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. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Glue t' motor block into place usin' a spent motor casing, ya bilge rat, pushin' t' block into t' tube until ½" o' t' motor sticks out. Quickly remove motor. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Let dry.

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

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

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

 


Click for Larger Pic

 

 

 

 


Click for Larger Pic

 

 

 


Click for Larger Pic

Mark t' body tube at 120-degrees for fin placement. Avast! 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. 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. Tie t' other end t' the nosecone. Begad! Attach t' streamer 2" from t' nosecone.

Finishing

Cover t' entire rocket with light grey primer or white satin Krylon. Paint red, leavin' about ½" tip o' t' nosecone and ½" from the top o' t' pods t' t' bottom o' t' rocket white. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Paint t' outer edges o' the fins red. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Well, blow me down! First on a 1/2A6-2 for a straight up boost with an apogee deployment o' about 80’ and a soft recovery nearby. Avast! T' second flight be on an A8-3 t' about 220’, again, ya bilge rat, straight up with apogee ejection and another soft and close landing.

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


Click for Larger Pic

 


Click for Larger Pic

 


Click for Larger Pic


Click for Larger Pic

 


Click for Larger Pic

comment Post a Comment