Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- was chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Well, blow me down! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, matey, but that I didn't finish until this summer, shiver me timbers, was t' Farside-X. Begad! Aye aye! T' Farside was Estes's first three-stage model. It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, ya bilge rat, with a BT-50 sized payload section, and t' Farside-X, me bucko, 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, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. Arrr! 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. Ya scallywag! Begad! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. T' cone is a special-order item, t' BT-60L. I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. Arrr! T' retro logo fit t' project. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord was a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Ahoy! Aye aye! 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, matey, three motor mounts, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. It has canted fins, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, matey, thus addin' a bit o' stability. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. Blimey! Blimey! I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, shiver me timbers, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. As with all recreation projects, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Ahoy! Blimey! 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. Arrr! Begad! Like a lot o' older kits, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! 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, with a black fin on each stage, me bucko, a red nose cone, and a white payload section with black trim tape. I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. Ahoy! 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. Aye aye! In fact, 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, me bucko, includin' many, me hearties, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, that simply aren't around any more. Ya scallywag! Fortunately, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. Arrr! I've flown t' Farside-X once, arrr, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, ya bilge rat, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, arrr, me hearties, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. Begad! Aye aye! An odd combination, 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. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. This isn't easy! Per t' instructions, arrr, I inserted a 2 oz. Aye aye! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. Well, blow me down! I must have done things right, arrr, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Stagin' was smooth, ya bilge rat, and didn't result in any course changes. Avast! By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage be REALLY moving. Avast, me proud beauty! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it be plain that t' model was spinnin' like a top. Well, blow me down! I was very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Avast! 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. Avast! Blimey! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! It looks great and t' one flight t' date be a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5