Brief:
This rocket was based on plans for a paper Proton launch vehicle and were available at t' Classic Paper Space Models website. Avast, me proud beauty! Unfortunately, me bucko, arrr, it appears this particular website no longer exists and t' plans are unavailable. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I was generously provided t' plans by dtomko o' T' Rocketry Forum. Begad! In me opinion, ya bilge rat, rocket manufacturers have overlooked Russian launch vehicles and I thought a conversion o' a Proton t' a flyin' model would be a fun challenge.

Manufactured by t' Khrunichev Design Bureau, ya bilge rat, t' Proton is a workhorse for t' Russian space program. Arrr! It be originally designed as an ICBM in t' 1960's but be never deployed for that use. Arrr! It continues t' fly today loftin' payloads for both Russian and international customers. Some famous payloads flown by Proton vehicles include t' Zond probes t' t' moon, matey, me bucko, t' Salyut series o' space stations, me hearties, Mir modules, and pieces o' t' International Space Station (ISS). Begad! T' plans depict t' vehicle that carried t' Zvesda module t' t' ISS in July 2000.

For more information regardin' t' Proton rocket, see t' International Launch Services (ILS) website for t' commercial marketer o' t' vehicle.

Construction:
T' followin' is a list o' materials I used t' build t' Khrunichev Proton:

• 65 lb cardstock
• foam core
• 18 mm tube
• 13 mm tube
• screw eye
• shock cord
• shock cord mount
• streamer or parachute
• standard launch lug
• clay for nose weight
• white glue
• yellow glue
• epoxy
• maskin' tape
• toothpick for applyin' glue and for rollin' small tubes
• Instructions and Patterns (3M Zip File)

T' plans come in nine separate JPG files. Begad! This allows t' builder t' scale t' plans t' any desired size. T' plans provided recommend scale factors t' build models o' scale 1/144, matey, me hearties, 1/100, 1/96, me bucko, 1/97, ya bilge rat, and 1/50. Begad! I chose t' build me model at 1/144th scale because it would print on standard 8.5x11 cardstock. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! T' plans were straightforward and adequate for assemblin' t' model. Avast, me proud beauty! They offer short, matey, concise, shiver me timbers, text descriptions. There are many pictures o' t' various pieces and t' assembly process. Arrr! Anyone who has built rockets should be able t' follow them without difficulty. Ahoy! I followed t' plans with few deviations. These consisted o' changin' t' model t' handle a motor tube, recovery system, and a launch lug. White glue was used throughout except for gluin' t' motor tube t' t' centerin' rings with yellow glue and gluin' t' screw eye t' a bulkhead with epoxy.

Construction began with t' first stage. Begad! T' Proton first stage consists o' a central oxidizer tank, six external fuel tanks, me hearties, six rocket engines, and an interstage. T' external fuel tanks are often confused as bein' strap-on boosters. Begad! A hole was cut in t' bottom o' t' central oxidizer tank t' accommodate a 18mm motor tube. Arrr! I chose 18mm mainly because I be unsure if I would build t' model light enough t' fly on 13 mm motors. Ahoy! With no stabilizin' fins, ya bilge rat, I assumed a generous amount o' modelin' clay would be required t' make t' rocket stable. This would add weight t' t' model and possibly prohibit use o' t' smaller 13mm motors as well.

At this point I also chose t' stop t' 18mm tube at t' top o' t' first stage and t' carry a 13mm tube from t' interstage through t' third stage o' t' Proton. This was done t' ensure that t' ejection gases vented through a motor tube, as opposed t' t' cardstock body. Begad! I made centerin' rings out o' foam core t' center t' 13mm tube within t' 18mm tube. Arrr! I would nay recommend doin' what I did. Begad! In hindsight I should have kept things simple and used a single 18mm tube throughout t' rocket. Ahoy! In order t' strengthen t' model for flight, discs provided in t' plans were glued t' centerin' rings cut from foam core.

Rollin' t' external fuel tanks into a nice cylindrical shaped proved t' be difficult for me. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! If I be plannin' t' only use me model for display, ordinary printer paper might be easier t' roll. Begad! Since I wanted t' fly me model, I used cardstock for t' added strength. Begad! Alignment o' t' six propellant tanks can be tricky. Mine is by no means perfect but I can live with t' results.

Once t' fuel tanks were glued t' t' oxidizer tank, arrr, I added t' many small details provided in t' plans. Arrr! Blimey! Rocket nozzles, outriggers, arrr, aeroguides, me bucko, me hearties, arrr, and turbopumps are just some o' t' intricate pieces t' builder can use t' add realism t' t' model. A standard launch lug was glued t' t' oxidizer tank betwixt two o' t' fuel tanks. Begad! I made a standoff out o' foam core t' help t' lug clear t' model details more easily. T' help t' launch rod pass through t' launch lug a small notch be cut in t' appropriate aeroguide at t' bottom o' t' first stage.

T' second and third stage exteriors were built as specified in t' plans. Well, blow me down! Since I was buildin' a flyin' model t' second stage be glued t' t' 13mm tube and t' third stage was glued t' t' second. I omitted t' rocket nozzles and cylinders on t' third stage since mine was nay a display model. Aye aye! Ahoy! As with t' first stage, ya bilge rat, foam core centerin' rings were used t' hold t' 13mm tube. T' tube ends at t' bottom o' t' third stage. Well, me hearties, blow me down! This allows t' third stage and t' Zvesda module t' be used t' hold t' recovery system. Well, blow me down! A coupler be made from cardstock and glued t' t' Zvesda module t' allow it t' attach and separate from t' third stage. Ya scallywag! By itself, t' coupler fit too loosely on t' third stage so I used maskin' tape t' achieve t' proper amount o' friction. T' recovery system consisted o' a standard 3-fold type mount and an 18-inch shock cord glued t' t' inside o' t' third stage section. A screw eye was epoxied t' a bulkhead made o' foam core. Aye aye! Avast! T' shock cord was tied t' t' screw eye and t' bulkhead was then glued into t' Zvesda module. Begad! Since thar was enough room in t' third stage and Zvesda module t' hold it, I chose t' use a 12-inch parachute for recovery. Begad! This ensures a gentle landin' for t' model.

Approximately one ounce o' modelin' clay be added t' t' nose cone and upper tube o' t' Zvesda module--about half t' empty weight o' t' entire model! With an Estes C6-5 installed t' CG be located just above t' interstage rin' with a total weight o' three ounces. Blimey! A swin' test confirmed that t' vehicle was stable. Ya scallywag! Despite a successful swin' test, I plan t' wait and only fly this model on calm days with no wind. T' overall length o' t' model is approximately 15 inches.

PROS:

• Fun build
• Quick construction
• Parts are easily replaced (just print more!)
• Lots o' small intricate details for nice realism

CONS:

• Website t' obtain t' plans is gone
• Lots o' small intricate details t' "fat finger" if you are a clumsy builder like me
• No fins t' provide stability
• Half t' empty weight is nose weight
• Not much room for parachute and wadding

Finishing:
Since all t' detail is printed on t' paper, thar be no finishin' required. Aye aye! I added all t' raceway and cablin' details t' t' model. This proved t' be time consumin' but really makes t' model look realistic. Begad! Blimey! T' one thin' about paper builds be t' seam left betwixt t' various parts. If this had been a conventional build, arrr, some Fill N' Finish would eliminate those seams. Aye aye! Ahoy! Parts o' it are definitely rough but this can be blamed on me construction abilities as opposed t' poor design.

PROS:

• No painting! No sanding! No filling!

CONS:

• Seams

Flight:
I opted t' use friction fit for t' motor. Aye aye! A motor block be formed from a section o' used 18mm motor and gluin' it into t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! Avast! I used a 12" chute for recovery and cellulose for recovery wadding. Ahoy! There is nay much room t' pack a chute into this rocket t' way I built it.

Launch day finally came but unfortunately all t' nice grassy fields I could fly from were packed with model airplanes or soccer players, ya bilge rat, so I went roughin' it. I have a tendency for "go fever" so I went t' a just recently tilled cotton field. Avast! It made for a less than ideal surface, but I was sick o' lookin' at this model sittin' on t' shelf and wonderin' if it was really stable. Arrr! T' only way t' know for sure was t' fly.

An Estes B6-2 was chosen because I didn't want too much altitude, but wanted t' make sure thar was adequate initial thrust for stable flight once t' launch rod was cleared. Well, blow me down! T' Two second delay chosen because I would rather err short instead o' long. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If it turned out t' be an unstable flight, arrr, I wanted t' chute t' get deployed as smartly as possible.

Flight 1: After a nervous countdown t' Proton took t' t' air. Well, blow me down! T' initial trajectory was straight but as t' vehicle approached burnout a noticeable precession began. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Nothin' severe, but it was noticeable. Avast! Begad! T' two-second delay proved t' be early as expected. Begad! Begad! T' parachute ejected normally and t' rocket descended t' t' tilled clay. Avast! Begad! .

Flight 2: T' second flight be a mirror image o' t' first. T' bird proceeded t' do two revolutions immediately after clearin' t' launch rod. After t' second twist, t' Proton straightened itself and flew a perfectly straight trajectory t' ejection. I guess I didn't use enough or incorrectly loaded t' wadding. T' chute was scorched by t' ejection and didn't unfurl completely. Arrr! Aye aye! T' landin' was hard. T' Proton bounced approximately one or two feet on impact. There is some minor skin damage t' t' paper and some more clay markings on t' nose. Blimey! If I had been flyin' on a grassy field, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, I'm sure it would have had some grass stains.

I flew t' Proton in a steady wind. I knew this would nay be good for this bird, but me go fever said fly anyway. Aye aye! With calm winds and a longer launch rod, t' stability o' this rocket should nay be a problem. T' hard clay was a less than ideal recovery surface so now me Proton has a few extra markings after two flights.

Summary:
This was a fun, shiver me timbers, inexpensive, project. Aye aye! Begad! I didn't have t' order a single part or have t' wait for a kit t' arrive in t' mail. Avast! It didn't take a long time t' build and I was rewarded with a unique lookin' scale model. I flew it aggressively knowin' that if it failed, matey, I could always build another. Well, blow me down! I am hooked on paper models and plan t' build more in t' future.