Brief:
Retro Repro, Boost Glider, 18mm

T' Swift BG is one o' t' new kits released by Semroc for NARAM 51. Aye aye! It is a reproduction o' an old Centuri design. Begad! Although I have had terrible luck with gliders, matey, somethin' prompted me t' get started on this one right away. It might be t' one t' break t' jinx.

I ordered mine as soon as it be availible and in typical Semroc Time Warp fashion, it arrived almost immediately, matey, even though Semroc be closed for NARAM. Ahoy! Ahoy! It be also production kit number 10.

Construction:

Construction began by locatin' t' win' and gently sandin' it in its balsa frame and then releasin' it. Although t' win' consists o' 4 pieces, they are nay yet cut apart at this stage. Ya scallywag! T' only thin' that marks t' discrete pieces is a line.

With t' win' remainin' in one piece at this point, t' instructions gave two options for shaping. T' first was t' merely round t' edges o' t' balsa and I was sorely tempted t' go this route. Begad! T' other be t' try and sand an airfoil into t' wing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Nothin' ventured, matey, nothin' gained.

In effect, matey, I merely rounded t' forward and outside edges but I made an attempt t' approximate an airfoil on the trailin' edge. I drew a sandin' block across t' aft edge from one end t' t' other tryin' t' guide t' profile down t' a blade. It turned out better than I expected but it is certainly nothin' t' brag about.

T' win' sections were numbered from left t' right for later identification. Begad! A steel ruler be then used t' guide a razor knife along t' marked lines and separate t' win' into 4 segments. Aye aye! T' freshly cut edges o' t' win' segments were then beveled with sandpaper so that when canted, ya bilge rat, they would fit together better.

T' kit came with t' pieces t' construct a pair o' balsa jigs t' aid in gettin' t' correct dihedral angle on the wings. They were removed from their parent material and glued together. They are identical except for one bein' a bit taller than t' other. After use, me hearties, they are discarded so thar are no extra points for style here.

A piece o' wax paper was taped down t' t' workin' surface and then t' inner right win' segment be taped flat t' it. Blimey! Blimey! T' tip o' t' outer right win' segment be then taped t' t' taller o' t' two jigs. Arrr! With that done, ya bilge rat, a bead o' white glue was run against t' beveled edge and t' two segments were pressed into place, allowin' t' jig t' hold t' pieces at the correct angle. Arrr! A day later, t' jig was removed and t' end piece did nay fall off. I took that as a good sign. Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! The process was then repeated with t' left side o' t' win' with similar encouragin' results.

T' two win' halves were then joined together in a similar manner. Avast! Begad! One side was taped down flat and t' other was glued into place usin' t' shorter o' t' jigs positioned under t' outer joint o' t' untaped wing. After another day t' dry, the jig be removed and things were still lookin' encouraging.

T' tail boom comes in two main pieces. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! They were removed from t' parent material and test fitted together. Avast! Ya scallywag! The fit was good and no sandin' be needed. Begad! Some white glue was then put into t' keyed joint and t' two pieces put together and laid flat on t' wax paper. Begad! Avast! A steel ruler was used t' make sure t' boom be straight. Avast, me proud beauty! T' next day, me bucko, the boom was ready t' be peeled up and looked fine. Aye aye! T' jinx, matey, ya bilge rat, if nay gone, had certainly gone into hiding.

There are two balsa strips, me hearties, rounded at one end, intended t' be applied on either side o' t' forward end o' the boom. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! They provide some support on t' side for the booster pod. Blimey! A light layer o' glue be applied t' t' boom and spread out for t' length o' t' facing. Avast, me proud beauty! A facin' be then pressed into place so that it was even with t' front edge and the top and bottom surfaces. It was allowed t' dry like that for about 30 minutes. Avast! Some cheap plastic clams were used to keep it in place. Ahoy! Arrr! When dry, t' opposite facin' be placed in t' same manner, arrr, clamped and set aside t' dry.

T' horizontal stabilizer was removed from its sheet. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Sandpaper be used t' round all t' edges. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' vertically stabilizer be similarly removed and sanded on all edges except for t' bottom, shiver me timbers, me bucko, which was left flat.

With t' tail pieces sanded and test fitted, me bucko, a line o' glue be applied t' t' base o' t' vertical stabilizer and it was fit onto t' horizontal. T' assembly be then set flat on t' wax paper and a steel ruler was used to insure a right angle.

After dryin' for a day, t' boom be unclamped and examined. Ahoy! It seemed in good shape and t' pieces were mostly in alignment. A bit o' light sandin' took care o' evenin' up t' edges. With t' edges even, me hearties, I then needed t' taper t' leadin' and trailin' edges o' t' facings on each side. Well, blow me down! I used a sandin' block and tried t' gently take t' material down t' a knife edge.

T' tail assembly be placed at t' end o' t' boom on t' flat side. Ya scallywag! I had a sinkin' feelin' about this because no jig or template was provided, ya bilge rat, arrr, only an admonition t' make sure it was placed straight. I used white glue and eyeballed it t' best I could and checkin' t' angle with a steel ruler. I tried t' make sure that it be straight and level. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' feelin' o' impendin' doom be palpable.

T' next day, matey, me hearties, it was time t' place t' wing. Ahoy! Aye aye! A mark was made 1/2" back from t' side pieced and t' win' was glued into place with white glue. Ahoy! T' trepidation factor was even higher than with t' tail because I know from experience these things just never turn out, me bucko, shiver me timbers, especially when thar be an angled surface involved. T' feelin' of impendin' doom returned with a vengeance.

Even though I knew I was doomed by this point, matey, I figured I had gone too far t' back out now and I got t' work on t' pod hook. It was in two pieces which needed only t' be glued together. I used white glue and clamped it.

T' first step in workin' on t' engine pod be t' take t' motor spacer and mark off 1/4". Ahoy! Arrr! T' thrust rin' was then located and t' Keelhaul®©™® was tied around it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! A rin' o' white glue be swabbed around t' interior o' t' motor tube, usin' t' motor spacer to mark t' swab at t' right depth. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' spacer was then used t' push t' thrust rin' into place, up t' t' mark which had been made, and withdrawn. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' motor tube be then marked for t' placement o' t' engine hook and a slit be made in t' body tube t' receive it. Blimey! Blimey! T' hook be placed and a cardboard sleeve was slipped into place t' hold it in place.

Shortly after I began this build, Sheryl from Semroc contacted me and let me know that in some o' these kits, shiver me timbers, t' band was too tight and gave advice o' fixin' t' problem. Arrr! Begad! Mine was just a touch tight but, in me mind, me hearties, well within tolerances. Begad! It was glued in place with white glue and filleted fore and aft.

T' nose cone be typical, high quality Semroc. I doused it with some thin CA t' harden it up some.

I turned me attention back t' t' glider again. Blimey! Blimey! As far as I could tell by lookin' at it, it was in pretty good shape. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! The intersections needed some filletin' and I tried usin' Titebond Trim and Moldin' glue. Ahoy! It applied as good as I had heard it would and when I checked back a day later, shiver me timbers, I was impressed.

T' pod hook be glued into place on t' motor tube opposide t' t' engine hook usin' white glue.

T' nose cone was lightly sanded and then t' eye screw was screwed into place, backed out, t' hole filled with white glue and screwed back into place.

T' launch lug was glued into place along t' pod hook with white glue. Avast! It be seated on top o' t' engine hook band.

A length o' sewin' elastic provided with t' kit be tied t' t' eye hook and t' Keelhaul®©™®. T' streamer be then secured into place halfway along t' elastic with t' provided adhesive strip.

With that t' pop pod be done and t' rocket was ready t' be finished.

Before I could get started on t' finishing, me hearties, though, curiosity got t' better o' me and I had t' try and hand toss t' glider. Well, blow me down! I took it outside, turned into t' wind, gave it a toss...and was flabergasted.

IT FLEW!!!!!!!!!!

IT DID NOT CRASH !!!!!!!!!!!

I grabbed Toby, gave him t' camera and made him try and shoot a video.

I launched it again and it flew again, me bucko, this time makin' a sharp left turn soon after launch. Ya scallywag! T' video is here.

Since t' glide be nay really captured, we tried again, matey, this time with me tossin' towards t' camera. Avast! It seemed t' go well until a rocket beatin' tree got in on t' act. Begad! Who would have expected t' thin' t' go UP? T' second flight can be seen here.

There be no damage and I had t' try again. This time it still flew, shiver me timbers, or glided, but made a hard right turn. Begad! I put it down t' t' vagaries o' t' wind eddies around t' corner o' t' house. T' third video can be seen here.

I also realize that finishin' will likely change t' glide characteristics but at this point I don't really care: a glider I had built had actually glided. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! That had never happened before.

Finishing:
T' instructions warn that finishin' o' this rocket should be done with a light touch in order t' minimize weight. All well and good but competitive performance t' me took a back seat t' just workin' and lookin' acceptable. Avast, me proud beauty! On most projects these days I use Elmer's filler but for this one I went with Balsa fillercoat on t' theory that I would be usin' less o' it.

I painted it onto t' pod hittin' t' nosecone and t' balsa hook. Well, blow me down! T' glider be completely covered with t' stuff. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I put it on thick figurin' I would only apply a single coat, me hearties, even though that would nay completely fill t' grain.

T' fillercoat had a day t' dry and then I went after it with #400 sandpaper. T' grain on t' balsa parts o' the pod seemed t' have been mostly filled. T' pod was then brushed off and set up in t' booth where it was given a heavy coat o' Kilz.

T' glider was likewise treated t' a scrubbin' with t' #400 paper. Well, blow me down! While t' grain seemed t' have been filled better than I had expected, thar was still some that escaped unfilled. T' glider be then primed with Kilz as well. Aye aye!

A day later, t' pod be sanded again. Well, blow me down! I was mindful o' t' warnings I had heard about buildin' up too much sealer/primer/paint and went after it with 320 and then 400 sandpaper. Well, blow me down! When I was done, I had misgivings because it mostly still looked white. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I could see grain and pencil marks, me hearties, me bucko, though. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Knowin' how fast Kilz covers things up, I figured that most o' what I be seein' was t' chalkiness o' t' balsa fillercoat. T' pod be then taken back t' the booth and given a single coat o' gloss white.

T' glider was sanded with similar results. Ahoy! There were still some nasty spots o' grain but I sanded down t' where t' wood was just startin' t' show through. Aye aye! Begad! T' glider was then given a single coat o' gloss white as well.

T' next day, a rin' o' maskin' was applied just below t' nose cone o' t' pod and foil be wrapped around the rest o' t' body. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nose cone was then sprayed a bright orange.

T' glider was masked as well leavin' t' win' tips, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, boom and vertical tail assembly exposed for paint. Begad! Ahoy! The glider then had its date with t' orange paint. Arrr! This was done in 2 stages so that I would have somethin' t' grip.

The next day I peeled off t' maskin' t' take a look and It be lookin' good. Avast, me proud beauty! That left only t' blue stripin' and I took out t' tape t' mask for a thin stripe on each win' and t' t' horizontal stabilizer. Blimey! Blimey! I then used a brush t' place the blue paint.

So far this project had gone extremely well; better than I had imagined it could with a glider project. Avast! Now was t' time for tragedy t' strike. It struck when I removed t' maskin' and saw what had happened when t' paint had wicked under t' tape.

While I be stewin' about t' blue paint, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I took t' time t' test fit t' pod t' t' glider. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! It was a bit tight due t' paint havin' gotten in t' hook cavity. I took a sandin' stick and cleaned it out some until t' fit seemed a good one.

A day later, arrr, shiver me timbers, I was sure t' blue paint had dried completely. I took some white acrylic and used a brush t' try and cover up t' worst o' t' bleeding. Aye aye! It certainly toned things down but it could probably stand another 2 applications in addition t' t' 2 that were put on.

T' decals for t' Swift are a simple matter but add a lot t' t' finished product. Avast! T' largest o' t' decals has t' Semroc logo and t' name o' t' rocket. Avast! I mounted it as on t' facecard; on t' dorsal surface o' t' right wing. Ahoy! T' kit also came with a pair o' smaller versions o' t' same design. Well, blow me down! These were mounted on t' horizontal stabilizer, one on top and one on t' bottom, both on t' right as you face t' rocket. Blimey! My kit also came with an additional decal identifying is as production number 10 and havin' some more info about t' rocket. I put this one on t' left dorsal surface o' the main wing. Avast, me proud beauty! That completed t' "finishing" and, matey, me hearties, as I said, I thought even t' simple decals added a lot.

T' first test "glides" after t' finishin' did nay go well. T' paint added plenty o' weight and the Swift started t' act like me Cosmos Mariner. Ahoy! Blimey! I realized I needed tail weight.

A vid o' t' first post finishin' crash can be seen here. Avast, me proud beauty!

The second try is here.

I went inside and inserted one o' t' trim nails provided for weight into t' left horizontal stabilizer and then went back outside t' try again.

Addin' one nail did nay do too much t' improve things although it did give me hope. Aye aye! Avast! I had one semi-successful glide before me nephew came out with t' camera. Still, me bucko, I thought it needed another nail.

T' first test with one nail can be seen here.

T' second test with one nail can be seen here.

T' third test with a single nail is here. Ahoy! Avast!

I added another nail and did nay do much better. Well, blow me down! And on t' 3rd flight, matey, it crashed in t' street and broke off a win' tip.

T' first try with 2 nails is here.

T' second try with 2 nails is here.

T' fateful thrid flight with 2 nails is recorded here.

I took t' carcass back into t' shop t' try and get it fixed up again. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' tip was put pack on with a double glue joint usin' yellow glue. Blimey! Blimey! T' angle was obtained by eyeballin' it.

While repairin' t' wingtip, matey, I noticed that bouncin' on t' asphalt also took a bite out o' t' nose. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! At first I was goin' t' try and fill it but then thought better o' that approach. Well, blow me down! I thought I might be able t' reduce t' nose weight a little bit by sandin' a bevel into both sides o' t' nose. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I took out a sandin' block and got t' work. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! The newly beveled nose be sprayed with orange paint and it blended fairly well with t' rest even though t' new surface had nay been sealed.

When t' glue from t' wingtip repair had dried, I took out some Tightbond Trim and Moldin' glue and applied a fillet to each side o' t' joint in an effort t' strengthen it.

When t' repairs were complete, I tried throwin' t' glider a few more times t' test it out but t' results were both contradictory and confusing. Aye aye! Aye aye! Sometimes it would stall like it needed more tail weight. Begad! Other times it would dive and a few times it just kind o' moved without doin' anythin' resemblin' gliding. In t' course o' one o' these tests, it turned in a very nice glide that rivaled anythin' done by t' unpainted model. Arrr! Ya scallywag! I decided t' just wait and try it out on t' launch pad. Avast, me proud beauty! I called t' construction o' this one done.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' maiden flight o' t' Swift Boost Glider was at t' September 09 launch o' t' Alamo Rocketeers. Arrr! Blimey! I prepped it with a 1/2A6-2 and set it up on t' pad. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! It received favorable comments from all for appearance. Almost immediately after leavin' t' rod, matey, t' rocket started t' arc over but t' curve became more gentle over time and it always had a slight upward inclination. I had a good view o' t' pod poppin' off; that was fun t' watch. Begad! Then I got t' watch t' glider plummet t' t' earth; that was nay fun t' watch.

T' vid o' this event can be seen here.

The unanimous consensus o' those present who knew about such things be that t' glider was tail heavy. Avast! Begad! I pulled out one of t' nail weights and repacked t' streamer in t' pod realizin' that I had forgotten t' put any waddin' in thar the first time. Well, blow me down! Fortunately, shiver me timbers, t' streamer was only slightly singed. Ya scallywag! For t' second flight I loaded a B6-2 since I had no B4-2s. Blimey! Well, blow me down! It was taken out t' t' pad and hooked up. Aye aye! When t' ignition button was fired, t' Swift showed t' same arcing behavior as before but nay as drastic. Avast! Ahoy! It went up relatively high considerin' it spent most o' t' boost at about a 60 degree angle t' t' ground. When t' pod popped, me bucko, ya bilge rat, though, things were definitely different. It started gliding. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It would lazily turn into t' wind and seem t' just stand in place for a while nay losin' any altitude and maybe even gainin' a bit. Ya scallywag! Avast! It would then turn with t' wind and fly away for a short time (but a long distance) before turnin' into t' wind t' repeat t' performance....again...and again...and again. Begad! On some circuits it did gain altitude but it be definitely goin' t' come down...eventually. Well, blow me down! I began t' get worried that I would lose it but everyone kept an eye on it until it finally went down...a long way away.

I wish I could show some great photos o' t' flight but I be t' busy bein' awestruck t' remember t' take any. All I have t' offer is a photo o' t' grounded pod a few yards from t' launch pad. Well, blow me down! Oh and me daughter took this video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/3960923315/

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think Gliders are an acquired taste but this one is a great place t' start doin' t' acquiring. It is me first and only glider that can be termed a success t' date. T' construction was simple enough for anyone t' do, t' instructions were well written and, most o' all, it works.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Persons wishin' t' follow t' exploits o' this rocket can do so here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/collections/72157621956600615/