Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Astron Black Space Knight
by Bob Fortune
shall Pass! |
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ARTHUR: What?
BLACK KNIGHT: None shall pass. ARTHUR: I have no quarrel with you, brave Sir knight, but I must cross this bridge. BLACK KNIGHT: Then you shall die. ARTHUR: I command you, ya bilge rat, arrr, matey, as Kin' o' t' Britons t' stand aside. BLACK KNIGHT: I move for no man. ARTHUR: So be it! (Furious battle ensues, arrr, Black Knight loses an arm) BLACK KNIGHT: (Glancin' at his shoulder) 'Tis but a scratch. ARTHUR: A scratch? Your arm's off. BLACK KNIGHT: No, me hearties, me hearties, it isn't. ARTHUR: (Pointin' t' t' arm on ground) Well, what's that then? BLACK KNIGHT: I've had worse. ARTHUR: You're a liar. BLACK KNIGHT: Come on you pansy! (More swordfighting, ya bilge rat, t' black knight loses another arm) ARTHUR: Victory is mine. (sinkin' t' his knees) I thank thee O Lord that in thy ... BLACK KNIGHT: Come on then. ARTHUR: What? You stupid bastard. Ahoy! You haven't got any arms left. BLACK KNIGHT: Course I have. ARTHUR: Look! BLACK KNIGHT: What! Just a flesh wound. (Black Knight kicks Arthur) ARTHUR: I'll have your leg. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! (He is kicked again.) Right! [T' BLACK KNIGHT kicks him again and ARTHUR chops his leg off. Ahoy! Begad! T' BLACK KNIGHT keeps his balance with difficulty.] BLACK KNIGHT: I'll do you for that. ARTHUR: You'll what ... Blimey! Arrr! ? BLACK KNIGHT: Come HERE. ARTHUR: What are you goin' t' do. Avast, me proud beauty! bleed on me? BLACK KNIGHT: I'm invincible! ARTHUR: You're a looney. BLACK KNIGHT: T' Black Knight always triumphs. Have at you! [ARTHUR takes his last leg off. T' BLACK KNIGHT's body lands upright.] BLACK KNIGHT: All right, ya bilge rat, we'll call it a draw. ARTHUR: Come, Patsy. [ARTHUR and PATSY start t' cross t' bridge.] BLACK KNIGHT: Runnin' away eh? You yellow bastard, Come back here and take what's comin' t' you. Begad! I'll bite your legs off! |
Astron Black Space Knight
by Bob Fortune
Way back in t' early days o' Estes somebody decided that a spaceman shaped rocket would be a big hit. Nay sure if it ever took off as anticipated, matey, maybe it was Estes' idea o' how a man shaped rocket (or rocket shaped man) should look. | This is what they imagined. |
A cross betwixt Cliff Clavin o' "Cheers" and Superman. Regardless, it's become a very collectible kit goin' for hundreds o' dollars due t' t' fact that thar aren't many o' them out thar and it's so incredibly wacky. |
For some reason t' Black Knight scene from Monty Python and t' Holy Grail always stuck in me memory, simple absurdity at its finest.....kind o' like t' Estes Spaceman kit. T' Spaceman is constructed from BT80, BT20 and balsa. T' instructions don't give an indication o' what t' head was made from though judgin' from t' picture it be one o' a kind. How t' translate t' Spaceman into t' Black Knight? T' basis for t' gag in t' movie was an imposin' figure reduced t' a torso at t' end o' t' scene. T' rocket had t' go from a flyin' model at t' outset and return as just a torso.
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After |
Parts List
BT80 - 7" Torso
BT60 - 2 1/4" Helmet
BT20 - 7" Motor Mount Tube
BT5 - 3" Piston
BT80 t' BT20 balsa centerin' rin' - cut so that t' OD o' t' rin' is a bit larger than t' OD o' t' BT80
BT80 t' BT5 balsa centerin' ring
BT60 balsa bulkplate
BT5-BT20 centerin' rin' (wound paper bushin' type) x 2
Balsa Sheet Stock for fins, arms, central support
2 - 18" parachutes
Keelhaul®©™ string
Lion Crest Gif Image
Flat Black Spray paint
Thick CA
1/8" chart tape
wood glue
Construction
Print out t' templates for t' fins and parts, arrr, transfer t' balsa. Cut centerin' rings. Cut BT20 tube t' length and install wound paper bushin' as motor block. Tie Keelhaul®©™ t' bushin' prior t' gluin' as retention system for main parachute. Cut out 2 pieces o' balsa 7/8" x 6" long as longerons. Mark t' BT20 at 180 degrees. Glue t' BT20 - BT80 centerin' rin' 1/2" from t' aft end o' t' BT20 MMT. Glue t' longerons t' t' BT20, arrr, they form t' basis o' t' airframe and attach t' arms and legs since t' BT80 body has t' slide freely. Glue t' arms and legs t' t' longerons. You should have somethin' that looks like this > > > > > > > > > > |
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Cut out a 1/2" section o' BT80. Slit in half and glue t' t' BT80-BT20 centerin' ring. Remember t' rin' is a bit larger because t' BT80 torso has t' slide into and be captured by this piece o' tube. In t' picture t' t' left t' front strut is attached t' this section o' tube, shiver me timbers, we'll call this t' torso keeper. T' shoulders are notched t' accept t' BT80 torso, matey, ya bilge rat, you can do this when you fit t' parts together and adjust as necessary. Aye aye! (as if anyone else is goin' t' build this silly thing) Glue t' struts t' t' finbox and t' t' torso keeper. |
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Glue t' bulkplate into t' section o' BT60
This becomes t' helmet. Install a slot in t' helmet per t' pictures. Poke some holes for t' mouth ports. |
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Mark and slot t' BT80 torso. I used this trick [link dead] t' slot t' tube. It takes a bit o' fittin' t' get it t' slide properly. Leave about 1/2" o' BT80 remainin' t' hold t' torso together.
Install t' BT80-BT5 centerin' ring. Glue t' other BT5 bushin' t' one end o' t' BT5 piston. Install t' piston into t' centerin' ring. Slide t' torso over t' longerons locatin' t' piston inside t' motor mount tube. About an inch pokes out forward o' t' BT80-BT5 ring. Glue t' piston in place with CA. Glue a small piece o' balsa t' t' BT5 as a cap. |
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Glue t' helmet t' t' BT80-BT5 centerin' ring.
Paint t' whole shebang flat black. Install some 1/8" chart tape t' define t' plates o' t' helmet. Use thick CA t' make t' rivets. Download and print t' chest blaze, cut out and glue t' torso. Install launch lug on aft o' torso. Attach one parachute t' t' torso and one parachute t' t' airframe. Pack t' chutes so that one is within t' lion blaze chest cavity and t' other chute opposite. When t' ejection charge actin' on t' piston blows t' torso free both chutes will deploy. Make sure that t' torso slides freely and is locked into t' strip o' BT80 at t' aft most centerin' ring. |
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Flight
T' Astron Black Space Knight is nay what you call an altitude contender. T' fin assembly will most likely nay sustain mach flights so choose your motors wisely. A B4-2 is recommended. T' flight is nice and low so you get t' full effect. It's a laugh riot. A C6-3 might rip t' thin' apart, me bucko, I don't know. |
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