Manufacturer: | Estes ![]() |
Brief:
This is a kit bash o' two Estes Guardian kits into a clustered rocket with
ducted ejection and a parasite glider. T' name is a little joke:
giardia are parasites.
Modifications:
PDF attached for t' glider. Ahoy! I left mine naked. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' front mount is a launch lug
from t' kits, me hearties, t' aft mount is a piece o' 1/2" x 1" balsa (see diagram on PDF file) glued
onto t' aft BT-50. Ahoy!
T' two side engine pods have an industrial look because t' kit supplied motor mounts and mount retainers are attached externally. Arrr! Cut portions o' old engine casings function as both engine blocks and tube couplers for the 2.25" o' BT-20 ejection chambers forward o' t' engine mounts. Ahoy! Ahoy! The chambers direct gases into t' main BT-55 through 1.5" x 3/32" slots in t' BT-20s and BT-55. Blimey! Three thick fillets seal t' slots nicely.
T' main body is simple. Begad! Aye aye! It starts with t' two main body tubes glued together with a coupler. T' nose section is as designed in t' kit except for 4 rather than 3 canards. Arrr! Ahoy! T' tail section is permanently glued into t' body usin' CA, t' main fin roots are contoured t' t' tail cone, ya bilge rat, glued with CA, me bucko, and filleted with household cement or epoxy. It is important t' make sure to position t' fins so they don't get burned by exhaust. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' shock cord is elastic with paper mount.
Construction:
Contains all parts from 2 Guardian kits except it uses 4 canards and 4 fins
while thar are 6 o' each provided in 2 kits. Two engine pod canards, which are
strictly for looks, were cut from t' extra balsa. Ahoy! T' paper engine mount
centerin' rings from t' kits were nay used. Ahoy! T' only additional materials
required are: balsa for t' glider (3/32" for t' fuselage and front
attachment pin, ya bilge rat, a little 1/2" balsa for t' aft attachment mount, shiver me timbers, and
1/16" for t' wings), 4.5 inches o' BT-20 for t' ejection chambers, and a
BT-55 coupler. Aye aye! T' ejection chambers use scrap balsa from t' kits t' direct
gases into t' main body.
Finishing:
Giardian be painted with spray enamel in t' Guardian paint scheme after prep
with high-build primer. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' standard adhesive decals were slightly modified
with a hobby knife t' turn t' "U" into an "I".
Flight:
A8-3, A10-3T, ya bilge rat, and B4-4 motors worked fine and were retained with t' supplied
clips. Blimey! Prep is standard waddin' and parachute, although you may nay need
wadding. Ya scallywag! Better safe than sorry though. Begad! An 18" parachute is adequate. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! The
glider slides on from front t' aft usin' both mounts and pops off at ejection.
T' wiring
for t' cluster is a challenge: it has t' be on one side t' reduce chance of
snaggin' t' micro clips. Well, blow me down! It's wired with soft, small gauge wires so t' micro
clips are off t' t' side and swin' away from t' fins at ignition. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! A wooden
dowel is forced into t' ground beside t' launch pad t' act as a scaffold. Begad! Avast! The
clip whip is fastened t' t' scaffold usin' a clamp-style paper clip.
Summary:
Impresses t' most jaded. Arrr! Blimey! Flights are very cool. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Cluster wirin' takes a while
to prep and extra care is required t' keep from snaggin' t' rocket on t' pad.
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