Brief:

"After numerous suspicious reports from t' outer Alpha quadrant, we can now positively state that t' Cedimin' have been usin' a new style Raider in their attacks at t' Outer Rim Space Yard. Aye aye! There have been additional reports o' attacks comin' from t' Outer Rim tradin' posts as well. Although actual sightings o' t' new craft have been few, reports are arriving documentin' that t' Cedimin' have managed t' construct t' new craft from the Space Yard's numerous old Gemini DC rockets and their parts. Avast! At great personal risk, ya bilge rat, some o' our rim agents have managed t' obtain one picture o' t' new craft on its launch pad. Avast! It appears t' be unpainted and t' actual color(s) of the craft are still a mystery, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, however, from t' tone o' t' reports and some unconfirmed eyewitnesses, me hearties, it appears our Strikefighters and Star Riders have had their hands full when confrontin' t' Raiders! We will relay more information as we receive it!"

--G.M.K. Arrr! Ahoy! for t' Galaxy Press

Modifications:
Be very careful and take your time t' separate t' fins from t' fin sheet as the fins are nay cut very well and will break in all t' wrong areas. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Use an X-Acto knife with a very fine blade t' separate t' fins out o' t' sheet. Begad! Pay special attention t' t' fin tab area so you can preserve t' various notches. They are nay so important on t' fins as they are on t' leftover balsa piece to maintain t' edges that you can see on t' finished rocket. Begad! This particular kit had a very nice piece o' hard balsa, which allowed me t' turn t' fin around and still have a sturdy fin although t' grain direction was not optimal. That be t' same condition with t' fin/notched piece connected with the outboard nose cones. Blimey! However, this is a kit bash so it was nay something that could be changed and still stay within t' rules. Ya scallywag! Titebond II glue was used on all t' wood and tube joints. Ahoy! Begad! CA was used t' seal t' two body tube holes with a paper filler and plastic glue used for t' nose cones.

T' major modification be with t' fins. Usin' t' fin guide, cut t' front o' t' fin off carefully and save t' two pieces. Construction of the rocket is straightforward with only a few "gotchas", which will be noted.

Take t' body tube and usin' a doorframe, me bucko, extend t' center o' t' slots with a pencil line t' entire length o' t' tube.

Start with t' motor mount and build it accordin' t' t' actual instructions. Begad! While that is settin' up, arrr, this would be a good time t' do the various sandin' jobs. Take t' main fins and sand all t' edges equal with each other, shiver me timbers, me hearties, followin' t' original instructions. Do t' same with t' three smaller triangle pieces as well. T' leftover balsa pieces are nay quite equal but wait until t' rocket is completed t' t' point where you are goin' t' add these pieces and then sand them as needed t' even them up t' each other and still fit onto t' rocket as well. Arrr! These took t' most time t' fit and since this is not part o' t' way t' original kit be designed t' go together, me hearties, shiver me timbers, sandin' them now to even them up t' each other will result in t' parts nay fittin' onto the finished rocket by themselves. Blimey! Well, blow me down!

Test fit t' fins into t' body slots and adjust t' slots as necessary with sandpaper so that t' fins are snug but nay tight. Ya scallywag! T' fins are placed on the rocket body turned 180 degrees from t' way they were supposed t' go on. (Backwards for those needin' t' simple explanation, sorry.) You will notice that they can slide up or back a bit and here is an area where your personal preference comes into play. With t' motor mount in place in t' body tube but not glued yet, add a fin or two and again adjust t' fit o' t' fins into the slots and onto t' motor mount. Trim t' fin tab as necessary so that t' fins are flush onto t' body tube. Aye aye! I placed t' fin/motor mount assembly on t' low side so that a small part o' t' fin extended below t' main body tube and appears t' surround t' motor tube from t' outside. Begad! If you slide t' mount up, the fins will be flush with t' aft o' t' body tube. Avast! It's your choice! Once all o' t' large fins are fitted t' your likin' and you know which way you want to place them, remove them and t' motor mount. Ahoy! Begad! Add t' first thin layer of glue t' t' fin mountin' surfaces so you will have double glue joints later. Begad! Do the same with t' tip edge o' t' fin as well. Begad! Set these aside t' dry. Well, blow me down!

Usin' a piece o' t' header card, cut a strip wide enough t' cover t' two holes in t' body tube from t' inside. Begad! Make sure t' piece does nay interfere with t' placement o' t' motor mount. Begad! Once trimmed t' your liking, me hearties, fit the strip into t' tube t' cover t' holes and use a pencil or piece o' dowel to hold t' paper tight t' t' hole from t' inside and drop a little thin CA from the outside onto t' area. Ahoy! CAUTION: these two holes must be completely sealed or t' recovery system will nay work and you will have a lawn dart! Once t' motor mount and t' fins are glued in place and dry, test t' seal of the holes by placin' t' palm o' one hand over t' forward end o' t' body tube and blow into t' motor end. Begad! If thar be any air escapin' use more glue t' seal the holes tight! I used as little as necessary so that t' depression left could still be seen.

Now be t' time t' glue t' motor mount in and usin' one fin t' set the mount in place, make sure it is in t' position you want it t' be. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Align the motor hook betwixt two o' t' fin slots. Ya scallywag! Blimey! When satisfied t' mount is where you want it, remove t' fin and glue it back in place. Aye aye! Avast! Blimey! Repeat with t' other three fins. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Make sure all t' fins are flush with t' body tube and aligned properly with each other and straight up from t' tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Once dry, me hearties, add fin fillets at all the fin/tube joints. Ya scallywag! By t' way, if you decide t' build this thing, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, thar are 7.5 feet o' fillets. Well, blow me down! Yes, matey, I (roughly) measured them! Blimey! Check t' finished tube seal again! Blimey! Once that is completed, it's time t' add t' outer tubes.

Usin' a doorframe, shiver me timbers, me bucko, draw a line t' entire length o' each o' t' tubes. These are t' align t' tubes with t' fin edge. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' small tubes are glued on the fin tips on two opposite fins and flush with t' forward edge o' t' fin tip. T' same is done with t' large tubes. Use t' alignment lines t' get the tubes nice and straight with t' body tube. Once dry, me bucko, add fillets t' these glue joints.

Usin' double glue joints throughout, add t' small triangle fins, long side forward, one half inch in front o' each o' t' large fins. T' help with the alignment, take two Popsicle sticks and place them on both sides o' t' large fin and out far enough forward t' capture t' small fins as well. Begad! Begad! Hold the sticks in place with clothespins, shiver me timbers, one on t' large fin and one on t' smaller one. See me featured tip in t' tip section for this one if you don't understand. Keep t' sticks away from t' glue joint or you will make a big mess when you try t' rip them off! When dry, me hearties, ya bilge rat, repeat with t' other fins. However, ya bilge rat, arrr, since this is holdin' t' small fin tight, me bucko, matey, you can do all o' them together if you have t' sticks and t' pins. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Don't add t' fillets t' these yet.

Usin' a generous amount o' tube type plastic cement, ya bilge rat, matey, glue t' small nose cones t' t' front o' t' long outboard tubes. As you push t' cone in, give it a few slow twists until you can feel t' glue startin' t' grip. Wipe any excess glue from t' joint right away all t' way around and allow some time for the glue t' set up. I let mine set up overnight.

Next up be t' fin/notched piece. Here is where you will have t' do some extra sandin' and fitting. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' piece has a slight cut on what would be the bottom aft side. Avast! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! This and t' aft edge need t' be fitted so that t' piece fits onto t' front o' t' small fin and up against t' cone tip. Use the shorter o' t' two as your first piece. Aye aye! Sand and test fit until you have a nice smooth match up with t' fin and t' cone and t' body tube. Arrr! Use wood glue to attach this piece t' t' body tube and a small drop o' CA where it meets the plastic cone. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Use t' alignment line on t' body tube t' get it nice and straight. Well, blow me down! Begad! Once dry, shiver me timbers, use this piece t' shape and size t' other fin/notched piece, me bucko, fit t' t' other side, and glue in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Now you can add t' fillets to these pieces and t' small fin as well. When dry, sand t' wood around t' nose cone t' blend t' wood into it. Begad! Arrr!

Almost there! Take t' long, shiver me timbers, thin balsa pieces and fit t' shortest one to the front edge o' t' large fin with t' long straight side away from t' body tube and have it just touch t' top o' t' small fin. Well, blow me down! Sand t' forward edge of the strake so that it fits flush down onto t' front o' t' body tube. Begad! Begad! The larger end o' t' strake be t' end fitted t' t' large fin. Aye aye! When it fits well, glue it t' t' body tube on t' alignment line and t' fin. Use a drop o' CA where this piece touches t' top o' t' small fin. Arrr! Repeat with t' other piece. Add t' fillets as needed and set t' t' side t' dry.

When all t' glue joints are dry, sand t' leadin' edges and trailin' edges of t' balsa pieces round as needed. Some o' these are a bear t' get t' and I'll leave it up t' t' builder as t' how much punishment they want t' endure! I left t' top edge o' t' long thin piece flat just because that is where I got tired o' sanding! Be extra careful at this point as some o' t' balsa pieces will be in your way and will get broken if you are heavy handed in your sanding!

T' next pain in t' %@#* phase be t' fillin' o' all t' balsa grain. Ahoy! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I use Elmer's Fill and Finish thinned out t' paint it on with a small brush. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Just remember, all o' that stuff you put on has t' be sanded off! Blimey! Once you have punished yourself enough with that bit o' fun, take t' larger o' t' very small tubes and notch one end o' it so that it will fit onto t' front o' one of t' fin/notched pieces. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! This is your ion cannon. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Glue in place once fitted to your likin' and seal t' back openin' if you wish with white putty.

Last but nay least, ya bilge rat, take t' launch lug and cut it into two equal pieces. One piece is glued t' t' fin/body joint with t' front o' it even with the forward edge o' t' large win' and t' other is glued t' t' same joint with the front o' it even with t' back edge o' t' notch on t' fin/notched piece. I placed mine in one o' t' joints common with t' engine hook location.

Take t' two rubber shock cords and tie them together. Use t' standard Estes tri-fold type mount t' attach them t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Arrr! Follow the original instructions for this except put t' mount into t' front o' the main body tube. Ahoy! Attach t' other end o' t' shock cord t' t' base part o' the nose cone as well as t' chute(s). I used both chutes in mine, and it is your choice if you use one or both chutes.

T' nose cone has nay been glued t' its base yet for a reason. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! This is a totally new configuration for this rocket and must be checked for proper flight balance! If you have built this t' these directions with a reasonable amount o' glue, matey, you will need t' add 1/2oz o' weight t' t' front of the nose cone. This will provide stability with up t' a C6-7 engine. This is a very difficult rocket t' swin' test but if you can, it be t' best way to insure that t' rocket is balanced properly and will fly straight! Addin' one full ounce will almost completely ensure a stable flight. Arrr! These amounts were taken from a RockSim file that I made as well. Arrr! If you can, shiver me timbers, check this file for the CG and CP points t' check against your rocket. Always err on t' side of caution. T' little extra weight will nay adversely affect t' flight o' this bird. Avast! When you are sure t' rocket is balanced properly, glue t' nose cone base t' t' nose cone with plastic cement.

Lastly, I used some o' t' header card again t' make a few doodads t' add some texture t' t' overall style. Again, me hearties, it's your choice but just don't go overboard as it will again add excessive weight. Ya scallywag! If you do, me hearties, make sure you recheck t' balance one last time!

Construction:
This new rocket be t' result o' a kit bash o' t' Gemini DC kit from Estes. Avast! It was conceived as an entry t' t' 2006 EMRR Challenge. Ahoy! Although t' contest rules stated that any and all o' t' parts from t' original kit could be used, or as few as needed, I gave myself t' personal challenge t' try t' use every single piece o' material from t' kit as well. Begad! This was accomplished as you can see with t' exception o' t' plastic bag! Even t' name letters were use to make t' new name o' this rocket! That's how Cedimin' came about. Ahoy! T' long, thin add on as well as t' forward fin with t' notches in it all came from the leftover balsa from t' fin sheet. Aye aye! T' smaller triangular fin be taken from the forward part o' t' original fin itself. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' four aft tubes were cut from the two smaller diameter tubes with t' holes in them from t' kit. Ya scallywag! T' tubes were cut just in front o' and just behind t' hole, arrr, resultin' in t' two small and two long tubes that you see. Begad! Do nay glue t' base o' t' nose cone onto the cone until t' end!

Finishing:
T' paint used was t' automotive Duplicolor Mirage paint system. Avast! This is a three part paint in some small rattle cans and sells for around $22. Begad! Following the instructions, me hearties, I painted t' rocket in about two hours. It didn't look that great at first except it be a nice purple color and it be about two days later that I noticed t' actual color shift. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! As it is rotated about, t' rocket goes from purple t' blue t' brown! Blimey! Way cool! Blimey! Lastly, me hearties, after t' paint had set up for a few days, t' original decals were used t' accent t' fins and the outside edge o' t' small tubes.

Flight:
At almost 4oz dry weight, matey, arrr, I knew a C6 engine would be good but didn't want to overpower it on its first flight. Avast, me proud beauty! There is a lot o' balsa out in t' breeze and if it was misaligned at all, shiver me timbers, I didn't want a shred. Begad! Begad! First flight be on a B6-4. A piece o' Estes waddin' was placed into t' tube first followed with some "dog barf". Avast! Begad! T' two chutes were folded up and slid one by one into the tube. Ahoy! There was enough room for two but one chute would be sufficient for a slow recovery. Arrr! I was usin' everythin' from this kit, me bucko, matey, remember?

It came time for launch and quite frankly I was nay ready for t' liftoff! I had me camera set for sequential shots and all t' time I launched this thing, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, all I got was some great smoke shots. Begad! It really rips off t' pad! All the flights have been straight with no twists or turns so me alignment concern never came up. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Overall height ranged from about 500' t' at least 800'. Blimey! Ahoy! With the C engine, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' rocket was just a very small dot at apogee which would place it in t' 800' t' 1000' range.

Recovery:
Ejection has been at or very close t' apogee with each flight and both chutes came out and deployed each time! T' chutes give a very slow descent which allowed no damage when landin' but are nay recommended for any kind o' wind! Even with less than 5mph winds, t' rocket had a considerable amount o' drift!

Summary:
This is a great changeover o' t' DC and turned into a really great flier in the process. Begad! Aye aye! I never would have done this or even thought o' it, if it wasn't for t' Challenge contest. Well, blow me down! Now that it is complete, it has become one o' my regular fliers! If you have a DC or two, shiver me timbers, try this conversion and you will amaze your rocket buddies when they find out what t' kit used t' be!

I would like t' give recoginition and much thanks t' Moe and Gerald from the SSS club here in AZ for t' last two great pictures o' this review. Begad! Blimey! T' Raider was launched and recovered in a local park near me house and be flown with a B6-4 on that one.

T' best part o' this build be t' fact that I had a kit that appeared to be nay t' best when built in stock form, arrr, me hearties, although I will still take on that challenge with another one I have, arrr, matey, and it was reborn into a great flier with some very appealin' lines as well. I have enough kits and plans t' keep me busy for many years and yet I very much enjoyed t' challenge and t' results of this kit bash!