This notional missile be t' latest in t' AGM-65 Maverick air t' ground missile systems. Avast! Buildin' on t' successful AGM-65H with active radar seeker, the "I" model incorporates GPS guidance with active radar terminal guidance.

T' idea for this model came when I noticed that t' fins on t' Estes AGM-57 Heatseeker kit were very similar t' those o' t' Maverick. There are only three fins on t' Heatseeker so you'll need two kits. Ya scallywag! But since the Heatseeker also comes with a set o' "excess" Nike-Smoke shaped fins, you still have a pair o' complete models. Blimey! I should point out that I did nay set out t' build a precise scale model, matey, shiver me timbers, but only capture t' look o' a Maverick. Avast!

After some quick scalin' computations from data obtained from t' Missile Index page, I determined that a BT-60 tube be t' closest t' scale. Aye aye! I used an 11 inch length, me hearties, a little longer than scale t' provide more stability and less nose weight in t' finished model. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nosecone be t' same as that o' t' Estes Baby Bertha kit (two o' these come in t' Estes NC-60A nosecone pack). Begad!

T' engine mount is 18mm and uses t' standard two paper centerin' rin' with engine hook. I took care t' align t' two centerin' rings so they were just wide enough for t' fin slots t' fit betwixt them. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' motor is recessed one-half inch into t' body tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! A Keelhaul®©™® strin' is tied and epoxied t' t' MMT for shock cord retention. Arrr! Blimey! Shock cord is about two feet o' 3/8 inch sewin' elastic.

Mountin' t' fins be t' greatest challenge, ya bilge rat, but be fairly straight forward. Ya scallywag! Avast! First, I printed out a fin alignment wrap in VCP havin' set t' fin width equal t' t' thickness o' t' Heatseeker fin tabs. I also made sure the root chord length I entered into VCP was longer than t' Heatseeker fin. I taped t' fin alignment wrap securely t' t' body tube, alignin' t' bottom of the wrap where I needed t' base o' t' fin slot. I carefully measured the positions o' t' Heatseeker fin slots and colored these locations on t' wrap with a Sharpie. Avast! Blimey! Then it be just a matter usin' a Dremel tool with three cuttin' wheels t' cut out t' fin slots usin' t' markings on t' fin alignment wrap as a guide. Blimey! Fins were attached usin' plastic model cement followed by gap fillin' CA along t' root edges and resulted in sturdy attachment. Arrr! Arrr! Fore and aft launch lugs were added t' resemble mountin' points on t' actual missile. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

After priming, I used Krylon Smoke Gray gloss for t' body and Color Place gloss black (97 cents from WalMart!) for t' nose cone. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! T' decals were from the Heatseeker kit and went on very easily for pressure sensitive decals, matey, shiver me timbers, matey, they are much thinner than those I've used in t' past. Begad! Avast! Blimey! T' stripes were made from self-adhesive Monokote. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! Finished with two coats o' Color Place clear. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! I like the look o' t' glossy finish, matey, although t' real thin' would have a flat finish. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey!

Modelin' clay was added t' t' nose t' ensure stability - always a necessity in modelin' missiles with a warhead. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' model sims t' just over 500 feet on a C6-5 and nearly 200 feet on B6-2. Begad!

First flight was in cold, me bucko, blustery conditions on an Estes B6-2 with a 9 inch nylon parachute. Ahoy! Boost seemed weak with t' rocket archin' into t' wind to maybe 125 feet. Blimey! Ejection occurred past apogee with nose down. Avast! Nose cone ejected but charge wasn't strong enough t' eject t' chute. Landed without damage close to t' pad. (Did I mention that I soaked both ends o' t' body tube with thin CA?) Second flight was another B6-2. Avast, me proud beauty! Perfect - straight boost t' roughly 200 feet with ejection nearly at apogee. Well, blow me down! Nylon chute caught t' wind but landed safely within t' range. Begad! Can't wait t' try this rocket in good weather on the C6-5!