Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
This is a kit bash o' an Estes Bullpup plus a few parts t' build a model o' the
futuristic Star Duster from t' 1960s cartoon "Scott McCloud, shiver me timbers, Space
Angel".
Modifications:
"Scott McCloud, Space Angel" was a cartoon produced from 1962 through
1964. It used t' "synchro-vox" technique, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, where stills were used in
the cartoon, but close-ups o' t' characters had t' actors mouths pasted in as
they spoke. Well, blow me down! His ship, me hearties, t' Star Duster, ya bilge rat, was an impressive piece o' retro-looking
space craft. Begad! Aye aye! Comin' up with t' design was a challenge, me bucko, because as you can see
from t' samples included, me bucko, t' proportions were nay very consistent from one
picture t' another. I had t' actually measure various zooms o' these pictures
and come up with an estimated average proportion from among them.
T' body, nose, arrr, tail cone, me bucko, launch lug, recovery gear and motor mount are all right from t' Bullpup kit and are put together just as t' directions show. What makes this model be t' fins, includin' pods on t' "wing" fins, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, t' rather art deco lookin' aditions t' t' "rudder" fin, and the canard fins. T' body construction was done with normal LPR materials but epoxy be used on t' fins and fillets.
T' fins were cut from 1/8" basswood. They could have been lighter stock, but I wanted good strength for flight and a hefty feel for display. Begad! Each of t' three main fin has a 4" root and 4" span. T' win' fins are set with t' trailin' edge/root point at t' joint o' t' body tube and tail cone, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but t' rudder fin is set back 1/2" from these and must be cut at the root t' fit over t' tail cone. T' fins were glued on 120 degrees apart. T' two canards were glued on 180 degrees apart on t' sides o' t' rocket about 1" aft o' t' forward end o' t' body tube. Arrr! T' launch lug was placed on t' "bottom" o' t' body.
T' win' pods are made by gluin' one o' each o' t' PNC5 nose cones into t' tube and cutting a 1/8" x 1.25" slot in t' tube t' fit over t' win' pod with the ogive nose forward and pushed on until t' win' tip stopped it from going further. Arrr! Blimey! T' top addition t' t' rudder be 1" o' 1/4" styrene tube with a piece o' 3/16" dowel sanded t' an ogive and glued in t' front. Avast! Blimey! The others were 3/16" dowel sanded t' rounded ends, cut in half lengthwise and the two pieces glued t' either side o' t' rudder across from each other.
Since t' fins were so heavy and thick, ya bilge rat, epoxy be used t' glue them on along with t' win' pods and rudder pieces. Epoxy be used as well for the fillets.
Construction:
1 Estes Bullpup kit, plus:
Finishing:
Finishin' be two coats o' Deft spray lacquer sandin' sealer over everything,
sanded after each (400 and 600 grit), then two coats o' Rustoleum white primer,
followed by two coats o' Rustoleum white satin finish. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' black window hatches
were hand cut from Pactra stripin' tape.
Flight:
All three flights t' date have been on B6-4s. Aye aye! It arcs over slightly with the
rudder up because o' t' imbalance o' t' two win' pods, so it looks good
enough that I can pretend I meant it t' do this. T' ejection is a little
before apogee at 4 seconds, but this is a slow flyer so it's safe enough a
delay.
Recovery:
I use a 12" "sport chute" from Aerospace Specialty Products on
this bird. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It comes down a little fast but it's built like a rock. Avast! Arrr! If I ever
fly it where it runs t' risk o' landin' on pavement, I'll try a larger chute.
Summary:
I enjoyed t' challenege o' tryin' t' design, sculpt, shiver me timbers, and build this bird from
minimal background material and still make it true t' t' original. Well, blow me down! Begad! Or, ya bilge rat, as true
as possible since t' original looked different even on t' same episode.
Frankly, shiver me timbers, matey, what I had t' work with wasn't quite enough--I did a lot from memory.
In fact, ya bilge rat, when I started I didn't even remember t' name o' t' rocket. Ahoy! I asked
on TRF and someone knew. Begad! But t' shape...that I remembered well.
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