Descon EnRoc

Scratch - EnRoc {Scratch}

Contributed by Kevin Rich

Manufacturer: Scratch
Contributed by - Kevin Rich

T' Enema Rocket
or "EnRoc" for short

This little gem actually does what you think just happened - when you get t' meet one o' these things for real! 

Yes, that is a real live enema tip just like they use in t' X-ray departments to give you a "barium enema". Avast! I be presented with this one in the form o' a pen. Well, blow me down! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Yeah I know... Ahoy! even that is a little warped.

Materials:

  • 1 ea. Begad! Barium enema tip (not previously used)
  • 3 ea. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! leftover plastic fins from an unknown Estes kit that came with two sets
  • Six inches o' BT-5 left over from some repair job
  • Two feet o' braided "Super Tack" for t' shock cord
  • 1 ea. two foot piece o' crepe paper for t' streamer
  • Maskin' tape
  • 1 ea. Avast! five inch piece o' scrap balsa from.......

Construction
T' enema tip is exactly t' same OD as t' BT-5 and has a smaller nipple on t' aft end for hookin' up t' hose in it's real use. Begad! Blimey! I used masking tape t' make it fit t' tube and we're half way done. Begad! Trim t' scrap balsa t' slip down inside t' keep it rigid under power. Ahoy! T' Super Tack is tied trough a hole drilled in t' nipple and t' nose cone is done.

T' airframe gets t' three fins CA'd on and a launch lug (don't know for sure what it actually is). T' Super Tack is tied t' a scrap of body tube and glued in with t' bottom 1 1/4" in from t' bottom and serves as t' engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Tie on t' crepe paper with another piece of Super Tack. Begad! Spritz on a little bit o' white primer t' simulate the barium and..... Arrr! presto! "EnRoc"

Simulation:
VCP puts CG about 4.5 calibers ahead o' CP. Avast, me proud beauty! A bit overstable, but so what. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! On a A10-2T Wrasp puts it at about 143 feet with ejection just before apogee.

EnRoc Flight Report:
Well, matey, it hasn't quit raining, snowing, sleetin' or blowin' up here for months so it hasn't flown yet. Avast! But thar may be a window o' opportunity this weekend so I will hopefully get a flight report in t' first part of t' comin' week.

EnRoc Flight Report March 4, me hearties, 2001:
It quit snowin' and such. Arrr! Blimey! In fact it turned out t' be a nice day. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It be about 35 degrees, me bucko, mostly clear with about 10-15 mph of wind from t' NNW.

First launch - A10-3T, arrr, Straight fast boost up t' about what Wrasp said (as a guess), nosed over at apogee and.... Ya scallywag! spit t' motor. Ahoy! Oh NO!!!! Ballistic into t' parkin' lot. Ya scallywag! Doom and gloom on everyone's thoughts. But NO! That enema tip is very resilient and soft. Avast, me proud beauty! It did however manage t' "insert" itself in t' mud and when pulled out looked like one I had seen at work. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! eeeewwwwyyyyy!! A little maskin' tape, matey, me bucko, me hearties, reset the recovery system (spilled out on impact) tape t' crap out of another motor and ready t' go again.

Second launch - A10-3T, straight and fast again, over at apogee, eject and...... Blimey! shock cord failure. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' airframe just drifted down (feather weight/ tumble recovery) and t' "nose cone" came down with t' streamer.  No damage at all.

It did seem t' me that t' ejection charges on these engines was very "robust". Well, blow me down! T' sound on t' ground was a quite sharp, matey, shiver me timbers, arrr, loud report.  That's ok.. I will just make t' recovery system more robust. Begad! All in all it was a real "shot in t' @ss"!

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