Modification Pipsnitch Modification

Modification - Pipsnitch

Contributed by Chan Stevens

Manufacturer: Modification

Brief:
What do you get when you rummage through t' build pile 2 nights before a 2009 challenge deadline tryin' t' come up with stage bash ideas? T' answer be t' decidedly low-labour Pipsnitch, shiver me timbers, a saucer-based screamer. It made use o' one o' t' many clearance-sale Snitch's I'd picked up at about $3 apiece, shiver me timbers, arrr, and a quick-to-build Quest Pipsqueak.

Construction:
Ingredients:

  • 1 Estes Snitch (RTF, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, stock kit)
  • 1 Quest Snitch

I started with t' Snitch, me bucko, finished "stock" which just involved addin' t' metal antennae/landin' gear.

Before buildin' t' Pipsqueak, me bucko, I knew I'd need some means o' mountin' it t' t' Snitch, and was hopin' t' stuffer tube could be used. Begad! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! As it turns out, that's also t' motor tube and so shortenin' that could lead t' problems. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I decided instead t' trim off about 3/4" o' t' TT-20 main body tube, and epoxied that t' t' top o' t' Snitch.

I built t' rest o' t' Pipsqueak stock, arrr, though cut off t' metal motor hook as it would interfere with t' stage coupler mounting.

T' aft end o' t' Pipsqueak has t' BT-20 motor tube extendin' about 3/8" from t' TT-20 main tube, and this is inserted into t' small piece o' TT-20 mounted t' t' top o' t' Snitch for t' stagin' configuration.

Finishing:
T' Snitch be pre-finished in dayglo yellow plastic. T' Snitch got a rushed paint job o' one coat o' primer, two coats o' Rustoleum purple, me hearties, me hearties, then peel N stick decals t' next afternoon once t' paint had mostly cured.

Flight:
As I'd run out o' time, procrastinatin' about as much as I could get away with, matey, I be stuck with less than ideal flyin' conditions--overcast and winds blowin' 15-20 mph. Arrr! It be either that, or a night launch after work, so I loaded t' Snitch with a B6-0 and t' Pipsqueak with an A8-3 figurin' that be abut as mild a first flight as I could attempt.

Saucers in general tend t' weathercock pretty strongly in moderate winds, me hearties, shiver me timbers, even more so with another rocket stuck on its head. Avast, me proud beauty! Almost immediately after clearin' t' rod, ya bilge rat, me Pipsnitch started arcin' over into t' wind, ya bilge rat, smartly settlin' into a horizontal flight pattern. Begad! T' A8-3 lit fine, matey, finishin' off t' cruise missile imitation. Arrr! Even with t' short -3 delay, me bucko, it had already coasted t' t' ground at ejection.

Recovery:
T' Snitch tumbled fine, and t' Pipsqueak didn't get a chance t' test out t' streamer.

Summary:
Despite t' poor flight in adverse weather conditions, I do feel confident in t' design and stagin' adaptation, and think this approach will be fine in lighter winds. I also think this basic approach could be used as a simple stagin' technique for many other sustainer models. Aye aye! I will surely need t' fly it on a calmer day t' prove out, but think I've found a decent use for some o' those Snitches I'd accumulated,

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