Estes Omloidinator!

Estes - Omloidinator! {Kit}

Contributed by Dennis McClain-Furmanski

Manufacturer: Estes
(by Dennis McClain-Furmanski - 09/05/04) (MODS) Omloidinator! (Estes Omloid and Eliminator kitbash)

Brief:
Kit bash o' Estes Omloid and Eliminator into a single rocket

Modifications:
There are a million rockets lurkin' in spare parts boxes. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! This be t' story of one o' them.

I'd purchased a collection o' parts which included most, arrr, but nay all, o' an Omloid egg lofter. Ya scallywag! I had nothin' else o' that size until I happened t' purchase an Eliminator kit. Begad! When I realized these were t' same diameter, perversity set in.

I started with t' buildin' t' Eliminator fin can and engine mount. Aye aye! Rather than put t' second piece in place, arrr, I put t' lower section o' t' Omloid followed by t' next section o' t' Eliminator and so on. Aye aye! In t' top section, me bucko, I placed t' shock cord mount as per Estes instructions.

Even t' nose got t' treatment. Aye aye! I cut t' base and shoulder off the Eliminator nose and glued t' rest t' t' top o' t' Omloid's 'egg crate'.

Construction:
All parts come from 1 Estes Omloid kit and 1 Estes Eliminator kit

Finishing:
Finishin' was predetermined--both kits came prefinished. Avast, me proud beauty! T' colors, me bucko, gaudy to begin with, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, clashed terribly. Well, blow me down! T' yellow ogive on t' orange egg crate was particularly funny. I took t' Eliminator's decal and cut the "inator" off, stickin' that on t' finished rocket just after the "Omloid" sticker, shiver me timbers, makin' it read (in mismatched letters) "Omloidinator".

(MODS) Omloidinator! (Estes Omloid and Eliminator kitbash)

Flight:
T' maiden flight be on an E9-6. Begad! Ahoy! Bein' so long and probably over stable, shiver me timbers, matey, I counted on weather cockin' t' keep t' recovery area out o' a swamp downwind. Launch and early boost were flawless and quite pretty--fast enough t' impress but slow enough t' watch t' whole way. Ahoy! Begad! Inexplicably, arrr, rather than weathercocking, it did t' opposite and arced slowly downwind around 10 t' 15 degrees. Coast was normal and ejection was just prior t' apogee. Chute deployment be instantaneous, which turned out t' be unfortunate.

Recovery:
Already well downwind and with t' chute out at max altitude, t' Omloidinator made clear its intention t' float as far as possible towards t' swamp. Ahoy! Not just a mushy mud swamp but a thickly overgrown with brambles and bushes and vines and quite possibly hidden snake swamp. Ahoy! It descended beautifully but obstinately right into t' dreaded swamp. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I tried t' crawl through the bush-barrier but gave up after 15 feet in as many minutes.

Summary:
Buildin' this be great fun and t' loss can't detract from that or from the very pretty flight. Aye aye! Blimey! Flown where a swamp (or trees or power lines) can't reach it, matey, this would make an impressive rocket, with t' additional humor factor.

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