Scratch The MicroGlia Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - The MicroGlia {Scratch}

Contributed by Kathy Kippen

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Design this Spaceship Submission - by Kathy Miller - 07/08/06)

 

T' MicroGlia

Assembly photos by Kathy Miller

Static and Flight photos by Buzz Nau.

Click for Kathy Miller's Word DOC Submission

Parts List

  • 1 Estes PNC20 nosecone
  • 10" Estes PNC20 airframe
  • 18mm engine stop
  • 3/32" balsa for fins
  • 3 Styrofoam cackle fruit 1 7/8" x 2 ½" for fin pods
  • white glue or glue usable with foam
  • Gorilla glue
  • 1/8" x 24" elastic shock cord
  • 1" x 15" streamer

Assembly

Start by cuttin' t' BT20 t' 10" length. Glue t' motor block into place usin' a spent motor casing, pushin' t' block into t' tube until ½" o' t' motor sticks out. Avast, me proud beauty! Quickly remove motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Let dry.

Cut three fins from t' 3/32" balsa, bein' careful t' align t' arrow with t' grain o' t' balsa. Aye aye! Carefully sand fin edges, slightly roundin' outer edges.

To make t' fin pods. Arrr! Aye aye! Cut t' three foam cackle fruit in half lengthwise and carefully trim off t' top and bottom t' make a rough square shape, ya bilge rat, rounding around t' top edge. Avast! Don’t round t' back flat part as this be t' side attachin' t' t' fin. Begad! Ya scallywag! When all six halves are shaped, glue into place on fin surfaces makin' sure pods match up on both sides o' t' fins. Arrr! Ahoy! Resand t' match.

After pods have dried onto fins thar will be a gap betwixt t' top o' the pods. I used Gorilla Glue t' fill t' space. After it expands and sets, me bucko, ya bilge rat, sand to match t' contour o' t' pods. Begad! After all glue has set and shapin' is complete, coat with four coats o' foam glue, me bucko, lettin' dry betwixt coats.

 


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Mark t' body tube at 120-degrees for fin placement. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! When pods are dry, glue fins t' t' body tube one at a time, insurin' fin is straight and glue dry before proceedin' t' next fin.

Attach t' launch lug against t' upper edge o' a fin at t' fin/bt joint. Fillet t' launch lug and fins. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Make t' shock cord mount in typical Estes fashion cuttin' out a narrow strip o' paper makin' t' tri-fold mount and then gluin' it at least 1" into t' body tube. Begad! Blimey! Tie t' other end t' the nosecone. Ahoy! Ahoy! Attach t' streamer 2" from t' nosecone.

Finishing

Cover t' entire rocket with light grey primer or white satin Krylon. Begad! Paint red, leavin' about ½" tip o' t' nosecone and ½" from the top o' t' pods t' t' bottom o' t' rocket white. Arrr! Paint t' outer edges o' the fins red. Avast! Usin' a black paint pen, paint t' details on t' nosecone and pods usin' t' photos as a guide.

Flights

T' MicroGlia has had two successful flights a recent JMRC launch. Ya scallywag! First on a 1/2A6-2 for a straight up boost with an apogee deployment o' about 80’ and a soft recovery nearby. T' second flight be on an A8-3 t' about 220’, shiver me timbers, again, straight up with apogee ejection and another soft and close landing. Ahoy!

T' third flight was on a B4-4 t' about 600’ and a bit o' a walk for retrieval.


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