Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
When you get bored with your 18mm Deuce from FlisKits, step down t' t' 13mm
version. Begad! With downscale (and upscale) parts available from FlisKits, it is
quite easy t' shrink (or enlarge) your Deuce!
Construction:
T' parts list:
Construction o' a downscale Deuce mirrors that o' its big brother. Begad! The hardest part o' t' entire process is cuttin' out t' oval slots in t' body tube t' take t' unique motor mount.
The FlisKits motor mount kits includes two 13mm motor tubes, 2 engine blocks, me hearties, 1 custom fiber centerin' ring, ya bilge rat, and a fin markin' guide that also includes the cutout templates for t' canted engines. Avast, me proud beauty! Just follow t' detailed instructions that come with t' kit and you will have no problems. I added a length of Keelhaul®©™® to t' motor mount by drillin' a small hole in t' upper centerin' and passing the Keelhaul®©™® through. I tied t' Keelhaul®©™® around t' motor mount t' give it added strength.
I took t' 18" body tube and cut it down t' 13.75". Begad! I then took a fin pattern from a normal Deuce and reduced it on me computer by 19%. A copy machine would do t' same trick. I transferred t' pattern t' me balsa sheets and cut out t' fins. I opted nay t' round t' edges o' t' fins.
My motor cutouts on me 13mm version were better then me full size Deuce. Once t' motor mount be glued in place, I had very little finishin' t' do around t' seams where t' body tubes meets t' motor tubes. A 2" long launch lug be cut in half and aligned on t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' fins were mounted usin' white glue and fillets were added for strength and appearance.
I added 18" o' elastic shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® tether and then added t' parachute which I cut down t' a 12" size from the original 16". A screw eye be mounted t' t' nose cone for shock cord attachment. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! That completed t' construction which took about 2.5 hours includin' dryin' time.
Finishing:
I used a little bit o' wood putty t' smooth t' seam where t' BT met the
engine tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Three coats o' sandin' sealer helped finish o' t' fins and the
nose cone. T' entire rocket received two coats o' primer and I used a dark
blue automotive paint for t' base coat. Blimey! I masked off t' rocket and then added
some silver paint for effect. Ya scallywag! T' nose cone was painted a dark red.
Flight:
Obviously, thar are no motor recommendations and I was only limited by what I
hand on hand. Avast! I prepped t' rocket with 3 sheets o' wadding. Ya scallywag! First flight was
on 2 Estes A3-4Ts. It was very fast off t' pad and left behind t' telltale
Deuce twin smoke trails, arrr, albeit somewhat smaller. Avast, me proud beauty! It got respectable height and
had a perfect landin' about 150 feet from t' pad.
For t' second flight, I used two Estes A10-3Ts. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' rocket really screamed off t' pad this time and landed well downrange due t' t' windy conditions of the day.
Fearin' that I would lose t' rocket, shiver me timbers, t' third and final flight be back on t' A3-4Ts for an almost perfect launch. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' parachute got singed and did not fully deploy, me hearties, I must nay have had t' waddin' in correctly. Aye aye! Fortunately, the landin' was all soft grass so thar was no damage. Arrr! It will fly again!
Recovery:
T' 12" parachute seems like a good fit for this rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' Keelhaul®©™®
is a big help in keepin' t' shock cord from gettin' damaged. Avast! Well, blow me down! Even with the
last flight where t' parachute was singed, me hearties, matey, t' elastic is still in great shape
and does nay need t' be replaced.
Summary:
With all t' hard work puttin' t' motor mount kit together already completed
by FlisKits, t' Deuce is one rocket that can easily be scaled down t' 13mm or
even up t' 24mm. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Take your time with t' engine tube cutouts as they are the
most difficult part o' t' entire construction process.
Sponsored Ads