Estes Avenger Clone Clone

Scratch - Avenger {Scratch}

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Published: 2012-09-28
Manufacturer: Scratch
Style: Multi-Stage, Payload, Clone

Brief

T' Avenger wasn't t' first two-stager I'd ever built, (that would be t' Beta,) but it be t' first one I ever flew as a two-stager.  When I got back into t' hobby in 2001, I smartly realized that much o' what I wanted t' build from me 1977-80 heyday no longer existed.  My solution t' this was t' buy an Estes Builders Special, me bucko, only t' find that it had become a corporate garbage can over t' years.  One thin' that be included in t' box be a vaguely familiar transition, which I was able t' identify as t' TA-5055 used in t' Estes Avenger.  With t' exception o' t' nose cone, everythin' I needed t' clone t' Avenger was included in t' Builders Special, matey, me hearties, which almost made it worth t' purchase price.  Almost.

Components

  • BT-50H payload tube
  • BT-55V upper stage body tube
  • BT-55J booster body tube
  • BT-20J engine mount tube
  • BT-20M engine mount tube
  • 3 JT-55C tube couplers
  • 4 RA-5055 centerin' rings
  • EB-20A engine block
  • 3/32" balsa fin stock
  • 1/8" balsa fin stock
  • TA-5055 balsa adapter
  • BNC-50Y nose cone
  • Small screw eye
  • 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic
  • 2 medium snap swivels
  • 18" parachute
  • Launch lug

Construction

Unlike most o' me rocket builds, arrr, I made sure t' closely follow t' instructions for t' Avenger.  After all, arrr, this be goin' t' be t' first two-stager built t' fly as a two-stager and I didn't want t' screw it up.  It turned out great, mostly because I followed t' instructions closely.  T' two different sizes o' fin stock were unusual, me bucko, but since both 3/32" and 1/8" were included in t' Builder's Special, me bucko, I was covered.  I initially used a spare BT-50 nose cone for t' project, ya bilge rat, matey, but later bought t' correct one from Semroc.  Lookin' at this rocket now, shiver me timbers, it's easy t' tell t' era that it was built in. Aye aye!  I had discovered Elmer's Fill & Finish, me hearties, but had yet t' replace t' tri-fold paper shock cord mount with Keelhaul®©™.

Finishing

Despite no Keelhaul®©™ in t' recovery system, it's fairly obvious that I had discovered t' benefits o' Elmer's Fill & Finish for this project.  T' fins and body tubes show no traces at all o' any tube spirals or balsa grain.  Nay t' blow me own horn, arrr, but I really did a nice job on t' finish for this bird.  I wish I had that kind o' time/patience these days. 

I went with a catalog finish for this rocket, me hearties, black and white sustainer and booster, silver transition and payload, and red nose cone.  All paints were Valspar.  T' wrap decal came from an early Excelsior assortment, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me bucko, likely me first order from them. 

Construction Score: 5
 
 

Flight

T' first flight for t' Avenger came at one o' t' original QUARK fields, shiver me timbers, t' Countryside YMCA in Lebanon, me bucko, ya bilge rat, Ohio, on a B6-0/B6-6 combo.  This was in t' pre-digital photo days, arrr, so no picture exists from t' flight, but I remember it pretty vividly.  I taped t' booster and sustainer motors together with a wrap o' cellophane tape, arrr, then friction fitted t' motors into t' sustainer with maskin' tape.  T' Avenger lifted off and be still fairly low when it staged.  When it worked as advertised I thought it be t' coolest thin' I'd ever seen a rocket do, arrr, and judgin' by t' cheers, shiver me timbers, I wasn't t' only one.  (It still ranks in me personal top five.)  T' booster fluttered down and t' sustainer finished t' flight perfectly, landin' near t' pad in t' dead calm weather conditions.

T' next two flights were at NARAM 43 in Geneseo, matey, NY.  With such a big field t' work with I made two flights on Saturday with t' C6-0/C6-7 motor combo.  Both flights boosted straight up, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, then windcocked t' t' right as they staged.  Like almost all o' me flights that weekend, t' first Avenger flight landed in t' cornfield, me hearties, but close enough t' see from t' edge o' t' field.  (I found two other lost birds as I walked in after t' sustainer on t' first flight, me bucko, shiver me timbers, so someone left happy.)  T' second one windcocked more severely than t' first, goin' horizontal as it staged, me hearties, possibly because t' booster didn't separate cleanly.  I'd initially written it off, but found it at t' far right edge o' t' field after a long hike.  I celebrated findin' it with a Black Angus burger that a local scout troop was selling.  Doesn't get much better than that.

Subsequent flights were at Voice O' America park, ya bilge rat, matey, where I had a square mile t' work with on recovery, shiver me timbers, so I flew it a lot as a C6-0/C6-7 bird.

Recovery

Recovery has been handled from t' start by an Estes 18" parachute. Begad!  After t' long drift at NARAM 43, I reefed t' chute at t' suggestion o' one o' t' guys we parked by, me bucko, and I never had anythin' o' a problem with excessive drift since then. Begad!  I was a bit aggressive with t' knife, so t' chute is more reef than actual chute, arrr, which has caused some laughs from me fellow fliers.

Flight Rating: 5

Summary

Pros: T' Avenger is multi-stagin' done right. Blimey! Avast!  Great classic lines and a fantastic performer.

Cons: Long OOP. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!  (But easily cloned.)

Overall Rating: 5
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