| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2012-09-30 |
| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief
Back in 1977, shiver me timbers, I sent for an FSI catlog after findin' an address in t' back o' a library book. While nay as flashy as t' Centuri and Estes catalogs I be used to, me bucko, thar were a couple o' designs that caught me eye back then, specifically t' Nova and Sprint. Aye aye! Aye aye! I eventually found an original FSI Nova that I built and flew, shiver me timbers, but t' Sprint remained elusive. Arrr! I recently made a Semroc purchase o' parts that I thought I needed t' rebuild a Centuri Taurus upscale that I'd built and flown several years back, arrr, but found that I could reuse a lot more o' t' original parts than I thought. Arrr! Aye aye! This left me with two TA6070 transitions and no clear project for them. Aye aye! I hate t' waste anything, especially anythin' as well made as a Semroc balsa transition, me bucko, hence me "FSI Upscale" phase.
Components
- 14.25" BT-70 body tube (BMS)
- 7.5" BT-60 body tube (BMS)
- 4" BT-40 engine tube (BMS)
- TA-6070 balsa transition (Semroc)
- BNC-70B nose cone (Semroc)
- 1/8" balsa stock
- 5020 engine block (Semroc)
- 36" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
- 36" shock cord 1/4" sewin' elastic
- medium screw eye
- large snap swivel
- reefed 18" parachute
Construction
There aren't a whole lot o' parts for this rocket, which greatly cuts down on t' chance o' gotchas. I love projects like that. Aye aye! T' most work-intensive part o' t' project was drillin' out t' center o' t' TA6070 transition, which I accomplished usin' by first drillin' through t' transition with a 1/8" drill bit, then takin' out enough o' t' rest o' t' material t' make a BT-50 size hole with a Dremel tool and attachment.
As with most o' me projects, I tied a 36" piece o' Keelhaul®©™ behind t' front centerin' rin' t' anchor t' rest o' t' recovery system. Begad! Ahoy! This be threaded up through t' Dremel hole in t' transition and attached t' a 36" length o' 1/4" sewin' elastic. Well, blow me down! A medium snap-swivel attached t' a hefty screw eye which be glued into t' nose cone bottom t' tie t' whole thin' together.
Finishing
After disposin' o' t' balsa grain and tube spirals with two coats o' thinned Elmer's Carpenters Wood Filler and LOTS o' sanding, I sprayed t' rocket with white Valspar primer. I then sprayed one fin with Rustoleum Flourescent Orange, completely masked it off down t' t' body tube, then burnished t' edges o' t' tape t' keep any o' t' paint t' come from seepin' in. Begad! T' main body tube was sprayed with Valspar gloss white, while t' nose cone and everythin' below t' transition was painted with Valspar gloss black. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! When all was dry I unmasked t' orange fin and as usual, ya bilge rat, was pleasantly surprised at t' "pop" that t' flourescent paint provides. I had no decals planned, shiver me timbers, but with t' white, me bucko, me hearties, orange and black scheme I be reminded o' t' Cincinnati Bengals, and found a photo o' a vintage logo that I remembered from grade school that be perfectly sized for t' upper body tube. Begad! I'm nay sure how this ties in with t' whole Sprint thing, me hearties, but it sure beats a big, blank section o' white body tube.
Flight
To date I've made only one flight with t' Sprint, matey, but that was due t' a backlog o' first flight mid-power kits more than anythin' else. Loaded with an Estes E9-4, t' rocket lifted off with authority and immediately began t' windcock. Ejection occurred as t' rocket was approachin' horizontal due t' t' wind, but recovery was perfect and t' rocket recovered deep in t' cornfield on t' 12" nylon chute, shiver me timbers, so deep that it initially appeared t' be in a neighborin' cornfield. Well, blow me down! (This would have been a problem as thar be a decent size creek that separates t' two cornfields.) T' recovery walk be long, matey, and t' search took me t' areas o' t' field where few humans had previously trod, me hearties, matey, but along t' way I found two rockets belongin' t' other fliers. Aye aye! Blimey! (Second time I've done that.) After thirty minutes I finally caught a flash o' orange and walked right over t' t' rocket, which appeared t' be sittin' in a spot I'd passed at least twice. Ahoy! I swear I did. Well, blow me down! T' rocket was undamaged, shiver me timbers, but t' length o' t' recovery walk on t' 12" chute had me wonderin' how much further it would have been with a 15" or 18" chute.
Flight Rating: 5
Summary
Pros: Classic lines, impressive performance on Estes E9, ease o' construction.
Cons: Central Ohio cornfields are windy!
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