Brief:
This is a light, me hearties, nearly 40-inch long, me bucko, model o' a Russian missile. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! My version includes an ejection baffle, matey, and makes an allowance for t' additional length of t' new Estes E9 motors. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Construction:
One o' t' local hobby shops carries T' Launch Pad's products. Blimey! This one went unsold until it was t' last one o' a shipment and I thought it needed a good home. Ahoy! T' kit was packaged in a clear plastic bag, and came with a medium grade of balsa, a pair o' thin walled 2.6 inch paper tubes, shiver me timbers, matey, me hearties, a 3-inch long motor tube, and a variety o' other parts. Ya scallywag! T' only odd part o' this kit is a paper cone that gets glued t' t' front o' t' nose cone t' create that military missile profile. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It also sports a boattail.

Construction starts with gluin' together t' motor mount. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Since t' new Estes E9 and Aerotech F21 motors are longer than t' D12 and Aerotech RMS motors I made a change t' t' way t' mount is made. A longer motor tube was substituted for t' kit's, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and I bent t' top hook o' t' motor hook back 180 degrees, and then hooked that behind t' forward centerin' rin' and adjusted the position o' t' rin' such that t' other end o' t' hook hangs off t' end of t' tube about a quarter inch. Then I glued a motor block into t' tube so that it is 90mm from t' hook end o' t' tube. Begad! Begad! I made sure o' t' spacin' with a spent E9 motor I keep on me workbench for this job. T' aft rin' was glued on per t' instructions, and a paper wrap was glued down t' hold t' motor hook. (This model is a scale model so it's barely stable as it is. Blimey! Ahoy! Adding weight aft can cause trouble so this model's balance was very carefully checked before it be flown.)

To create t' boattail, t' kit provides a 4 1/2 inch long piece o' 2-inch diameter tubing, a pair o' centerin' rings t' center this in t' 2.6-inch tube, and a paper shroud that you cut from a sheet o' heavy paper. Ahoy! Shrouds can be tricky so I took me time with this t' ensure success. Blimey! T' make this little job a tiny bit easier, ya bilge rat, I added a 1/8 inch hoop t' one o' t' centerin' rings (this can be cut from stock 2.6-inch tube, or t' coupler). In doin' so, arrr, it forms a lip for t' forward part o' t' shroud t' ride on. Ya scallywag! T' rings were glued onto the outside o' t' adapter tube as shown in t' instructions, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but bein' careful to position t' rin' with t' 1/8-inch hoop aft. Begad! When cuttin' out t' shroud, I was careful t' leave t' lines t' allow plenty o' material for trimming. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! By test fitting, me bucko, trimmin' a little, and then test fittin' again I be able to sneak up on t' correct size. T' forward part o' t' shroud was just big enough t' match t' outside diameter o' t' airframe tube. Avast! T' shroud was then glued onto t' adapter assembly. Begad! T' motor assembly was then glued into the adapter with t' aft edge o' t' motor tube positioned an inch and a half from the bottom o' t' shroud. Arrr! This seems pretty deep, but it works OK on me HARM missile.

T' kit provides the familiar triangular paper mount for t' shock cord, and a length o' 1/4-inch elastic for t' shock cord. Aye aye! Blimey! I like somethin' that's easier t' replace since my rockets tend t' last more than 20 flights. Aye aye! T' solution that I've hit upon is to run a length o' 1/8-inch shrink tube through small holes made in the centerin' rings. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' tube runs t' whole length o' t' motor tube and is used as a guide for a 200# Keelhaul®©™® line. Blimey! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' Keelhaul®©™® is threaded through t' shrink tube and t' lower end is tied around t' motor mount. Aye aye! A dab o' RC-56 glue holds it there. Begad! Begad! A loop is then tied in t' Keelhaul®©™® a few inches above t' motor tube; this loop will be below t' top o' the rocket body when it is assembled. Aye aye! Arrr! One end o' t' elastic is tied t' t' loop, and t' free ends o' both t' Keelhaul®©™® and elastic are tied t' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' Keelhaul®©™® is long enough t' allow t' elastic t' stretch, shiver me timbers, but backs it up in case it fails. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' holes need cut, and t' shrink tube needs threaded and glued in prior t' gluin' t' motor assembly into t' airframe. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions have the builder attach t' nose cone t' t' rest o' t' rocket with a 10" long piece o' 'chute shroud line. Aye aye! This is a bad idea, in me opinion - that cone is pretty heavy with all that ballast and won't last long hangin' by a thread like that. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey!

T' motor mount and shroud assembly be then glued into one end o' t' longer airframe tube, arrr, and glue fillets were made at all rin' and paper joints. T' tube joiner be then glued half way into this tube. T' top airframe tube be then added, ya bilge rat, takin' care to get t' parts together straight by rollin' them on a flat surface while the glue be still wet. When dry, shiver me timbers, t' airframe spirals, me bucko, airframe joint, and boattail joint were filled with Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish and sanded smooth. Begad! Ya scallywag! If everythin' is done correctly, me hearties, t' joints and spirals should disappear under the primer coat. Blimey!

T' kit provides a centerin' rin' that is positioned seven inches from the top o' airframe t' keep t' recovery system forward in t' rocket for balance sake. Ahoy! A guy could go broke tryin' t' feed large models like this waddin' so I added an additional centerin' rin' and a short section o' BT-60 t' create an ejection baffle. Begad! Blimey! Note that these parts only add about an ounce o' weight, arrr, arrr, and are forward o' t' CG.

T' patterns for t' fins were cut from t' printed card stock, me bucko, and used to draw out t' fins on t' provided balsa. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' balsa is C grain, and reasonably hard. Blimey! Wouldn't want a rock hard sheet, arrr, ya bilge rat, but on t' other hand contest grade soft wouldn't work out too well either. Blimey! T' root edges and grain direction are clearly marked on t' patterns, arrr, and t' only potential problem is with getting the patterns arranged on t' sheets in such a way that you have enough material to make all t' fins that you need. Blimey! There was plenty, shiver me timbers, but nay so much t' allow for mistakes. Ahoy! I used a straight metal edge and a sharp blade t' get good crisp fins. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' four aft fins were then stacked together and sanded t' a uniform size. Ahoy! T' same was done for t' forward fins. Begad! Aye aye! I have been unable t' come up with a good set o' scale drawings for this rocket, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and t' instructions don't include suggestions for t' correct fin profile so I simply made a guess. Ya scallywag! The forward fins were ground t' have a diamond shaped cross section. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I made a mark across t' root and tip edges and usin' maskin' tape as a guide, me bucko, ground the profile into each fin with a sandin' block. Begad! T' aft fin's cross section was ground t' pointy at t' front and slightly tapered at t' back usin' t' same method. While nay perfect, ya bilge rat, they came out more or less uniform with good crisp lines. Arrr! T' body tube was marked usin' t' fin guide in Harry Stine's Handbook of Model Rocketry and a door jam. Begad! Avast! T' aft fins were then glued t' t' airframe usin' Titebond II. Aye aye! Blimey! T' forward fins are actually mounted on t' nose cone, and that makes gettin' them on straight just a little tricky. Begad! Because it's hard to draw a straight line on a curvin' cone I used a piece o' strin' t' create a guide. Arrr! Begad! T' strin' be taped t' t' center o' t' base and stretched over the edge, me hearties, shiver me timbers, crossed over t' marks (made when t' tube was marked) and across t' tip of t' nose. Begad! A line was carefully made along t' strin' bein' careful nay to deflect t' string. T' fin root edges were sanded t' match t' cone's curve and were then glued down usin' thick CA. A few drops o' thin CA be put on the tip o' all eight fins. Aye aye! T' CA wicks through t' fins along t' grain and serves to make them strong. Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' instructions indicate that t' fins should be painted with thin CA. If you do that be sure t' sand them smooth again within a few hours or they will be very hard t' sand. Arrr! Fillets were made at all fin roots usin' epoxy. Arrr! Ahoy! I like epoxy for fillets because it makes a glass smooth fillet, but one must use care t' nay over use it due t' it's heavy nature. Avast! Ya scallywag! Also, shiver me timbers, matey, this is a scale rocket, and t' real ones usually have a sharp corners where the roots meet t' airframe, ya bilge rat, this is particularly true for guidance fins. Well, me bucko, blow me down!

T' scale wirin' conduits were cut and sanded t' shape and placed on the airframe as shown in t' instructions. Arrr! Begad! Sandin' these was a little tedious but the sandin' block helped. When t' glue was dry, me bucko, I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish to fill in any gaps, and created a smooth clean edge with sandpaper.

T' provided launch lug was cut into two equal pieces, and glued on a line with one piece at t' joint betwixt tubes, matey, and t' other a few inches from the bottom. Blimey! A length o' launch rod was used t' ensure that they are straight. I added an additional set o' 1/4" lugs next t' those because I really hate to change rods betwixt rockets. Fillets were added when dry. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' paper nose "hat" was cut from t' paper stock, and rolled into a cone. Aye aye! This is a bit tricky t' do so that you get a good sharp point. Ahoy! This hat is then glued t' t' front o' t' cone. I thought that gettin' this hat on straight would be difficult, but I was pleasantly surprised t' find it wouldn't be a problem. T' hat is small enough, matey, matey, and t' curve o' t' cone is fat enough that they come into contact and are self centering. Avast! Ahoy! I drew a line around the bottom o' t' hat while holdin' it in position. Then I removed it, arrr, ran a line of slow CA just above t' line, and placed it back on. Ahoy! Voila, me bucko, no fuss, looks fine. It be painted it with fast CA, ya bilge rat, per t' instructions. Arrr! Arrr! It needed it too because t' sharp point is fragile. Aye aye! I bent and busted t' tip off while messing around with t' motor and checkin' t' nose weight. Begad! This be fixed with a little dab o' JB Weld and sanded back t' shape. Begad! Ahoy! I used Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish to fill in around t' base o' t' hat t' hide t' edge o' t' paper. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nose also needs some weight for balance, ya bilge rat, unfortunately t' supplied clay was dry and rock hard. Blimey! I used a scale t' measure t' weight, matey, shiver me timbers, and substituted some BBs mixed with 30-minute epoxy. Aye aye! Arrr! I be plannin' t' do this anyway because I've had problems in other rockets with t' clay dryin' out and rattlin' around in the nose. Arrr! T' center o' pressure is shown on t' plans at 13" from t' base. T' balance was checked with t' heaviest motor that I had on hand and found to be about 16" from t' base - a tad more than a caliber. Avast, me proud beauty! No further adjustments were made.

T' Mylar 'chute be assembled per t' instructions. Ya scallywag! A lot o' people dislike these Mylar 'chutes, arrr, ya bilge rat, but I haven't had any trouble with them and they are brilliant in t' sky. Avast! An 18" 'chute may be a tad small for this rocket - use a bigger one if t' ground's hard. Arrr! Blimey!

I'd give this kit a ratin' of 4 out o' 5 for construction. Nothin' new here, arrr, but I wouldn't suggest it for a beginner. Begad! Blimey! Blimey!

Finishing:
A coat o' white sandable primer revealed a few problems with t' spiral and in one place on t' boattail joint. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! These areas were worked on until they are as smooth and seam free as I could manage. Another thin coat o' primer was added and lightly sanded. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket be then painted with three thin layers of Rustoleum Olive Drab. An easy rocket t' finish.

Finishin' rating: 5 out o' 5 Easy, looks very scale.

Flying:
T' first flight was on March 20, 2002 in me back yard (we have a big yard.) T' weather be cool and clear with very light and variable winds. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I had been launchin' for an hour or so with zero drift so I worked up me courage and loaded it on t' pad. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' motor be an Estes D12-5 and it flew from a 3/16" x 72" rod. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Since t' motor is recessed pretty far, t' rocket would be scorched from t' hot gasses bein' deflected back from t' blast plate at ignition. Ahoy! Blimey! T' prevent this I used a clothes pin t' hold t' rocket above the deflector six or seven inches. Begad! Blimey! This also made connectin' t' ignitor easier. T' flight be about as perfect as could be, lots o' smoke and noise, arrr, arrr, a good arrow straight boost, and a nice arc-over with t' ejection o' t' 'chute right while t' rocket was horizontal. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Very nice indeed. Ahoy! Blimey! There was no sign of scorchin' or burnin' in or around t' tail cone after t' flight. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! There was a noticeable accumulation o' soot in and around t' tail after t' second flight, but still no scorching.

I decided t' use a 30" x 18" TLP 'chute rather than t' 18" octagonal that t' kit came with. Arrr! Recovery was gentle, and it landed about 10 yards from t' pad. Ahoy! Blimey! No damage despite clippin' a tree on t' way t' t' ground.

It was flown again a couple o' days later, on another D12-5. Begad! More or less the same flight profile, me hearties, except this time it landed on t' shed roof, slid down and hung itself from t' tiny tree next t' it. Ahoy! Some minor dings on t' fins. Begad! Avast! No worries. Ya scallywag!

Third flight be at t' St. Begad! Louis Association o' Rocketry's April launch. T' wind was pretty high most o' t' day, but since t' field is so big that isn't a problem. Begad! It was at t' end o' t' day, just after t' waiver was closed. It passed at t' check table without comment but t' LCO was certain that it was over t' 16 oz weight limit. My reply was "8oz . Aye aye! . Blimey! . Avast, me proud beauty! OK, me bucko, me hearties, arrr, 11oz with t' motor." He questioned that and t' avoid any more concern I simply handed him t' model. Aye aye! Begad! He was convinced! "There's nothin' t' this rocket!" I picked a long 1/4 rod, and had t' clean t' paint out o' t' lugs before it would slide smoothly. Avast, me proud beauty! The motor was an F12-5J and I was a little apprehensive about that since t' rocket isn't officially rated for this motor. Avast! Needn't have had any concerns, me bucko, arrr, me bucko, when the LCO hit t' launch switch t' motor lit instantly and t' rocket leapt from the pad. It flew arrow straight on a column o' black smoke. Blimey! Well, blow me down! Nice arc over, and ejection just after apogee. Begad! Unfortunately, me hearties, I hadn't spent enough time reefing the 'chute and it tangled badly - me fault. Avast, me proud beauty! It landed hard and stripped a fin, busted a second loose, and and mangled one o' t' forward fins and actually took out a plug from t' nose! Ouch! Lesson learned: don't rush! T' flight was spectacular though; very scale like with a lot o' smoke and noise and very respectable speed. Ya scallywag! For me this be t' high point o' t' day even after flying G64 and F52 motors earlier. Avast! This rocket is that much fun. Ahoy!

It be repaired t' followin' week and flown again at t' April KCAR launch on a D15-4 usin' a 24" mylar octagonal 'chute. Begad! Blimey! It be a perfect flight; see t' photo. Begad! Blimey! It just sort o' hung in t' sky for a fraction o' a second right as t' ejection charge fired. Ahoy! Blimey! It landed about 100 feet from t' pads. Begad! Blimey! This was a perfect launch and recovery.

Rating: 5 out o' 5 it just doesn't get any better than this. Aye aye!

Cheers & Jeers:
I like t' fact that TLP kits come out very light despite me addin' baffles and usin' epoxy for fin fillets. Well, blow me down! This is a large rocket and yet it only weighs in at about 8oz. These kits always perform well in flight and rarely fail to impress a crowd. Aye aye! Even t' high power guys come over t' have a closer look after they've been flown. Good bang for t' Buck! T' overall quality o' t' parts is good. Aye aye! T' kit would work fine with t' provided shock cord and mount; my upgrade is solely for longevity's sake. Arrr! I like that t' manufacturer shows the center o' pressure on t' plans. Aye aye! Arrr! This is very helpful when checkin' t' balance which should be done on any scale rocket, shiver me timbers, modifications or no. Aye aye!

I really wish that the manufacturer would include a parts list. Some scale documentation sources and fin profiles would also be helpful. Blimey! T' clay nose weight doesn't work out so well. Avast! Arrr! I would never use a 'chute shroud t' attach t' nose t' a recovery system, me hearties, me bucko, especially when t' nose has a lot o' ballast in it. Begad!

Specs:

• Length: 39 3/4 inches
• Diameter: 2.6 inch airframe
• 2.15 inch boattail
• Weight: 8 oz
• Recovery: 18 inch, matey, 8 sided, 1/2 mil, ya bilge rat, Red Mylar 'chute. Ahoy!
• Motors: D12-3, ya bilge rat, me bucko, E15-4, arrr, E18-4, and F24-7. Begad! Aye aye! Also E9-4, D15-4, and F12-5 though these last three are nay recommended by t' manufacturer and a six foot long launch rod is mandatory with t' E9 and F12 (Rocksim says t' D15 needs 35 inches). Ahoy! Aye aye! On a calm day I'd use a D12-5 but in 10MPH+ winds a D12-3 would probably be a better choice. Ya scallywag!

* SPECIAL NOTE off o' RMR from Chuck Barndt, President o' T' Launch Pad