little flimsy at first. T' fins are rather small and I began t' wonder how they would perform once it came time t' fly them.

I cut a small piece o' 6mm tubin' and put in a motor block. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I then used scrap pieces o' card stock in long thin strips and rolled them around t' motor mount until it slid in t' t' tail o' t' Diamant B, makin' contact with t' inner diameter o' t' rocket. I inserted t' motor mount with a motor and did a swin' test. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! After addin' 2 BBs into t' nose cone up through t' tail, t' swin' test worked fine. Next I glued t' BBs in t' nose cone, me bucko, usin' tissue paper and yellow glue as a bulkhead t' keep them in place, matey, and then glued in t' motor mount.

Basically, arrr, if you know t' alphabet and use common sense, it should be a piece o' cake t' make t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! T' parts are labeled with letter names, and t' guide on page 2 clearly show that part "B-C" clearly links part B with part C, me hearties, and so on.

This is nay really a CON, matey, but t' rocket is quite small, and rollin' that little nose cone is a slight challenge. If you have never done a paper rocket before, I would recommend startin' with somethin' a little larger. Normally, ya bilge rat, a project like this I would rate a skill level 2, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but because o' t' size o' t' rocket, I would put it at a skill level 2.5 - 3.

PROs: parts fit very well and do nay need t' be altered or cut in any way t' get proper fit.

Finishing:
Since t' rocket is pre-printed, all t' markings and detail are already on t' paper. Well, blow me down! Blimey! All I had t' do was add a little launch lug. Begad! Blimey! Since me MMX launch lugs are styrene and t' rocket is paper, arrr, I used a dab or two o' CA glue t' keep t' launch lug on.

After t' rocket be completely dry, I sprayed it with Rustoleum Lacquer (high luster coating). Begad! It made t' paper translucent, allowin' me t' see a lot o' t' detail inside t' rocket. At this point, matey, I thought I had ruined t' rocket, arrr, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so I just let it sit in t' sun and I forgot about it. Aye aye! Blimey! Later on that day, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I went outside and t' me surprise, arrr, me hearties, t' rocket looked fine. T' translucence disappeared. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! So, me bucko, I gave it another 2 or 3 coats. After a day o' allowin' t' lacquer t' cure, me hearties, it was ready for launch. Begad! Blimey! T' fins also became much more rigid from t' lacquer treatment.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I first flew t' rocket on August 7, me bucko, 2004 at t' high school where I work. T' first launch was quite interesting. Ya scallywag! T' motor (MMX II) fizzled, me hearties, and t' rocket jumped about a foot into t' air, me hearties, shiver me timbers, enough t' clear t' launch rod. Arrr! At first, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I thought that t' rocket be too heavy, or just did nay have t' aerodynamics t' make a good flight. Ya scallywag! Upon inspection, I noticed that t' nozzle had blown clear out t' motor. Well, blow me down! A little CATO! Well, thar was no damage t' t' Diamant B, so I loaded up another MMX II. Avast, me proud beauty! This time, matey, it ripped off t' pad, sailed into t' air, arrr, ya bilge rat, and at motor ejection (just a little puff), it streamed t' t' ground, nose first. Begad! Begad! Good flight, but remember, shiver me timbers, I did nay put any recovery in t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I was hopin' that it would tumble. Arrr! Well, me hearties, it didn't. T' flight was successful, but t' recovery needed a little work. When I picked up t' rocket, I noticed no damage whatsoever. It is very light and t' lacquer treatment added some strength t' t' paper.

I took t' model home and used an X-Acto knife t' cut around t' lower half o' t' shoulder. I added a card stock coupler t' t' lower half so that t' upper portion could sit on t' lower half. Avast! I then added a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord t' both parts. Begad! I decided that since t' rocket was so light, matey, and yet rather large, nose-blow recovery would work fine.

I launched t' Diamant B again on August 25, 2004, usin' MMX II motors again. Begad! Begad! T' first launch o' t' day t' Diamant took off at an angle. Avast! Although it flew well, it flew with more o' a trajectory than I had hoped. Ejection occurred early (MMX IIs have very short delays), ya bilge rat, and I know that if Quest built 2 or 3 second delays on their MMX IIs, shiver me timbers, we would have great little motors. Well, blow me down! Recovery be fine.

T' second flight o' t' Diamant B today be also on an MMX II. Blimey! Ahoy! This time, I got t' rocket t' ascend fairly straight, but towards t' end, me hearties, me hearties, shiver me timbers, it corkscrewed. Begad! Avast! Recovery be flawless.

So far, I have flown t' rocket 3 times. Aye aye! Blimey! Each flight was different, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, with all flights bein' average t' above average. Avast! Blimey! I am thinkin' about gettin' a longer launch rod for me MMX rockets, so that I can avoid some o' t' weathercockin' and corkscrewin' on lift-off.

Recovery:
Flight recovery worked fine once I installed t' nose-blow/Keelhaul®©™ idea into t' rocket. Blimey! I am interested that t' rocket performed 3 different ways. Each flight was at least nominal (I don't like corkscrewin' or weathercocking), shiver me timbers, and all flights were safe with ejection occurrin' way up in t' air.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
It's a fun little build and I like t' idea that it's a scale model rocket out o' paper that flies rather well despite t' small fins.

PROs: attractive French rocket with lots o' detail printed on t' card stock. Blimey! We often see American, Canadian, me bucko, German and Russian scale rockets out on t' pad. Blimey! Ya scallywag! We don't see that many French or Polish rockets for that matter. Aye aye! Perfect rocket for MMX and if one really wanted to, arrr, it is possible t' treat t' bottom body tube as a minimum diameter tube for 13 mm motors. Well, blow me down! Well, arrr, blow me down! I assume it would need more nose weight, but it should really fly high (assumin' those little fins work).

CONs: none, arrr, really. Ahoy! I wonder if t' rocket would perform slightly better with larger fins. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! This would be fairly easy t' do, me bucko, just printin' up t' first page again slightly enlarged for t' fins, but usin' t' original size for t' rest o' t' rocket. Considerin' this is supposed t' be a static rocket plan, ya bilge rat, it flies pretty well.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5