Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
It's an upside-down flyin' rocket! Features "Rear" eject (or should I
say "front" eject?) recovery system. Aye aye! This be a BRS Contest Entry
Construction:
To build t' Which Ways Up, ya bilge rat, you will need t' followin' components.
For t' "nose cone", you can use any BT-55 based nose cone. It may be tricky t' drill out a core for t' BT-20 motor tube. Another option is to use a BTC55Z V2 boat tail with bored BT-20 hole available from Balsa Machining Services. Aye aye! That is what I used. Avast, me proud beauty!
Construction starts with t' body o' t' rocket. Avast! Begad! You will build it just like a regular model rocket. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Motor mount with centerin' rings, matey, thrust ring, arrr, and the optional motor hook. Begad! 4 balsa fins. Two launch lugs. Aye aye! nothin' fancy. Well, blow me down! However, there are a couple things different. Begad! T' tail o' this rocket is actually the nose. Begad! So, t' nose o' t' rocket is actually its tail... Well, blow me down! I know, shiver me timbers, me hearties, sounds confusing!
Anyway, me hearties, t' shock cord mount for t' rocket be t' typical length o' Keelhaul®©™ cord fastened t' t' motor mount. Arrr! Blimey! Make sure you have enough length so you can easily attach t' shock cord. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! Remember, after frequent flights, me bucko, it may become necessary t' replace t' shock cord. Begad!
Complete t' assembly o' t' body o' t' rocket by gluin' in a spent black powder motor in t' "motor mount." (Do nay even think about usin' a live motor.)
Now here be t' creative and tricky part: t' "nose" o' the rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Start off by assemblin' t' "live" motor tube. Blimey! Glue a thrust rin' into one end o' t' motor tube and install a motor hook if desired. Glue the motor end o' t' motor tube into t' "nose cone." Get another piece o' Keelhaul®©™® and tie it t' a CR-2050 centerin' ring. Avast! Tie a loop t' t' other end. Aye aye! Glue this centerin' on top o' t' motor tube about 3/4" from t' end o' t' tube that does nay have a nose cone glued on top o' it. Blimey! Next, ya bilge rat, glue on t' remaining CR-2055 centerin' rin' followed by t' remainin' CR-2050 centerin' ring. Blimey! Set aside t' dry.
While t' glue is dryin' on t' motor mount, shiver me timbers, matey, it is time t' cut out the fins. Ahoy! This is easier than it sounds. Ahoy! I used Corel Draw t' lay out t' fin pattern like you would when cuttin' out fins on a sheet off balsa. Well, blow me down! Then I printed this out on label stock, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and stuck it on top o' t' protective coating on t' plastic. Aye aye! Blimey! Takin' a metal edge and a hobby knife, ya bilge rat, I scored lines into the plastic tracin' t' pattern. After this be complete, bend t' plastic and it will snap where t' scores are. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!
When all t' glue on t' nosecone (the real motor mount) is dry, install it onto t' body o' t' rocket. Begad! You will want t' use t' same lines you used on t' bodys fins t' mark t' location o' t' clear fins on t' nose cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Carefully extend those lines onto t' nose cone. Begad! Use a hobby knife t' cut slots into t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Test fit each fin, but do nay glue them in yet. Primer and paint t' rocket with your favorite technique. Blimey! Once all t' paint is dry, attach t' fins t' t' nose cone usin' CA.
T' recovery system o' t' WWU is finished by attachin' a length o' shock cord t' both Keelhaul®©™® loops and tyin' a twelve inch parachute t' t' nose cone (motor mount) loop. Cut a little V on t' outer circumference. Begad! Aye aye! This will allow t' Keelhaul®©™® to pass betwixt t' centerin' rin' and t' wall o' t' body tube.
Flight:
To fly t' WWU, install t' motor o' your choice in t' "nose cone"
of t' rocket. Begad! Recommended motors are B6-2, arrr, matey, B6-4, C6-3, shiver me timbers, and C6-5. Aye aye! Once the
motor is installed, pack t' recovery system so t' parachute and shock cord
material can fit in betwixt t' motor tube and t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! It is important
to note that only t' Keelhaul®©™®
attached t' t' body tube should be exposed t' t' ejection charge gasses. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This
means that t' booster sections loop also is packet betwixt t' motor tube and
body tube. Blimey! Blimey!
One thin' t' note, t' ejection charges on Estes motors tend t' be on the powerful side, so it is important t' have a generous amount o' shock cord to help prevent t' motor mount from snappin' back into t' body tube.
Enjoy a video by clickin' HERE
Summary:
This rocket was an interestin' project. It required some trial and error and
workin' with materials I would normally nay use. Begad! This rocket always brings
interestin' conversations and has turned more than one head at launches. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Flies
great on small fields with B motors, can get some altitude on Cs. Aye aye! The
"rear" eject recovery system is cool. Avast, me proud beauty!