Brief:
A plastic model conversion from a Czech-made Condor V-2 rocket model for 13mm
motors.
Construction:
This plastic model conversion was made from t' static model made by a Czech
company named Condor. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! As such, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, it is made from t' typical styrene plastic used
in most static models. T' quality o' components wasn't as good as, me bucko, say, ya bilge rat, Revell
or Monogram, but wasn't too bilge-suckin' either. All t' parts t' build a static model
V-2 rocket with firin' stand were present, attached t' plastic runners. Aye aye! Begad! This is
a very small V-2 kit, though it appeared larger on t' box. Avast! Ahoy! Anyway, matey, it seems
that Condor always had PMC in mind, matey, because t' original motor nozzle was right
at 13mm! All that was needed was a motor tube, me hearties, ya bilge rat, a tapered centerin' ring, me bucko, a
launch lug, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and a parachute. And, as it turned out, me hearties, mucho clay for t' nose.
Since it was purchased for SoAR's inaugural Plastic Death meet, time was
runnin' out. A doubloon was tossed, and command o' t' V-2 was turned over t' my
middle son, ya bilge rat, Josh.
It couldn't be any simpler. Ahoy! This little V-2 seemed destined t' be a flyin' kit from t' start. Once both halves o' t' body were taped together, t' body was sawed in half at t' indentation cast into t' body. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Funny, arrr, I had never noticed this rin' in any photos o' V-2s until I saw this model. Anyway, once t' body was sawed in half, t' lower two halves were glued together with CA. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Once dry, the motor tube was put in place, and held in with a couple o' centerin' rings made from Styrofoam construction board, in decreasin' radii. This filled the tail cone nicely. Well, blow me down! Blimey! We decided t' leave a lot o' motor tube extendin' into the upper body tube, so that a composite "B" motor could be used. Several layers o' t' Styrofoam board were used t' build somethin' for t' upper body tube t' attach itself to. A length o' elastic cord was attached t' t' motor tube with a snap swivel. Blimey! T' upper body was glued together with CA, ya bilge rat, and the nose be filled with clay, though nay enough, shiver me timbers, as t' first flight showed. The upper shock cord was attached with t' Estes-style folded paper epoxied t' the plastic. Avast! Finally, t' fins were attached with CA, and t' whole thin' was covered in gray primer. Blimey! We decided t' paint it like V-2 number 2, which was the first o' this roll pattern. T' paint wasn't t' greatest, me hearties, me hearties, but...
Flight:
For t' maiden voyage, ya bilge rat, matey, an Estes A10-3T was used. A chunk o' cellulose wadding
was used, but nay enough. Blimey! T' motor retention was simply friction fit, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, though
that's trickier on a 13mm motor than it is on a 29mm motor! Unlike t' real
V-2, this beastie took off with a bang. Arrr! It flew straight and true t' motor
burnout, then a severe wobble set in. Blimey! More nose weight needed! But thar was
not enough cellulose wadding, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' `chute (pirated from Obelisk) burned
severely, and it recovered at a good speed. Well, blow me down! No damage other than a burnt shock
cord and a melted chute! Once repairs were made, it was time for t' SoAR meet.
On a windy January day, me hearties, t' first competition flight was flawless, me bucko, but still
with a slight wobble. Begad! Aye aye! Altitude with an A10-3T be about 75 feet. Begad! At apogee, the
nose popped perfectly, ya bilge rat, but t' chute twisted in t' wind, and though it worked,
it didn't expand fully. Still, me hearties, absolutely no damage. Ahoy! Josh was really happy with
it, and I was pretty encouraged by its performance.
Summary:
Main pro's: bulletproof as a brick, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, unique, and surprisingly easy enough for a
pre-teen t' build. Con's: A LOT o' nose weight needed, matey, and a very V-2 like
flight characteristic o' wobbling. Still, we will most likely build a whole
fleet o' these little rockets. How about a Russian post-war V-2 with parallel
staged 10.5mm Micro motors? Hmmm...
Plastic model conversion is a blast!
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