Paper Kit Little Joe I

Paper Kit Little Joe I

Contributed by Dick Stafford

(Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 08/01/06) (MODS) Cards In Space Little Joe I

Brief:
This rocket is based on a paper model o' t' Little Joe I, me bucko, arrr, unit LJ-1, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, by Cards in Space. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I converted it t' fly on 13mm mini motors.

Modifications:
T' main things you have t' do is: cut holes in t' bulkplates t' accommodate a motor ejection tube, me bucko, arrr, build a shoulder t' mate t' capsule t' t' body, ya bilge rat, add a piece o' elastic t' keep t' parts together after ejection (a streamer is optional), shiver me timbers, and add a launch lug. Blimey! In fact most o' t' changes I made were leavin' detailin' components off. More on this below.

Construction:
T' rocket consists of:

  • three sheets o' white cardstock
  • 13mm tubing, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ~5.5"
  • 1/8" launch lug
  • spent 13mm casing
  • thin elastic

T' parts and instructions come in a single PDF file. Avast, me proud beauty! T' model includes a lot o' parts, arrr, many o' which I didn't use. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! For example, ya bilge rat, I didn't install t' 4 engine bells, me hearties, however, they probably could have been integrated into t' flying version. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' one page o' instruction is bare bones but is adequate t' build the model. Blimey! Begad! T' penalty for mistakes is only an extra sheet o' cardstock. Avast!

I used white glue throughout. Begad! T' body consists o' one long wrap and a few rings. Blimey! A short reducer section rests on top o' this. Begad! T' rings on t' bottom end are pre-marked for t' 4 engine bells so you have t' mark and cut t' hole for t' motor tube. T' designer was good enough t' mark t' two other rings with a single circle, which I cut out and used as a guide t' mark t' bottom rings. Aye aye! Avast! This was very convenient. Arrr! A section o' 13mm tubin' extends t' length of the main body.

T' four fins each consist o' two parts: an outer shell that folds over on itself and a spacer that forms t' base o' t' fins. Begad! T' capsule consists o' a couple o' transitions, a cylinder, and two plates. Ahoy! I formed a shoulder by first embeddin' a section o' 13mm tube in capsule through t' bottom plate. Blimey! I then glued in about ½ o' a spent 13mm casing. Ahoy! I cut corners big time on the escape tower. Aye aye! Avast! This would be by far t' most difficult part o' t' build and the most fragile. Ya scallywag! T' instructions require you t' cut out t' trellis sections and the tip probe. Ahoy! Begad! I didn't cut these sections out, nor did I bother with a the probe. Arrr! A piece o' toothpick would probably be a good substitute for t' latter. T' way I built it also made it inconvenient t' install t' escape tower nozzles--so I said adios t' these also.

For recovery, I merely attached a short piece o' thin tubular elastic. Arrr! I small streamer could probably be packed in t' gap betwixt t' top body ring and t' capsule, but I be satisfied with tumble recovery.

Finishing:
It is obviously pre-printed, so all you need is a clear coat for protection.

Flight:
I have flown t' rocket 3 times t' date, shiver me timbers, twice on A10s and once on an A3. Prep consisted o' friction fittin' t' motor and that's it. Avast, me proud beauty! Both motors resulted in nice flights, ya bilge rat, but t' A10 is a better choice in me opinion.

Summary:
This is a nice looking, shiver me timbers, me hearties, simple scale model that is an excellent introduction to paper model conversion. Begad! Blimey! It flies great on t' 13mm motors!

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