Manufacturer: | Scratch |
T' Journeyman is a design I came up with after seein' one o' those Quest all styrofoam Enterprise-E models. Begad! I'm kind o' a Star Trek fan and always liked the asymmetrical style o' t' federation ships. T' Quest kit "flew" at one o' our club launches. Blimey! It arced over and ejection occurred fairly close to the ground. Nay all that impressive a flight from a commercial "kit". I figured I could get somethin' t' fly at least as good. Ahoy! I scratch build all my mod roc stuff so a kit be out. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! :-) T' Journeyman be t' result. Ahoy! It has flown on B6-4's so far and boost is very straight, but nay very high, me hearties, maybe 300 feet. It does let you see t' whole flight at this altitude. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I plan on puttin' it up on a C6-3 or a C6-5 t' next time I launch it. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I would be hesitant about a 18mm D, as t' pylons are a bit long. Blimey! Avast! I'm nay sure how they would hold up t' the aerodynamic forces. Avast! Maybe I'll try it sometime! T' design doesn't have a lot o' detail, me hearties, as it is kind o' experimental. Begad! Aye aye! I plan on expandin' on this concept and maybe goin' larger and more detailed on the next version. I'm still thinkin' about ways t' build a non-tube based hull. Maybe from sheet balsa or foamboard. But, back t' t' subject.... Blimey! Ahoy! Layout t' patterns on your balsa stock and cut them out. Glue t' three sections o' t' pylon fairin' together and sand t' edges round except for the front. I left this flat and later put on two small pieces o' stripin' tape to simulate torpedo launcher ports. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' main pylon can have t' edges rounded except for t' front. Arrr! round these edges off after gluin' on t' fairing. Both root edges o' t' pylon where given a radius by sandin' with a section of sandpaper wrapped around a section o' BT50 tube. (use this method on t' root edges o' t' nacelle pylon too) Cut t' secondary hull section o' BT50 at t' angles shown on t' drawing. I used a razor saw and lightly sanded t' edges, then soaked t' edges with CA to harden them, then finished sandin' t' edges smooth. Well, blow me down! T' plugs for t' ends are center disks from t' Estes paper centerin' rings sanded t' fit. Blimey! T' shape will be a little bit elliptical. T' aft disk is recessed about 1/16" in at the bottom and about 3/4" at t' top. Avast! T' front disk is recessed 1/16" all around. Begad! I added white glue fillets t' all t' disks for extra strength and t' fill small gaps. I then added a BT20 sized center disk to simulate t' deflector dish. Begad! Aye aye! I be hopin' for somethin' more "dish" shaped but didn't have anythin' suitable on hand. Begad! Mark t' tube with one line on center and one line on each side o' it at 45 degrees for t' root o' the nacelle pylons. Cut t' engine nacelle tubes t' size with one end at a 45 degree angle. Arrr! Soak with a little CA t' harden before sanding. Well, blow me down! Assemble t' nozzles and install in the angled aft o' t' pylons as shown in t' detail. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Glue in t' nose cone in each nacelle with a bit o' 5 minute epoxy. I used t' conical PNC type that comes with t' Estes PNC20 nose cone pack. Rounded or ogive shapes would also work, me bucko, it's more a matter o' what looks best t' you. T' conical ones where "in stock". Aye aye! Arrr! Mark a guide line along t' main BT50 and glue on t' main pylon and the forward fairin' at t' positions shown. I used 5 minute epoxy tacked in place with thick CA. I added small white glue fillets after t' epoxy set. Add the launch lugs t' each side o' t' pylon and forward fairin' only after all the fillets are in. Begad! I would also suggest spacin' them out with a small 1/16" thick balsa strip t' keep t' rod from marrin' t' side o' t' body tube after it's painted. Ahoy! I glued on t' aft lugs first then used a small section of 1/8" rod t' align t' forward lugs with t' rear. Arrr! Glue t' nacelle pylon fairings t' each end o' t' pylons addin' in the filler piece t' t' front and t' rear. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Sand smooth after t' glue dries. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I used Yellow wood glue for t' balsa t' balsa joints. Ahoy! Blimey! Sand a radius t' each pylon root with a piece o' sand paper wrapped around a section o' BT50 tube. Avast! Blimey! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! Assemble t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! I used an engine hook bent from a section of 1/32" music wire. Begad! T' aft centerin' rin' is 3/4" from t' motor end, the front rin' is flush with t' tube end. Arrr! I used a Keelhaul®©™® shock cord mount (1/32" diameter from Apogee Components) and secured it t' t' forward centerin' ring. I drilled a small hole betwixt t' tube and t' rin' and fed the cord through it and tied it in a loop around t' motor tube. Avast! I have also used Keelhaul®©™® and t' old slit and glue method for shock cord mounts. Aye aye! Blimey! I am beginnin' t' prefer this method as it keeps t' cord mount a little farther away from t' ejection end if t' motor. Ahoy! T' slit is easily filled and smoothed with a little Elmers Fill-N-Finish or similar wood filler. Aye aye! Or just use your preferred method and materials. Glue in t' motor mount so t' motor tube end is flush with t' back o' t' main body tube. Begad! Glue t' secondary hull body tube t' t' pylon with 5 minute epoxy. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Center the pylon on t' middle guide mark on t' body tube. Glue t' nacelle-pylon assemblies t' t' secondary hull centerin' t' pylon roots on t' guide marks. Add white glue fillets t' t' fairing/hull joints. Make sure t' engine nacelles are parallel with t' secondary hull and t' main hull body tubes. Begad! Avast! I used a 18" diameter octagon chute made from red metallic mylar "wrappin' paper". Avast! Blimey! This size works well. Well, blow me down! Blimey! You could also go with an 16" chute for windy days or smaller fields. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! I've flown it with each size. T' second flight had t' 16" chute and it be fairly breezy. It had very little weather cockin' durin' boost. Arrr! Blimey! Drift isn't too big a problem with this bird. I didn't add any nose weight t' t' plastic nose cone. Blimey! T' CG is just in front o' t' forward pylon/main hull joint with an engine installed. Begad! I have no idea where t' CP would be on this thin' so I guessed! I would think it's a ways back because o' t' long pylons and t' engine nacelles. Aye aye! I painted mine all white. Ahoy! T' photo be shot before I added 1/8" wide red stripin' tape trim. T' deflector disk was painted red. T' engine "nozzles" where painted flat black. Blimey! I ran a stripe down each side of the main hull with a break near t' middle. I added t' registry number NCC 72132 (my NARRRRR #) in t' gap. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I also plan t' add t' name t' t' front o' the main hull just behind t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! I used small adhesive back letterin' and had t' cut each one out and stick it in place. This was kinda tedious, a custom decal would have been easier. Arrr! If anyone is interested I can email you cad files for t' patterns. Well, blow me down! I can supply them in AutoCad ".dwg" for release12 and 14, shiver me timbers, or in ".dxf" release 12 or 14. Avast! Email me directly if you would like these formats. My email address is waivlink@aol.com Parts list; standard engine mount Estes EST-303157 engine mount kit 16" or 18" parachute |
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