Construction Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2011-08-14 |
Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Style: | Ring/Tube/Cone Fin |
Personal Challenge: A workin' model built from and themed on Toilet Paper Rolls, arrr, Rear Ejection (of course!) and fly-able with C engines
(*Regardin' "High Quality Toilet Paper Rolls," t' cores from t' industrial strength extra large rolls used in hospitals and office buildings by professional janitorial services are thicker, arrr, me hearties, smoother, and tougher than t' stuff you get at t' grocery store. Ahoy! T' spirals are however very deep.)
Challenge: Build a rocket based on theme o' Uranus Explorer (but keep it PG rated)
At t' same time I was buildin' t' rocket (actually t' second rocket, t' Uranus Explorer 1 was a dismal failure) I be makin' up a story that went along with t' rocket. I think t' best place t' put that is up front in this review, arrr, so here it is.
INTERSPACE TELEX FROM SPACE COMMAND
URGENT: You have been ordered t' take IMMEDIATE command o' t' Uranus Explorer II.
BACKGROUND: In t' first half o' t' 21st century, ya bilge rat, arrr, concerns on Earth mounted regardin' global warming. Ahoy! Aye aye! While thar be a great uproar about changin' human behavior t' combat this menace, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' problem solved itself in t' second half o' t' century. While t' well-meanin' efforts o' t' "Greens," as they came t' be called, arrr, may have had some impact, shiver me timbers, t' finite supplies o' fossil fuels expired by 2075. In addition, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' fight t' obesity epidemic, me hearties, arrr, matey, t' fast grub enterprises were vilified by t' population. Arrr! Ronald McDonald be hung in effigy in several countries. Arrr! Aye aye! Since beef hamburgers were t' main stock in trade for these restaurants, arrr, t' demand for beef largely expired with t' fast grub franchises. Well, blow me down! T' final major source o' greenhouse gasses, arrr, t' cattle farms, also went t' way o' t' dinosaur. Begad! T' global warmin' scare was over.
T' loss o' cheap fuel and fast foods led t' a progressive sense o' dissatisfaction among t' people o' Earth, who attempted t' drown their sorrows in entertainment. Begad! VCRs and DVD players gave way t' IPods, Androids, matey, Playstations, me bucko, Wiis, shiver me timbers, and other devices, me bucko, all o' which shared two features. Arrr! First, shiver me timbers, they required electricity. Blimey! Arrr! Second, me bucko, they were a mindless waste o' time.
To replace t' fossil fuels, t' people o' Earth maximized their use o' renewable energy sources, includin' Wind, matey, Geothermal, Hydroelectric, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and Solar. Avast, me proud beauty! T' first three were largely limited by geography. Begad! Solar, however, was only limited by surface area. Blimey! By t' year 2125, solar "farms" had sprung up over much o' t' Earth’s surface, shiver me timbers, includin' Antarctica, and floatin' solar "mats" covered much o' t' oceans. Aye aye! Arrr! Low Earth Orbit solar satellites created a virtual "traffic jam" in t' skies, arrr, matey, t' t' chagrin o' terrestrial astronomers. Lookin' up at t' sky at night, arrr, more stars "moved" than remained in once place.
T' combination o' t' loss o' greenhouse gas generators and t' impact o' solar collectors shadin' much o' Earth’s surface as well as fillin' t' skies had an effect that should have been anticipated--- t' Earth's climate was headin' for a second Ice Age. Temperatures plummeted.
Many different plans t' restore t' greenhouse gas "blanket" were attempted. A nationwide chili marathon was probably t' most grandiose. Begad! Blimey! It had little effect on t' global atmosphere, ya bilge rat, but resulted in numerous hospitalizations throughout t' state o' Texas dues t' t' accumulation o' noxious gases. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! In desperation, ya bilge rat, arrr, t' people o' Earth looked t' t' skies for help. Begad! Blimey! T' United States, arrr, once an importer o' fossil fuels, now developed a plan t' import greenhouse gases from space.
Of t' four planetary gas giants, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' highest concentrations o' methane are found around Uranus, at roughly 2% o' t' atmosphere by volume. While further away than Saturn and Jupiter, ya bilge rat, manned expeditions t' Uranus in 2186 found t' planet had a rocky core with numerous central caverns. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Concentrations o' methane within t' caverns approached 75%. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! Unlike Saturn and Jupiter, t' caverns could be sealed, cleared o' t' methane, arrr, heated, and pressurized. In other words, me hearties, thar could be life inside Uranus.
Drillin' operations began in 2192, and t' planet was formally colonized under t' leadership o' Admiral Ezekiel Koli in 2199. T' fecundity o' E. Begad! Blimey! Koli's descendents became legendary, matey, and within 5 years t' colonists had spread throughout t' bowels o' t' planet. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Methane gas generated within t' rocky core was diverted t' natural "vents" on t' planet surface. Avast! Blimey! This gas was collected in Surface Repositories (dubbed "SuPositories.") T' SuPositories were then harvested by tanker ships and t' gas be transported t' Earth. T' effort has been thus far successful. Earth's temperatures have stabilized and are gradually returnin' t' 21st century levels. Ahoy! Blimey! T' only casualty was t' state o' Utah, me bucko, which seceded from t' Union when t' restoration o' "normal" temperatures forced them t' abandon plans for year-round skiing.
Durin' t' drillin' operations on Uranus, miners discovered rich deposits o' Amodium. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Existin' in two chemical isomers, me hearties, t' "L" or levo form and t' "D" or dextro form, shiver me timbers, Uranian Amodium be predominantly in t' D isomer. Begad! Blimey! Valued for its medical properties, Amodium-D is extremely useful in t' treatment o' dysentery. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! Earth's Amodium supplies were exhausted in t' early 21st century in a vain attempt t' stem t' tide o' large fecal outflows from Washington, D.C. Uranus produces 80% o' t' pharmaceutical grade Amodium-D in t' solar system. T' only other major supply o' Amodium-D is in t' asteroid belt. Begad! Blimey! Tanker ships, notorious for poor hygiene, were plagued with dysentery and t' production o' Amodium around Uranus rivaled t' methane minin' operations in profitability.
T' growin' population inside Uranus yearned for t' same amenities and distractions as their distant Earthly cousins. Entrepreneurs, ever anxious t' make a credit, shiver me timbers, established venues on t' Uranian satellites, me bucko, includin' a Disney Theme Park, me bucko, "Part o' Your World," on t' satellite Ariel, a Lane Bryant Woman's Clothin' outlet store on t' satellite Titania, and a romantic bed and breakfast getaway, "A Quiver o' Love" on t' satellite Cupid. Avast! Aye aye! By 2250, Uranian commerce had established a respectable amount o' regularity.
Unfortunately, t' hygienic habits o' t' Tanker ship crews did nay improve. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Due t' failure in interspace decontamination procedures, ya bilge rat, arrr, shiver me timbers, one or more tankers have carried a type o' "animal fungus" from t' asteroids t' t' surface o' Uranus. Begad! These vile creatures reproduce rapidly and are incredibly adherent t' t' rock and ice surface o' t' Uranian core. They are particularly attracted t' t' relative heat around t' vents o' Uranus. Begad! Dubbed, "Cling-Ons" by t' colonists, ya bilge rat, me bucko, arrr, t' invaders have destroyed t' SuPositories and have multiplied t' t' extent that they are now obstructin' many o' t' methane outlets. Begad! T' buildup o' pressure behind t' vents is reachin' dangerous levels, producin' dyspepsia, arrr, nausea, and vomitin' among t' population o' t' planet. Minin' operations o' Amodium-D have ground t' a halt. Arrr! Because thar be no local supply, arrr, me hearties, an outbreak o' dysentery on t' satellite Oberon has required importation o' Amodium from t' asteroid belt. Arrr! This has put an incredible load on an already strained interplanetary supply system.
T' situation is now CRITICAL.
We have deployed Remotely Operated Infrared Detectors (ROIDs) within all t' major vents t' monitor t' situation. Avast, me proud beauty! T' ROIDs will detect focal temperature increases which herald obstruction. Avast, me proud beauty! Additional SuPositories have been prepared t' replace those destroyed by t' Cling-Ons. Ahoy! T' Jovian and Saturnine Fleets have been redirected t' assist in t' emergency.
T' initial scout ship, matey, t' Uranus Explorer, was mothballed in 2195. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! It has been recommissioned for t' rescue effort. Avast! T' previous BVD-1 subspace engine has been upgraded t' t' BVD-2. Arrr! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' ship has also been augmented by 4 Procto and Gamble Sharmin "Ultra" outboard engines t' give it interplanetary capability at 0.25 light speed.
Your mission is as follows:
Addendum: On successful completion o' this mission, ya bilge rat, you and your spouse are authorized a 30 day furlough at t' "Quiver o' Love" on Cupid. Remember, shiver me timbers, with 27 satellites, thar be always a full moon around Uranus.
END TRANSMISSION
Back t' t' review. Well, blow me down! Goals o' t' rocket buildin' were as follows:
After buildin' t' Estes Porta-Pot Shot, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, matey, and readin' notes from a reviewer who suggested a rear-ejection model, matey, started t' think o' other designs sort o' on t' same theme. Begad! Arrr! Original design became t' Uranus Explorer 1 (UE1), ya bilge rat, (which will be fairly similar t' t' UE2, described here. Begad! I found that usin' only two rolls for t' nose-cone fuselage combo resulted in a stubby rocket that I could nay get stable (I know, shiver me timbers, I built it and tried. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! For some reason Tim Van Milligan doesn't have Toilet Paper tubes in t' RockSim inventory. Go figure!) So t' lengthen t' fuselage, shiver me timbers, me bucko, had t' use two rolls connected (alternative would have been t' use a single paper towel roll, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but that would have violated t' theme. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Would have had t' call it t' Brawny or t' Scrubber, or somethin' else. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! But I digress...) You say, me bucko, no problem, a coupler would work for this. Problem, since I pre-determined t' use aft end ejection, me hearties, I needed a pristine smooth inner contour, me hearties, so a (standard) internal coupler wouldn't work. Ya scallywag! Arrr! So I went with an external coupler. Ahoy! This o' course was aerodynamically suboptimal, me bucko, but since I wasn't plannin' t' set an altitude or duration records, me bucko, was acceptable. Avast! So I used an external coupler cut from another tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I figured I would put t' launch lug in t' gap later (had I really thought it through, me hearties, would have remember I could hide a launch lug in t' tube fins.) This still left a small step-off or "transition" on t' inside where t' two tubes butted together. I ran maskin' tape from end t' end along t' inside so that thar were no transitions t' trap or catch t' engine pod and recovery devices durin' aft ejection.
Next problem: t' nose cone. Begad! First, me bucko, me bucko, nay sure that toilet paper roll centers really come in a standard size for nose cones. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Second, I'm cheap. Arrr! Third, wanted t' keep overall weight o' t' body o' t' rocket light (more on this later.) 4rth, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, wanted t' use as many TP rolls as possible. Wondered---- how could I make a nose cone out o' a toilet paper roll?
By cuttin' 16 length-wise cuts nearly t' t' end o' t' roll, arrr, then cuttin' a diagonal out o' each section, ya bilge rat, matey, I was able t' create a roughly Ogive cone. Avast! Connected t' tips with tape. Blimey! Put a "shoulder" (again cut from another TP roll) on t' anterior end o' t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Attached this with CA t' t' previous two tubes I now have a fuselage (one-piece with t' nose cone) just under three TP rolls long I then ran strips o' maskin' tape LENGTHWISE from just beyond t' tip t' just aft/tailward o' t' nose-cone/fuselage joint). Begad! At t' tip, ya bilge rat, I cut the corners steeply and wrap around t' nose cone. Blimey! I had t' run a few spiral wraps for support and t' maintain shape.
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Nose Cone
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As mentioned, t' buildin' and paintin' run together as t' paintin' be done before completely fittin' together t' parts.
Once I had t' shape roughed out, it was time t' fill. Aye aye! Aye aye! However, I wanted t' have a clean paint job with different colors for t' fuselage and t' tube fins. I felt that maskin' would be tough. Arrr! But if I painted them first, shiver me timbers, then I would be tryin' t' glue together painted surfaces. Arrr! That didn't sound like it would be t' strong. Ahoy! Arrr! On t' other hand, I KNEW exactly where all t' joints would be (I be usin' four tube fins, paired, on opposite sides o' t' fuselage. Arrr! Since 6 tubes would fit perfectly, ya bilge rat, arrr, I just placed marks at 60 degrees, shiver me timbers, matey, 120 degrees, arrr, 240 degrees, and 300 degrees on t' fuselage. On t' tube fins, two marks each, 60 degrees apart, shiver me timbers, would suffice. Aye aye! For increased stability, I let 1/2 o' t' tube fins lag behind t' end o' t' fuselage (also thought would look cooler. Ya scallywag! Later durin' actual preparation o' t' rocket for launch I found it did make access t' t' engine mount awkward.) So marked on all t' tubes where t' joints should be. I also marked where I wanted t' put t' launch lug.
I wanted t' "protect" t' joint areas from t' paint and sealer t' set up a stronger joint. Blimey! Ya scallywag! On t' UE1 I had placed thin strips o' maskin' tape over these areas. Blimey! I discovered t' maskin' tape broke down under t' sandin' process, matey, so I tried Mylar tape strips, 1/4 inch wide. I placed a "tail" over t' edge/lip o' each tube, me hearties, and then wrapped t' very tip INSIDE t' tube. Ya scallywag! Turned out t' sandin' still wore off most o' t' tails, matey, matey, matey, but t' tip piece wrapped inside was an adequate marker for removal o' t' tape later. Aye aye! Ahoy! Each strip be 1/2 t' length o' a single tube.
It took five coats/sandings o' Elmer's filler t' get a good smooth surface over t' nose-cone maskin' tape. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Therefore regardin' "savin' money" as a reason t' make your own nose cone--Unless your time is worth less than 25 cents an hour, me bucko, you’re better off buyin' it from Tim. Begad! But since this WAS a themed rocket, matey, it seemed worth it. Ahoy! (Although me lovely wife wasn't happy about t' pile o' filler dust on t' front porch!) I need three coats/sandin' t' fill t' DEEP VALLEYS o' t' toilet paper roll spirals anyway, (another reason t' use REAL body tubes.) I sealed t' tube fins (outside only) t' same way.
Note that since this is a rear-ejection model, me hearties, it allowed me t' cover t' nose-cone/fuselage joint. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! While I was fillin' in t' maskin' tape defects and t' tube spirals, shiver me timbers, it turns out I had enough filler t' cover t' external coupler. Ahoy! In fact, me bucko, me hearties, by t' time I be done t' slight residual "bulge" was hardly notice-able. (Performance-minded rocketeers are probably shudderin' at t' added weight o' t' filler required t' accomplish THAT.)
When I be finished, matey, I had a very nice fuselage with a smooth surface from tip t' tail, except for t' "break" in t' external coupler where I planned t' put t' launch lug. Well, blow me down! Again, me bucko, had I been thinking, I would have filled this in too and put hidden t' lug in t' tube fin/fuselage joint. I believe t' absence o' a nose-cone/fuselage transition gives t' rocket a retro Buck Rogers look. Blimey! O' course, I also believe in t' tooth fairy. Blimey! Again, arrr, arrr, I digress......
I knew that tryin' t' fill in t' INSIDE spirals o' t' tube fins be goin' t' be hopeless. Well, blow me down! I figured t' insides o' a spaceflight engine would probably look a little "charred", shiver me timbers, matey, so I planned on paintin' t' inside flat black and hoped that would hide t' defects.
Okay, so paintin' now comes before actually completin' construction. Begad! Before starting, I peeled back t' edges o' t' Mylar at t' distal edges o' t' tubes, t' make sure I could find them after paintin' (paintin' t' inside would obscure t' "tails" I had wrapped on t' inside o' t' tube.) T' hard part was FINDING t' edge. Blimey! Many o' t' "tails" that I had thought would provide "handles" had been sandin' off durin' finishing. Arrr! Avast! But t' tips that I had wrapped on t' inside (unsealed) part o' t' tubes were still there. Arrr! Usin' them as guides, shiver me timbers, I used an Exacto knife t' peel back t' edges o' t' Mylar tape on t' OUTSIDE so I could find it after paintin' t' inside. Begad! I wrapped newspaper around t' OUTSIDE o' t' tube fins, arrr, tapin' it at t' edges/lips. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Then I used flat black paint t' finish t' INSIDE o' t' tubes. I actually tried rolled up sandpaper t' reduce t' "nap" inside t' tube, shiver me timbers, but it didn't work very well. Avast, me proud beauty! Primer would have helped, but I be havin' a struggle justifyin' tryin' t' prime t' INSIDE o' t' engines. Ya scallywag! Again, me bucko, I figured I was goin' for style, nay performance, me bucko, so I gave up on that part. Well, arrr, blow me down! I sort o' liked t' internal "charred" look o' t' engines. As a prior Air Force guy, matey, I noticed t' nozzles o' jet engines on t' flight-line often had blackened look, me bucko, so I felt I was okay with it for space engines.
Color Scheme: All t' pictures o' t' PLANET Uranus showed it t' be a bluish color, ya bilge rat, so I figured I'd stay with this.
I primed t' fuselage with Krylon White Primer, three coats, ya bilge rat, with light sandin' betwixt coats. This filled in t' few defects I had left after t' Filler. I used Krylon True Blue for t' fuselage - I really like t' color this gave, and I be happy with t' finish here.
After paintin' t' inside o' t' tube fins black, ya bilge rat, I took off t' outer maskin' paper. Avast! I then rolled up paper INSIDE t' tubes t' mask t' insides. Aye aye! This allowed me t' "stack" t' tubes, me hearties, which actually made paintin' t' outside easier. Aye aye! I had run out o' primer, so I went directly t' paintin' t' outside o' t' tubes Blue Ocean Breeze. Blimey! I did 3 coats, with a light sandin' betwixt coats. I liked this color as well. Arrr! Although I hadn't thought it out ahead o' time, I remember t' three colors that were common for bathroom tiles in t' 60s--- pastel yellow, pastel pink, matey, and pastel blue. Aye aye! This looked pretty close t' t' pastel blue, connectin' t' planetary and Toilet Paper theme.
Moment o' truth, me hearties, what would happen when I peeled off t' Mylar? Actually, I be quite pleased with t' sharp edges. Ahoy! Pullin' t' tape off also raised some more "nap" off t' cardboard tubes, exactly what I wanted t' "rough it" for gluing.
As I had expected, despite t' masking, matey, thar was a little bleedin' o' black and blue (no pun intended) at t' edges o' t' tube fins. Begad! Avast! I used thin strips o' silver Mylar tape t' cover/accent t' edges here and at t' trailin' end o' t' fuselage. Avast, me proud beauty! As a USAFA grad, t' silver and blue together got me right under t' old squadron patch, as me Dad, a retired AF Navigator/Bombardier says. Arrr! I wrapped t' edges o' t' tape into t' inside o' t' tube. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Lookin' back, this gave t' edge a bit o' a rough look; I probably would just have put it on t' OUTSIDE only, just up t' t' edge.
Now that this be finished, time t' see how things fit together. Avast! I used medium CA t' glue 4 tubes into two tube-fin pairs, ya bilge rat, placin' t' glue along one o' t' "naked" strips previously covered by Mylar. Layin' t' tubes flat gave me a good alignment. I then matched up t' remainin' strips on each tube pair with t' strips on each side o' t' tail o' t' fuselage. Avast, me proud beauty! They matched up pretty well, ya bilge rat, and t' medium CA gave me enough time t' make sure t' alignment was perfect. Avast! Begad! I got a pretty solid joint (as I later proved in flight, shiver me timbers, but more on that later.) Fillets weren't needed, arrr, and t' fit covered t' "naked" areas.
I pried t' Mylar tape out o' t' defect in t' external coupler. Arrr! Avast! This left a rougher edge.I glued in t' launch lug.If I had t' do it over, I would have pulled this off AFTER doin' t' filler step, but BEFORE painting, arrr, me bucko, me bucko, t' get a better look.
Next question, where t' attach t' shock cord? If I attached it inside, it would get hit by t' ejection charge fairly directly, me hearties, and would also cause problem with slidin' out t' motor pod. Perhaps more importantly, me hearties, arrr, if it came out t' tail, t' rocket would fall nose first. My launch site is about 3/4 grass, 1/4 asphalt. Avast! Ya scallywag! Invariably t' better t' finish on t' rocket, t' more likely it will land on t' asphalt. Ya scallywag! Also, me bucko, me bucko, while t' cardboard/maskin' tape/Elmer's Finish nose cone was holdin' t' finish well, me hearties, I could feel that it was still a little "soft" and didn't think it would hold up t' a hard impact. Well, blow me down! Begad! Finally, ya bilge rat, I figured if I could get t' rocket t' descent in a horizontal position, arrr, shiver me timbers, t' rocket body itself would be addin' t' t' drag and slow it down.
With t' rocket painted, me bucko, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' CG o' t' rocket body be right at t' region o' t' external coupler. Begad! I threaded a needle with me Keelhaul®©™ shock cord into t' tube just above t' coupler next t' t' launch lug, and pull about two feet out t' after end o' t' fuselage. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I then threaded a needle with t' ENDS o' a long loop o' dental floss through a hole just BELOW t' coupler and out t' aft end o' t' fuselage. Ya scallywag! I then threaded ANOTHER loop o' floss (loop 2) through this loop, and pulled loop 2 through t' hole and out t' tail, keepin' t' ENDS o' loop 2 outside fuselage. I then used loop 2 t' pull t' shock cord BACK into t' tail o' t' fuselage and back through t' hole below t' coupler (there probably is an easier way t' do this, me bucko, but this is what I came up with.) I then tied a tight "loop" o' shock cord, me hearties, runnin' it just next t' t' launch lug, leavin' about 1 1/2 feet o' Keelhaul®©™ loose. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Yes, matey, this loop DID run inside t' rocket body, ya bilge rat, matey, when t' engine pod would slide in and out, matey, but t' cord was runnin' longitudinally and wouldn't obstruct/catch on t' pod. I did add a bit o' thin CA t' secure it.
Since I wasn't sure how well me hollow nose cone would hold up t' t' Estes engine ejection blast, arrr, I cut a bulkhead out o' foam board and place it inside t' body. Begad! It slid up t' t' "shoulder" that had been placed on t' front o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Ejection blast would hit t' bulkhead, shiver me timbers, but nay t' "formed" shape inside o' t' nose cone. Arrr! Instead o' gluin' it into place, ya bilge rat, matey, I placed a length o' Keelhaul®©™ on this in case I needed t' pull it out later (such as t' add nose weight), arrr, arrr, and left that loose.
Engine Pod: I originally planned t' use a length o' BT20 as an engine mount AND pod. Avast! However, ya bilge rat, matey, after buildin' it, shiver me timbers, I discovered I wanted more room for me parachute and streamer. Ya scallywag! I used a BT20 for an engine mount. I then wrapped t' end o' a BT5 with electrical tape until it just fit inside t' BT20. Blimey! T' BT5 acted as BOTH an engine block AND a duct t' direct t' ejection force t' t' front o' t' body, where it hit t' bulkhead. Arrr! I used foamboard t' cut adapter rings for t' BT20 at t' tail and t' BT5 at t' front o' t' body. Ahoy! These were sanded t' slide loosely, matey, me bucko, arrr, but hopefully t' front one would be tight enough t' seal t' ejection charges away from t' chute and streamer. Aye aye! Arrr! Lookin' back, I probably should have used two adapter rings up front, as a little bit o' ejection charge snuck around t' front rin' and slightly charred t' streamer.
I had initially planned on a long white "simulated TP" streamer t' recover t' rocket (in keepin' with t' theme). Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! However, me bucko, me hearties, early on it be clear that given t' weight o' t' rocket a streamer would never safely slow t' rocket AND t' engine pod. Aye aye! Also, again I knew t' nose cone be a little bit "soft" and wanted t' cushion t' landin' o' t' body as much as possible. My solution had two parts. Avast! Begad! Blimey! First, me hearties, allow t' engine pod t' completely separate from t' body o' t' rocket, me bucko, so t' two descend separately. Ahoy! This reduced t' weight o' t' body o' t' rocket (with t' soft cone). Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! If I needed nose weight, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I could add it t' t' front o' t' pod, rather than t' body. This is a NICE trick with aft ejection boost gliders, by t' way. Arrr! Blimey! You can adjust your CG by addin' weight t' t' front o' t' ejection pod, without affectin' t' weight or CG o' t' glider itself. Blimey! Then I could use me white streamer t' safely recover t' engine pod (which wasn't really very delicate and was nay that heavy), and a parachute t' recover t' body. Ahoy! T' shock cord for t' body was attached t' OUTSIDE o' t' fuselage at t' CG, me bucko, shiver me timbers, thus t' body descended horizontally under t' chute.
I used two pieces o' white crepe paper t' create t' streamer for t' body tube. I attached them side by side with silver Mylar tape. Arrr! I then accordion folded this into squares t' simulate toilet paper sheets. Arrr! T' silver tape showed on one side, which I thought would be easy t' see (on t' off chance this bird flew outside me launch site-- yeah, right.) T' other side was straight white, which looked like, well, matey, toilet paper. Ahoy! While for t' real theme this would be "rolled" around t' engine pod "spindle", me experience is that this is unlikely t' "unroll" in flight durin' descent. Avast! Therefore I stayed with t' accordion fold. Ya scallywag! Begad! I used a length 10 times width, accordin' t' Stine's book o' optimal streamer length, ya bilge rat, then added a couple o' inches t' give me space t' attach it t' t' BT5 section o' t' pod.
I used a couple o' thick rubber bands t' link t' parachute t' t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord attached t' t' mid section o' t' exterior body o' t' rocket.
Note: Originally I used Tim Van Milligan's Model Rocket Design & Construction book t' make two semispherical parachutes, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, then "ironed" t' two together side t' side. Avast, me proud beauty! T' idea be t' create a parachute with a "cleft" down t' middle, t' so called "glute chute." (For those who have actually intentionally fallen out o' perfectly good aircraft, thar be a parachute malfunction called a "Mae West" that looks somewhat similar.) However, while t' parachute looked good, the "glute chute" didn't pack very tightly, matey, ya bilge rat, and even reducin' t' engine pod diameter from BT20 t' BT5 didn't give me enough room t' actually use this. Begad! I made an 8-line 12-inch chute out o' a green garbage bag (okay, was gettin' tired o' t' theme at this point.)
Moment o' truth arrived. Would this work?
First "gotcha" was t' prep. Aye aye! T' overhangin' 4 tube fins may (or may not) look cool. Well, blow me down! They do however obstruct access t' t' tail o' t' body. This is bad enough when all you have t' do is stuff an engine in, ya bilge rat, but when you have t' shove in t' entire engine pod with t' accordion streamer AND t' parachute up t' rear, those overhangin' tubes REALLY get in t' way.
Anyway, matey, seemed like a C6-3 engine would probably be a good start for this.
Loaded it up on a nearly windless sunny day. Avast, me proud beauty! Crossed me fingers. Avast! Begad! Fired. Boost be arced t' t' left (not sure if this was due t' some uneven-ness o' t' fins.) Made it t' roughly 150 feet, matey, at apogee be travelin' nearly horizontal. Aye aye! Ejection was at or near apogee. Well, blow me down!
Perfect separation o' pod and body. Blimey! Streamer extended nicely and at 36 inches long, 3 inches wide, white and silver, was quite visible. Blimey! Chute also opened well. Ahoy! Ahoy! Rocket be far away at this point, but t' descent was either horizontal or slightly tail down (just what I wanted, t' protect that nose!) Pod and body landed about 100 yards from pad, about 10 yards apart, me bucko, on t' grass. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Absolutely no damage from t' fall. T' white streamer was very slightly singed.
Had I been smart, arrr, shiver me timbers, matey, I would have counted me blessings and put t' rocket on t' shelf at this point. Ya scallywag! However, I'm nay smart. I decided t' try it again. Aye aye! On flight two t' engine pod apparently caught on somethin' (may have been packed too tight.) Probably me combined two tubes were nay as smooth internally as a single standard store-bought tube would have been. Aye aye! Negative ejection. Avast! Lawn dart. Nay sure any nose cone would have come thought this unscathed, but me (five coats o' filler, me bucko, multiple hours o' sanding, multiple coats o' paint - whimper whimper) nose cone accordioned. Nay fixable.
Pros:
Cons:
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There's a discussion of this review in The Rocketry Forum.
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Hans "Chris" Michielssen (August 15, 2011)
Great review and "back" story of the rocket. (But, you didn't use the word probe once!)
Certainly a true scratch build. Anybody who forms a nose cone out of a body tube is okay by me.
thanks for the laugh and great build.