Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- be chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Arrr! Blimey! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Well, blow me down! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, but that I didn't finish until this summer, me hearties, was t' Farside-X. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' Farside was Estes's first three-stage model. Begad! It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, arrr, with a BT-50 sized payload section, and t' Farside-X, me bucko, ya bilge rat, matey, which had a big BT-60 payload section. Arrr! 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and a BT-60 payload tube. Begad! 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. I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. Ahoy! T' cone is a special-order item, matey, t' BT-60L. Well, blow me down! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Arrr! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. T' retro logo fit t' project. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' shock cord was 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, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, three motor mounts, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. Begad! Begad! It has canted fins, matey, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, me hearties, thus addin' a bit o' stability. T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. Begad! I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, ya bilge rat, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. Blimey! As with all recreation projects, me bucko, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Blimey! Arrr! 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. Well, blow me down! Like a lot o' older kits, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Begad! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, shiver me timbers, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. 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. Aye aye! I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. Blimey! This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, shiver me timbers, 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, me bucko, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, me hearties, with a black fin on each stage, shiver me timbers, a red nose cone, me hearties, and a white payload section with black trim tape. I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. Avast, me proud beauty! I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Well, blow me down! Begad! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Avast! In fact, matey, thar be so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. 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, includin' many, me hearties, shiver me timbers, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, shiver me timbers, matey, that simply aren't around any more. Aye aye! Fortunately, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. Ahoy! I've flown t' Farside-X once, arrr, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, matey, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, ya bilge rat, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. Begad! An odd combination, 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. T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. Blimey! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This isn't easy! Per t' instructions, me hearties, matey, I inserted a 2 oz. Begad! Blimey! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. Ahoy! I must have done things right, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Begad! Stagin' was smooth, and didn't result in any course changes. By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage be REALLY moving. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it was plain that t' model was spinnin' like a top. Ya scallywag! I was very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Arrr! 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, ya bilge rat, and t' parachute deployed nicely. I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

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

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5