Scratch - Streamliner {Scratch}

Scratch Streamliner Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Streamliner {Scratch}

Contributed by Mark Van Luvender

Manufacturer:

(Kit bash) Streamliner Brief:
I chose t' build t' Streamliner for this contest as it truly spoke t' me as somethin' I could do--that doesn't happen often.

Construction:
This rocket started out as an Estes Baby Bertha kit. In order t' create t' "Streamliner", I cut a wedge shaped section out o' t' body tube startin' just below where t' nose cone shoulder ends. Once t' cut was made, t' edges were glued together t' create t' sleek taperin' airframe for t' Streamliner.

T' tapered body made t' motor mount assembly a little interesting. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Nay one for perfection, I basically cut t' centerin' rings down a little bit at a time until they fit pretty well in t' body tube then glued t' motor mount in place.

(Kit bash) Streamliner Next up was t' fins. If you look closely at t' sample picture, me bucko, t' fins are actually two different widths. Ya scallywag! I took t' stock fins from t' Baby Bertha and cut t' shape o' t' thicker (red) section o' t' Streamliner fins from them. Begad! I then found some ridiculously thin balsa t' cut t' top (silver) section o' t' fins. This balsa be very thin and flexible, me hearties, so I strengthened these fin sections with printer paper and wood glue, arrr, lettin' them set overnight under a box containin' part o' me Stephen Kin' collection. Ya scallywag! T' next day, t' fins were cut from t' pink paper, me bucko, and they were glued t' t' bottom sections t' complete t' fin. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' fins were then glued t' t' body tube, as was a launch lug.

Recovery for t' Streamliner is stock Baby Bertha, me hearties, as be t' nose cone.

(Kit bash) Streamliner

Finishing:
Finishin' t' Streamliner presented some challenges as most o' it is silver, ya bilge rat, and I've nay yet found a way t' clear coat silver and have it stay silver. So, ya bilge rat, I had t' paint t' red first, arrr, arrr, then mask it off and do t' silver, matey, and then do t' rest without touchin' t' silver. Arrr! I printed t' decals at home, me hearties, arrr, me bucko, and they are t' only part o' t' build I'm nay happy with. Begad! Oh well. Blimey! She even sports t' EMRR logo on one side, matey, and that's t' best decal on her!

(Kit bash) Streamliner

Flight:
For t' Streamliners first flight, me bucko, I chose t' fly her at me kids school. Blimey! My first grader had a "Spotlight" week and asked if I would come with some o' me rockets and talk about them as well as launch some o' them for his class. Blimey! We invited all t' first grade classes as well as me other sons third grade class for t' launch so he could help me. Ahoy! I showed t' gathered classes (4 classes in all) t' rockets I be launchin' and told them about EMRR as a great resource for information on model rockets as I showed off t' logo on t' side o' t' Streamliner.

Recovery:
This first flight be an A8-3 t' keep it low on her first flight. Ya scallywag! Man, arrr, it was great! Shot off t' pad very smartly and perfect apogee deployment with a gentle return t' earth. Aye aye! Next planned flights will be on a B4-4 and possibly a C6-5.

Summary:
I'm very happy with how this turned out! It was me first major kit bash, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and I had a lot o' fun with it. I'm very glad I made t' decision t' build this rocket.

Other Reviews

Kit Bash Streamliner By Steve Lindeman (August 28, 2013)
The Streamliner was the fifth in a series of Baby Bertha kit bashes that I did while building my Goonybird fleet. The first four kits were used to make four of the original Goonybirds from Estes but now it was time for somthing a little different. I remember seeing this model in a Design This Rocket contest and being a lover of retro rocket designs, I knew I wanted to build it ...

Scratch Streamliner Original Design / Scratch Built