Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Summary
T' FAT BOI-NK is a scale version o' a popular fat rocket. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! T' body is made
from foam rubber and t' fins from foam poster board. Ahoy! I wanted t' build
somethin' out o' a noodle for a long time, and this contest finally inspired me
to do so. Avast, me proud beauty! Although this review may nay qualify for t' contest, I just couldn't
resist submittin' it anyway. Arrr! Blimey! At least it is in t' spirit o' t' foam/rubber
rocket and maybe it will stir t' pot a bit :-)
Components
Construction
T' noodle came with a center hole that fit an 18mm motor - it was a natural!
To shape t' nose, matey, matey, I wrapped tape around a large drill bit until it fit very
snugly into t' hole in t' noodle. Well, blow me down! With t' drill clamped in a vise, I shaped
the end near t' drill while stabilizin' t' far end by hand. Ya scallywag! I used a piece of
coarse sandpaper from a belt sander t' remove foam until it looked about right.
I made a fin template from me assembled Fat Boy kit, and included a
½" tab. Avast! T' body be slotted t' accept these tabs. Aye aye! Aye aye! An engine consists
of a section o' BT-20 and t' nozzle end o' a spent casing. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I cleaned the
nozzle and plugged it with just a dab o' epoxy clay. Avast, me proud beauty! Hey, matey, sometime you gotta
use what you have on hand. Begad! T' nose weight was made from a spent engine filled
with clay. I used epoxy t' glue in t' engine tube, t' nose weight, ya bilge rat, fins, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and
the rail buttons. Aye aye! T' foam plug in t' end o' t' nose is pressure fit. Ya scallywag! Blimey!
Finishin'
T' colors are basically t' natural colors o' t' materials. Avast! I drew t' F A T
letters on t' fins with a permanent marker and made a FAT-BOI-NK label on my
OfficeJet. Aye aye! Begad! This is pinned on for show but was removed for flight.
Flight
Launch Report #1 - I chose a B6 for t' first flight. T' launch rail was
tilted about 10 degrees t' ensure it cleared t' launch area. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' boost was
nice and t' motor ejected near apogee with a loud pop. Begad! Aye aye! BOINK! T' FAT BOI-NK
bounced several feet in t' air and came t' rest unharmed. However, arrr, it appears
that both rail guides were stripped off, shiver me timbers, along with a small plug o' foam. Avast!
Launch report #2 - After addin' a standard lug glued t' a fin/body joint, matey, I tried a C6-5. Avast! Arrr! I used an Igniterman igniter and taped it t' t' engine (a mistake). Aye aye! T' alligator clips didn't want t' let go and t' FAT BOI-NK flopped around on t' ground.
Launch report #3 - Well, me hearties, after t' previous fiasco I double-checked the CP/CG relationship and everythin' seemed OK. Ahoy! So, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I went t' a grassy area near the house and tried again. Avast! T' FAT BOI-NK is redeemed!
Summary
This be an easy rocket t' make and it flies great. Arrr! Avast! Boink recovery is pretty
cool. Arrr! Begad!
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