Brief:
My original Goblin clone (BT-55 based) be one o' t' first I built after really gettin' back into t' hobby. Blimey! Blimey!

My 1.7X upscale was finished late last year. Avast! And four months ago, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' "baby" was born. Aye aye! Avast! It's a MMX powered, me bucko, matey, carded model. Ahoy! It has a hand rolled ½" diameter body tube and triple laminated fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! All in total, three Goblins. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Finished, flown and ready for family portraits.

For two extra points (2009 EMRR Challenge), ya bilge rat, I needed t' add another member o' t' Goblin Family by t' October first deadline.

Construction:
This year, loot is tight. Arrr! I set a goal o' buildin' another model usin' just t' materials I had on hand. Avast, me proud beauty! No ordering parts!

I had a ThunderGoon ready for final paint. It's been sittin' for months. I just wasn't moved t' finish it. Begad! Aye aye! Nice model but just nay for me. Well, matey, blow me down! I decided t' cut off t' fins and body tube, arrr, salvagin' t' engine mount and nose cone. Begad! The engine hook was made from that metal strip from a windshield wiper blade. Well, blow me down! I remember t' look me youngest daughter gave me when I pulled it from t' trash can at an auto supply store. Aye aye!

I found scrap BT-60 and cut it t' 8-½". Ya scallywag! T' ThunderGoon's nose cone be taller than a Mini Bertha's. It didn't matter, shiver me timbers, it'll still capture t' original feel. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

I pulled some scrap 1/8" balsa and upscaled t' fins slightly from t' BT-55 dimensions. Well, blow me down! I cut two o' the fins and realized I didn't have quite enough for other two. Ya scallywag! I didn't want t' cut into another full sheet o' balsa.

I started piecin' together scraps makin' sure t' grain be parallel. Ahoy! Blimey! I glued t' seams with CA, matey, then cut the remainin' two fins. Avast! This is when I started thinkin' o' t' "Frankenstein Goblin" moniker.

T' Keelhaul®©™® was already attached t' t' engine mount from t' Thundergoon. Begad! I pulled an 18" length o' elastic out o' me first attempt at a paper rocket. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I've never flown that paper model or doubt I ever would. There was too many mistakes learnin' t' new paper cardin' techniques. Avast!

T' 12" parachute be pulled from an old Groove Tube, me hearties, a homemade garbage bag type. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! For this rocket, me hearties, what else? I found a screw eye in me parts box. Begad! Blimey! This eye is way too large but seemed t' fit t' theme and t' extra nose weight can't hurt.

There was nothin' unusual about t' build. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It was a little different buildin' a new model from pieces and parts pulled from other models. Begad! If you include leftover balsa scraps, I estimate t' Franken Goblin be built with parts from six different models.

Finishing:
Originally, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I be goin' t' use some Goblin decals from Excelsior. They were leftovers from me original BT-55 based clone. Phred always seems t' add extra images on t' master sheet. Blimey! Blimey!

I thought I would have some fun. Arrr! I scanned t' Goblin decal sheet, matey, me hearties, enlarged it slightly then cleaned it up in Corel Draw. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' more I drew, matey, t' stranger it got. Arrr! Begad! I drew t' word "Franken" tryin' t' emulate t' original hand drawn font. I added Frankenstein "stitches" and neck bolts t' t' Goblin character. Avast! Avast! T' Goblin even got a bilge-suckin' nose job. Begad! Sure, t' humor is a little inside, but still fun. Avast!

T' original plans show a decal "3" flipped on it's back, centered on both sides o' one fin. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I decided to use a "6" instead. Avast! It's only two sixes, almost three--almost evil. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

O' course, shiver me timbers, I had t' go with a "Frankenstine" green and black motif. Aye aye! Normally I use t' Walmart (cheap) spray paint for most primary colors but they didn't have a green I liked. Well, blow me down! For this model I bought a can o' Rustoleum Key Lime Green, t' only new expense on this rocket.

I shot t' model with Grey primer and sanded smooth. Begad! I then followed with a white undercoat. Blimey! I was pleasantly surprised by how well t' green Rustoleum spray paint covered. Avast! It's t' old line o' "You get what you pay for." T' Rustoleum went on smartly with far fewer coats than t' Walmart brand usually requires.

T' decal sheets required 3 light coats o' clear acrylic. I had never made decals before and was prepared for the worst. Aye aye! I tested t' printed decal sheet usin' Microscale Liquid Decal Film applied with a foam brush.

When I tried t' transfer t' Microscale treated decals, they didn't seem thick enough. Blimey! Some o' t' black ink dissolved. Begad! I had much better luck with t' clear acrylic sprayed decals. Ahoy! T' decals instructions did recommend spraying with clear acrylic.

While me homemade decal's "skin" is a little thicker than a decal that would come with a kit, I was still very happy with t' results.

While placin' t' decals I noticed a mistake in construction. Avast! When building, I glued a salvaged one piece launch lug at t' center o' gravity with a C6-5 engine installed. T' lug is now in t' way o' t' thick black decal band above t' fins. I had t' pre-cut a "notch" in t' decal wrap t' fit around t' bottom o' t' lug. Arrr! Avast! Blimey! Another "Frankenstin" puzzle piece, cut and joined together. Begad! Avast! Blimey! T' original Goblin instructions had you cut t' lug in two. Aye aye! Blimey! Half at t' top, me bucko, me bucko, half at t' bottom o' t' body tube.

Flight and Recovery:
I flew t' Franken Goblin three times on March 7, 2009, at t' monthly R.O.C.K. Well, blow me down! Begad! section launch.

T' first flight was with an A8-3. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I called for a heads-up. Avast! Sometimes "Gooney-fying" a classic leads to questionable stability. It flew straight and true. Begad! Nay high but stable. Begad! Aye aye! T' 12" chute ejected fine.

T' next two flights were with B6-4s. Begad! T' wind was comin' up so I cut a spill hole in t' 12" parachute. This seems t' be t' ideal engine for this model, me hearties, me hearties, providin' good performance and altitude. Begad! On t' third flight it was loaded on t' rack, shiver me timbers, arrr, side by side with it's smallest sibling, me MMX carded Goblin.

After three flights, ya bilge rat, thar were two small body tube dings in t' nose cone. Both were nay very deep. Ya scallywag!

I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Avast, me proud beauty! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Some of t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

Summary:
PROS: I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Some o' t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

CONS: None really.