Brief:

Conversion o' Lansbergen Delta II t' fly on 18mm motors. Blimey! T' particular Delta II that I chose t' model was Delta 7920-8 247, launcher o' t' solar observation satellite ACE. T' plans are available on t' Caltech web site.

Modifications:

T' model is a 10 page PDF file. I printed t' 3 pages o' instructions on regular paper, me hearties, t' 3 sheets o' boosters was printed on 65lb cardstock, arrr, ya bilge rat, and t' remainin' pages were printed on 110lb cardstock. For t' main tubes, arrr, I used full width tabs so t' body be double thickness. Begad! It turned out that BT-50 body tube was perfect for t' couplers. Aye aye! I made an 18mm engine mount with CR2050P centerin' rings. Blimey! T' rings were spaced t' exactly line up with t' booster mountin' holes. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' body sections were joined and t' motor mount was glued in. Aye aye! Holes were drilled through t' booster mountin' holes and almost through t' centerin' rings. Arrr! 18 dowels made from round toothpicks were cut t' 5/8" each and glued into t' booster mountin' holes. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' booster tubes were rolled double thickness and t' holes on t' booster were opened up. Avast, me proud beauty! I poked a pin through t' hole location and open them up with a round toothpick. Avast, me proud beauty! T' booster tubes were glued onto t' dowels with t' dowel goin' all t' way t' t' opposite inside wall and glued there. T' booster nose cones and exhaust nozzles were rolled and attached. Begad! Boosters 4, arrr, 5, and 6 have a larger exhaust nozzle so take care when attachin' them. Avast! T' main nose cone was rolled and a nose cone shoulder was rolled from double thickness 110lb stock. Begad! I made t' shoulder 1" long so thar would be plenty o' room for nose weight. I used a standard paper shock cord mount on each end o' t' 36" shock cord. Well, blow me down! I used a 12" chute made from a plastic table cloth. Aye aye! I didn't know where t' CG should be so I took an educated guess and balanced it just forward o' t' boosters. Arrr! I then did a swin' test and it turned out that it was stable at that balance point. Begad! I put a C6-5 into t' mount and added enough clay t' t' nose t' brin' t' balance point back t' t' previously determined location. It took .7oz o' clay t' balance which brought t' all up weight t' 2.0 oz. Blimey! Well, blow me down! A couple o' coats o' clear were sprayed on and it was done. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag!

Construction:

T' followin' is a list o' materials that I used in t' construction.

Finishing:

Everythin' be pre-printed and only a couple coats o' clear were required.

Flight:

Based on t' weight, I determined that an A8-3, B6-4, or C6-5 would be appropriate. Blimey! Avast! T' day o' t' first launch was as ideal a day as one could ask for: sunny blue skies, temperature in t' 70's, shiver me timbers, and almost a complete lack o' wind with occasional gusts t' 5mph or less. Arrr! I chose a B6-4 for t' first flight. Ya scallywag! T' motor mount has an engine hook so no tape be needed. I used "dog barf" for wadding. Begad! Ya scallywag! I be a little apprehensive because o' t' lack o' fins but t' flight be perfectly straight. Begad! T' rocket was easy t' follow and ejection be just about at apogee.

Recovery:

T' recovery on t' 12" chute was slightly faster than I would have liked considerin' all t' boosters stickin' out. Arrr! It be flown in a corn field and it happened t' hit a corn stalk upon landin' and knocked one o' t' boosters loose. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' damage be minor and was easily repaired. Begad! I didn't fix it until I got home so I could inspect all t' booster attachments. Ahoy! Arrr! T' rest were all solid. Ahoy! I think I will switch t' a 14" chute for t' next flight.

Summary:

I am really happy with t' end result. Arrr! T' rocket be nay difficult t' build for anyone with a little cardstock modelin' experience. Ahoy! T' price was right (read: free), and when completed, you have a good representation o' a rocket that is nay often modeled.