Modification - Goonymarc {Modification}

Kit Bash Goonymarc Modification

Modification - Goonymarc {Modification}

Contributed by Steve Lindeman

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2014-03-23
Manufacturer:	Modification
Style:	Goonybird

Brief

T' Goonymarc was number eight in me line o' modified Baby Bertha kit bashes. Aye aye! I started with t' plans from Jim Z's for t' Estes kit #654 with t' thought o' buildin' t' glider version o' t' Bomarc but ended up with t' parachute version (kit #657). Blimey! Aye aye! All templates and decals for this build were taken from t' #657 Bomarc plans (http://www.spacemodeling.org/JimZ/est0657.htm).

Components

Again, as stated this be another kit bash so t' first thin' I did was purchase another Baby Bertha kit as t' heart o' this build. Ya scallywag! All components were used except t' decals o' course. Avast, me proud beauty! Six additional components used in this build were a BT-60 coupler (that I made), an additional 2" section o' BT-60 tube that I had left over from when I shortened t' body tube for t' Zoom Broom build, shiver me timbers, two hand made balsa NC's for t' nacelle cones and two yellow engine spacer tubes from a couple o' old Estes kits for t' nacelle tubes themselves.

Construction

Construction started on this build as most go with t' assembly o' t' motor mount. Aye aye! This however was nay glued in yet as I next added t' 2" extension t' t' BT-60 tube first t' make it 9 1/2" long. Begad! Arrr! I added this section t' t' back end o' t' rocket so that it would nay interfere with t' NC and parachute deployment. Avast! This was t' first Con: as it made it hard t' put t' motor mount in. T' top CR needed t' be sanded slightly more t' make it fit. Ya scallywag! Once it be all in though I took a long balsa stick and added an extra bead o' wood glue inside t' tube around t' top CR. Ahoy! Avast! I then ran a bead o' white glue around bottom CR. Wing, shiver me timbers, stabilizer, and tail were then cut out and glued together and coated with printer paper. After paper was trimmed, win' and stabilizer were marked and notched for t' toothpick probes. Avast, me proud beauty! Two toothpicks were then cut in two and glued into place. After these were finished I attached t' wing, stabilizer, and tail t' t' BT. Avast! Aye aye! Once these were glued on I went t' work on t' raceway, nacelle tube pylons, matey, and nacelle tube NC's. Raceway was constructed from two 1/4"x1/16" balsa strips and notched on one end for t' tail. After it was installed I grabbed some scrap balsa from me scrap box t' make two small blocks from which t' nacelle NC's were cut. These were then sectioned and glued back together for t' front o' t' nacelle tubes and glued into place. Ahoy! I next cut and sanded t' shape t' pylons for t' nacelle tubes. They were then glued onto t' BT and then t' nacelle tubes were glued t' them. Ahoy! Avast! T' other Con: be that it wasn't until after t' maiden flight when I was checkin' t' design o' t' original that I discovered that t' nacelle tubes on mine were nay glued on correctly. Ya scallywag! Avast! Mine are centered instead o' bein' attached near t' front o' t' tube. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Bein' that this is a Goonybird though, I let it go.

Finishing

Finishin' o' this rocket be nay completed until after maiden flight (see flight photo). Blimey! Begad! So once maiden flight was out o' t' way, shiver me timbers, repairs and final paintin' were done. Begad! I then proceeded t' finish t' decals for this rocket. These were done in me standard fashion o' printin' them out on regular printer paper then clear coatin' t' patterns and allowin' them t' dry. Avast, me proud beauty! After that I flipped t' paper over and sprayed t' backside with white primmer. Well, blow me down! Once dry all decals were cut out and glued onto rocket with a glue stick. Begad! Ahoy! I also cut four 1/4" strips o' white paper t' use for t' white stripes on t' front o' t' body tube. Ahoy! T' white stripes on nacelle tubes were hand painted as were t' silver tips. Begad! After all decals were glued on, t' entire rocket got two coats o' Clear Gloss spray paint t' seal everything.

Goonymarc glamour shot1 Goonymarc glamour shot2

Couple o' shots o' finished Goonymarc

Construction Score: 4

Flight

Maiden flight occurred on 11/11/09 at 15:06 on an ever popular Estes B6-4. Ahoy! Got in a hurry t' fly this before t' weather got t' cold. Begad! Nay all paint and trim work done yet. Arrr! Rocket weather cocked quit a bit comin' off t' pad. Was almost horizontal by t' time it cleared t' tree tops.

Goonymark

Goonymark Maiden Flight 11/11/09 15:06 on an Estes B6-4

(Note: rocket nay trimmed out with decals & silver paint yet)

Recovery

I had t' run over t' other side o' house t' recover so I didn't see parachute deployment, but it looks as if it got tangled with tooth pick probe on left win' as it was a tangled mess and t' tooth pick be lose. Slight damage t' right nacelle NC as well and a small nick on right win' tip from apparent ground impact . Begad! Will need slight repair before finishin' paint and decals. Well, blow me down! Will need t' add some additional nose weight as well.

Flight Rating: 3

Summary

This was another fun build and one I still wished I had built as a glider. Begad! May still try and build t' glider version if I can get t' balance figured out.

Overall Rating: 4