Scratch - Sprint 2.2 {Scratch}

FSI Sprint 2.2 Clone Clone

Scratch - Sprint 2.2 {Scratch}

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2012-09-30
Manufacturer:	Scratch

Brief

Back in 1977, ya bilge rat, I sent for an FSI catlog after findin' an address in t' back o' a library book. Begad! While nay as flashy as t' Centuri and Estes catalogs I was used to, shiver me timbers, thar were a couple o' designs that caught me eye back then, specifically t' Nova and Sprint. Arrr! I eventually found an original FSI Nova that I built and flew, but t' Sprint remained elusive. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I recently made a Semroc purchase o' parts that I thought I needed t' rebuild a Centuri Taurus upscale that I'd built and flown several years back, me bucko, but found that I could reuse a lot more o' t' original parts than I thought. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! This left me with two TA6070 transitions and no clear project for them. I hate t' waste anything, especially anythin' as well made as a Semroc balsa transition, matey, hence me "FSI Upscale" phase.

Components

14.25" BT-70 body tube (BMS)
7.5" BT-60 body tube (BMS)
4" BT-40 engine tube (BMS)
TA-6070 balsa transition (Semroc)
BNC-70B nose cone (Semroc)
1/8" balsa stock
5020 engine block (Semroc)
36" Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
36" shock cord 1/4" sewin' elastic
medium screw eye
large snap swivel
reefed 18" parachute

Construction

There aren't a whole lot o' parts for this rocket, arrr, me hearties, which greatly cuts down on t' chance o' gotchas. Avast! Blimey! I love projects like that. Arrr! Blimey! T' most work-intensive part o' t' project be drillin' out t' center o' t' TA6070 transition, which I accomplished usin' by first drillin' through t' transition with a 1/8" drill bit, shiver me timbers, then takin' out enough o' t' rest o' t' material t' make a BT-50 size hole with a Dremel tool and attachment.

As with most o' me projects, matey, I tied a 36" piece o' Keelhaul®©™ behind t' front centerin' rin' t' anchor t' rest o' t' recovery system. Arrr! This was threaded up through t' Dremel hole in t' transition and attached t' a 36" length o' 1/4" sewin' elastic. Begad! A medium snap-swivel attached t' a hefty screw eye which be glued into t' nose cone bottom t' tie t' whole thin' together.

Finishing

After disposin' o' t' balsa grain and tube spirals with two coats o' thinned Elmer's Carpenters Wood Filler and LOTS o' sanding, I sprayed t' rocket with white Valspar primer. Ahoy! I then sprayed one fin with Rustoleum Flourescent Orange, completely masked it off down t' t' body tube, arrr, then burnished t' edges o' t' tape t' keep any o' t' paint t' come from seepin' in. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' main body tube was sprayed with Valspar gloss white, while t' nose cone and everythin' below t' transition be painted with Valspar gloss black. Begad! When all was dry I unmasked t' orange fin and as usual, was pleasantly surprised at t' "pop" that t' flourescent paint provides. Begad! I had no decals planned, arrr, matey, me hearties, but with t' white, matey, matey, arrr, orange and black scheme I was reminded o' t' Cincinnati Bengals, arrr, me bucko, and found a photo o' a vintage logo that I remembered from grade school that was perfectly sized for t' upper body tube. Ya scallywag! I'm nay sure how this ties in with t' whole Sprint thing, but it sure beats a big, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, blank section o' white body tube.

Construction Score: 5

Flight

To date I've made only one flight with t' Sprint, matey, but that was due t' a backlog o' first flight mid-power kits more than anythin' else. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Loaded with an Estes E9-4, me hearties, matey, t' rocket lifted off with authority and immediately began t' windcock. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Ejection occurred as t' rocket be approachin' horizontal due t' t' wind, me bucko, me hearties, but recovery was perfect and t' rocket recovered deep in t' cornfield on t' 12" nylon chute, so deep that it initially appeared t' be in a neighborin' cornfield. Arrr! (This would have been a problem as thar be a decent size creek that separates t' two cornfields.) T' recovery walk was long, and t' search took me t' areas o' t' field where few humans had previously trod, me hearties, but along t' way I found two rockets belongin' t' other fliers. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! (Second time I've done that.) After thirty minutes I finally caught a flash o' orange and walked right over t' t' rocket, ya bilge rat, arrr, which appeared t' be sittin' in a spot I'd passed at least twice. Begad! Begad! I swear I did. Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket was undamaged, but t' length o' t' recovery walk on t' 12" chute had me wonderin' how much further it would have been with a 15" or 18" chute.

Flight Rating: 5