BACKGROUND:

I have never made it a secret that I love t' looks o' Nordic Rocketry's Meanie. It is usually t' first rocket I fly at every launch and I love it on D's t' F's. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Bein' t' case, I decided that I would love a 2x version.

Comin' up with a 2x version wasn't exactly possible since t' original be 2.6" diameter airframe and t' nearest t' 2x tubin' I could find was 5.5". Blimey! Well, blow me down! So be it, I have a 2.11x version.

I decided on usin' Phexible Phenolic tubin' which be purchased from Red Arrow Hobbies. Well, blow me down! I also decided t' use 1/4" plywood for t' fins and t' LOC 5.5" Long Nose Cone (longer than t' Minni-Mags).

In addition, it was goin' t' be a 38mm motor mount and have an ejection baffle.

THE BAFFLE:

I heard about t' troubles that people expressed with baffles gettin' clogged up and even on t' LOC Baffle kit, I purchased, matey, it said t' clean it out with a pin every so many flights. Ahoy! Blimey! This bein' t' case, I decided t' create a removable baffle unit.

T' removable baffle unit was constructed usin' plastic plumbin' components. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' diameter o' t' 38mm tube was much too small t' securely fit inside t' plastic plumbin' collar so I wrapped it with tape until it fit in loosely. Ahoy! Then usin' liberal amounts o' epoxy I glued t' motor tube in place. I then epoxied t' plastic ferrule t' t' LOC baffle so that it slid inside o' t' 38mm tube and so that it be above t' collar-nut. Begad! T' pictures tell t' story better. 

THE NOSE CONE:

In order t' get t' Center o' Gravity where it needed t' be on t' "stubby" rocket, I needed t' get weight into t' nose cone. Ahoy! I didn't want it permanent though. Arrr! Avast! So I came up with a way t' do it.

I first cut a 1" hole in t' bottom o' t' nose cone. Then I used enough 24mm tubin' so that when pushed into t' hole it would reach all t' way t' t' top (tip) o' t' nose cone. Blimey! I then used a large and small washer t' secure it. Begad! I then used bb's until I had enough weight t' brin' t' CG t' where I needed it. Aye aye! T' bb's were epoxied in and then t' rest o' t' 24mm tube be filled with foam. Aye aye! Avast! (Do this in small layers so it will dry) Usin' this method, I could use different 24mm tubes (weighted differently) as I changed motors . Avast! . Ahoy! . Avast! or at least that was t' plan.

DID IT FLY?

Yes. Avast! Weighin' in at 6 1/2 pounds, utilizin' two 43" JP parachutes with a 20 foot tubular nylon shock cord, and loaded with an H128 (usin' a 29mm motor adaptor), this bird looked great on t' pad. Ahoy! A windy, windy day at Battle Park 1999, however, she was goin' t' fly.

T' countdown . Ahoy! . Aye aye! . Ya scallywag! Blimey! ignition . Well, blow me down! . Ya scallywag! . Begad! lift off. Aye aye! It was beautiful! It reached about 500 feet and then started downward. Aye aye! NO EJECTION!

WILL IT FLY AGAIN?

Yes. I will rebuild it. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I still have t' other half o' t' 5.5" tubin' but I need a new nose cone.

Below are t' makings for t' new motor mount. Aye aye! When finished it will be 1-29mm and 3-24mm. Begad! Notice how t' 24mm are angled. Ahoy! Begad! These are aligned t' have thrust in line with Center o' Gravity. Arrr! Avast! (I read about this cantin' in some publication)

In addition, I decided t' do it right, so I paid Public Missiles t' cut me new fins from G10.

LESSONS LEARNED APPLIED:

I will nay be usin' a baffle unit this time. Ya scallywag! Nay that it wouldn't work, however, shiver me timbers, I have moved toward altimeter based ejection on this one.

In addition, with t' 29mm motor, me hearties, I have only made t' length o' t' motor mounts long enough t' handle me 29-180 casing. Well, blow me down! This has given me more room t' pack t' shock cord, me bucko, altimeter and parachutes in t' body. Ahoy! It was previously a very, very tight fit.

I will utilize t' nose cone weight method again because I liked how that worked, me hearties, however, shiver me timbers, I will be also need t' consider t' addition o' a shock-cord tube in t' nose cone. Begad! This will be used like a deployment bag for t' shock cord.

SUMMARY:

T' exterior design o' t' rocket is obviously nay me own, matey, however, me bucko, t' "guts" are. I learned a lot durin' t' first-round and should have t' second one ready t' fly at t' NSL in NY at t' end o' May. Aye aye! Blimey! It is gettin' primed right now!

NARAM-43 Update 8/01:

After sittin' nearly 2 years in t' "ready" state. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I was able t' brin' her t' NARAM-43 for t' maiden voyage.

Weighin' in at just over 6 pounds, arrr, I loaded me 29-180 case with an H238 and also three (3) 24mm E18's. Arrr! Blimey! It be set up for motor ejection off o' t' H238 usin' a "S"hort delay (6 seconds) and t' 24mm motors used 10 second delays and then capped. Avast! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! Accordin' t' RockSim, this should boost this rocket t' just over 1000 feet and t' delay time was perfect!

T' "heads up" flight (first flight) was announced and t' countdown began. T' launch button was pushed and t' H238 "punched" t' rocket into t' air. Arrr! Six seconds o' silence and a straight boost, boom, shiver me timbers, ejection and descent only 50 or so feet from t' pad. Ya scallywag! Perfect lookin' flight and several people commented on it. Arrr! One guy said (and I agree), "it doesn't have t' be high t' be a great flight, me bucko, good job."

But...upon inspection, me bucko, me bucko, only t' H238 lit.

T' next day, t' rocket was prepped exactly t' same way and actually turned in an identical performance on another H238 and 3 x E18 (same ones, shiver me timbers, didn't even remove them). Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Again, only t' central H238 lit.

I be pleased t' get both o' these flights and at how t' rocket performed. Ahoy! It be very stable and t' big RocketMan 'chute did t' job. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Looks live Rev 2 was a good design.

3 Oaks, me bucko, Michigan Update 11/01:

I really wanted t' have a full perfect cluster launch, arrr, so I toted t' Meanie x2 t' Michigan. Begad! Blimey! This time t' fly on those same three (3) E18's and this time a central H165 Redline Motor. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, arrr, arrr, I had very different results this time!

Everythin' was prepped and t' launch button pressed. Begad! T' rocket slowly lifted from t' pad, cleared t' rail, arrr, arrr, lifted ever so slowly t' about 25 feet. Turned gracefully and dived into t' soft mud. By now you've guessed it. Avast! ONLY t' three (3) E18's lit!! I was actually surprised that they lifted t' rocket.

Well, me bucko, I collected t' rocket, went right back t' t' inspection table and filled out another flight card. Avast, me proud beauty! Returned t' t' pad and launched t' rocket on t' central H165. It gave a nice flight and perfect recovery.

I'll be tryin' again and tryin' t' perfectly match t' 4 ignitors t' get all motors t' fire, but in t' meantime am very pleased about t' performance o' me Meanie x2, shiver me timbers, number 2.

LESSONS LEARNED:

I regret nay buildin' t' motor with a central 38mm. Aye aye! Blimey! I didn't own any 38mm hardware and really didn't have t' intention when I built t' rocket over 2 years ago (almost 4 years for t' first version). Arrr! Now, me hearties, I really stuck with H128's, H238's and H165's. Ahoy! Blimey! This is goin' t' give me flights betwixt 1000 and 1200 feet usin' 24mm RMS E's and F's. I can get t' about 2400 feet with some 24mm G55's, ya bilge rat, but that is about peak. I'm okay with t' altitude limitation, ya bilge rat, matey, but with t' 38mm hardware I could have tried many other motors.