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

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

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

Construction:
This year, arrr, loot is tight. Begad! Aye aye! I set a goal o' buildin' another model usin' just t' materials I had on hand. Aye aye! No ordering parts!

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

I found scrap BT-60 and cut it t' 8-½". Aye aye! T' ThunderGoon's nose cone was taller than a Mini Bertha's. It didn't matter, it'll still capture t' original feel. Begad!

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

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

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

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

There be nothin' unusual about t' build. Begad! Blimey! It be a little different buildin' a new model from pieces and parts pulled from other models. Aye aye! Blimey! If you include leftover balsa scraps, ya bilge rat, matey, I estimate t' Franken Goblin was built with parts from six different models. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Finishing:
Originally, I was goin' t' use some Goblin decals from Excelsior. Well, blow me down! They were leftovers from me original BT-55 based clone. Begad! Aye aye! Phred always seems t' add extra images on t' master sheet. Avast!

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

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

O' course, I had t' go with a "Frankenstine" green and black motif. Avast, me proud beauty! Normally I use t' Walmart (cheap) spray paint for most primary colors but they didn't have a green I liked. Blimey! Begad! For this model I bought a can o' Rustoleum Key Lime Green, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' only new expense on this rocket.

I shot t' model with Grey primer and sanded smooth. Well, blow me down! Begad! I then followed with a white undercoat. I was pleasantly surprised by how well t' green Rustoleum spray paint covered. Ahoy! Ahoy! 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 be prepared for the worst. Avast! I tested t' printed decal sheet usin' Microscale Liquid Decal Film applied with a foam brush. Begad! Arrr!

When I tried t' transfer t' Microscale treated decals, arrr, they didn't seem thick enough. Aye aye! Some o' t' black ink dissolved. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I had much better luck with t' clear acrylic sprayed decals. Arrr! Well, arrr, blow me down! 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, matey, I was still very happy with t' results.

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

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

T' first flight be with an A8-3. Aye aye! I called for a heads-up. Sometimes "Gooney-fying" a classic leads to questionable stability. Begad! Ahoy! It flew straight and true. Nay high but stable. Aye aye! Begad! 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, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, providin' good performance and altitude. Well, blow me down! Blimey! On t' third flight it was loaded on t' rack, side by side with it's smallest sibling, matey, me MMX carded Goblin.

After three flights, arrr, thar were two small body tube dings in t' nose cone. Arrr! Both were nay very deep. Aye aye!

I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Avast! Blimey! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Aye aye! Blimey! 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. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! 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.