Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- was chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Aye aye! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Blimey! Well, blow me down! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, shiver me timbers, but that I didn't finish until this summer, was t' Farside-X. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' Farside be Estes's first three-stage model. Begad! It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, with a BT-50 sized payload section, arrr, me hearties, and t' Farside-X, arrr, which had a big BT-60 payload section. Begad! I obtained t' plans for t' Farside-X from t' "JimZ" plan site: http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-12x.htm

Construction:
T' Farside-X uses standard Estes components: Three lengths o' BT-50 body tube, me hearties, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. I ordered t' tubes from Rogue Aerospace and cut them t' size usin' this handy chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html 

I also purchased t' motor mount parts -- couplers and centerin' rings -- from Rogue Aerospace. Ahoy! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. T' cone is a special-order item, matey, ya bilge rat, t' BT-60L. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, me bucko, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Begad! Blimey! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' retro logo fit t' project. Avast! T' shock cord be a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. I used barrel swivels and snap swivels t' eliminate "shock cord wind up."

T' Farside-X looks like a relatively simple model at first glance, ya bilge rat, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, me bucko, me bucko, three motor mounts, matey, matey, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. Begad! It has canted fins, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, thus addin' a bit o' stability. Begad! T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. Avast! Avast! I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. Aye aye! As with all recreation projects, me bucko, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Avast, me proud beauty! There's a good section on these techniques in t' old Estes Model Rocketry Manual: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/estesmrm.html

I had t' "win' it" when buildin' t' motor mounts. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Like a lot o' older kits, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Aye aye! Blimey! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. Aye aye! Blimey! In order t' preserve t' length o' t' I cut t' couplers a bit short so that t' ring/coupler assemblies would be t' same length as t' original kit. I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, so I wasn't too upset!

Finishing:
I decided t' base me paint job on t' one shown in t' 1971 Estes catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes711/711est32.html

 I didn't end up with an exact match, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, ya bilge rat, with a black fin on each stage, me hearties, ya bilge rat, a red nose cone, and a white payload section with black trim tape. Ahoy! I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Begad! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Arrr! In fact, ya bilge rat, matey, thar was so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, arrr, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! Blimey! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' paintin' and maskin' were a real chore, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, me hearties, includin' many, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, shiver me timbers, that simply aren't around any more. Fortunately, me hearties, arrr, arrr, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. Ya scallywag! Begad! I've flown t' Farside-X once, me bucko, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, matey, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. An odd combination, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but I wanted t' both have a stable flight (the B14 gets a model up t' speed really quickly!) and t' come back!

Preppin' t' Farside isn't easy. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. Blimey! Blimey! This isn't easy! Blimey! Per t' instructions, I inserted a 2 oz. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. Avast, me proud beauty! I must have done things right, arrr, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! Blimey! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Stagin' be smooth, and didn't result in any course changes. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage was REALLY moving. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it be plain that t' model was spinnin' like a top. Blimey! Blimey! I be very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Avast! Blimey! I'm goin' t' have t' find a bigger field if I move up t' anythin' usin' C motors!

Recovery:
Ejection took place near apogee, and t' parachute deployed nicely. I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, me hearties, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Farside be a challenge t' build and finish, but I'm very proud o' t' results. Aye aye! Blimey! It looks great and t' one flight t' date was a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5