Salvage I

So how do you approach t' design o' a rocket with a limited amount o' parts? I found inspiration in various TV shows and movies such as Flight o' t' Albatross and Mc Giver. Then I remember a long lost favorite ABC series from the late1970’s. Avast! I had me answer, me bucko, SALVAGE 1!

Here’s t' short story…..

Once upon a time, arrr, me hearties, a junkman had a dream...
"I'm gonna build a spaceship, go t' t' moon, salvage all t' junk that's up there, me hearties, brin' it back and sell it."
So he put together a team. An ex-astronaut...a fuel expert...they built a rocketship...
And they went t' t' moon. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Who knows what they'll do next?

To conserve space, I’ll direct you t' a great website with show info: http://www.geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/9782/salvage1.html .

For me t' "star" o' t' show was t' rocket ship, Vulture.

So on t' me model…..

I probably should first state that thar was no way I was goin' t' try t' pull off a full blown scale model o' the vulture given t' part restrictions. Aye aye! So, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I did try t' do t' next best thing. Avast! Ya scallywag! I built a charactature o' t' Vulture with similar features.

T' prototype was built with strapped-on surplus NASA engines, me bucko, matey, ya bilge rat, a gas tanker, and a cement mixer as a capsule.

My parts include a large amount o' body tubes. Avast! I decided on usin' a length o' BT-70. Ahoy! My parts also include a built-up 24mm mount. As far as "strap-on" boosters, me parts also conveniently contained enough 18mm mount to allow t' possibility o' clustering.

Basic construction techniques were used for t' main body. Avast! Split fins were employed only toad some interest. Arrr! The ladder was built in place with CA out o' what I think were bamboo skewers.

T' capsule was t' hardest t' build t' main part is a piece o' t' BT-70. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' "Shoulder" be made from splittin' part o' t' BT-70 and gluin' t' t' inside. Begad! Blimey! T' "nosecone" is made from a small plastic cup. The cub be a slightly smaller diameter than BT-70. Arrr! Some cardboard tabs were used inside t' reinforce t' joint.

T' capsule boosters are offset from t' tube by two launch lugs put together. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' struts are toothpicks that are cut into t' boosters and flooded with Elmer’s t' reinforce. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I be a little surprised how strong this ended up being.

A really wanted t' include t' engine bells but I didn’t receive any card stock. Arrr! I decide t' grab some tubing, arrr, cut it, me bucko, and use a black Brandt nosecone as a mandrel. A couple o' minutes with some CA and a disk sander produced an acceptable set o' bells.

Final construction included basic shock cord mount typical Estes style. Aye aye! Arrr!

Since I didn’t get any decal paper, t' letterin' would prove t' be a challenge. Ahoy! Blimey! T' sides o' t' rocket were base-coated in black. Peel and stick letters were applied. Aye aye! Blimey! A single coat o' silver finished t' Vulture. Begad! Blimey! T' stick on letters were then removed t' reveal t' name in black.

Flight Report:

OK, I’ll admit it! I ran out o' time! My flights required me t' sneak into one o' me favorite "no rockets allowed" field and get this thin' off t' ground a couple o' times before security asks me to leave.

In truth, I really didn’t know how this thin' would fly. Aye aye! I be a little concerned about throwin' a "D" into t' rocket, matey, and blowin' all t' details right off.

So, I adapted a B into t' mount and let it fly. Well, me bucko, let’s just say it was less than marginal! Well, let’s step it up t' a C6-3 and see what happens…. Avast, me proud beauty! Got some better altitude, me hearties, me hearties, but I really wasn’t trying for ground recovery! T' good news is no damage!

So let’s grab t' D and go for it! But wait, in me hast t' launch, T' D engines seem t' be missing! So much for a successful flight.

But wait, it seems I do have an option. Nah, that would be crazy…. Avast! But it might work…….

With encouragement from me son, me hearties, me bucko, we loaded up another C6-3, and three more in t' outboard motors! I really never envisioned doin' this, ya bilge rat, arrr, ya bilge rat, but what t' heck. My clusterin' experience is exactly zero. Avast, me proud beauty! I have well over 1,000 launches I’ve supervised but I’ve never plunged into this realm.

So we wired it up, ya bilge rat, me hearties, said a prayer t' Baby Jesus (ala Talladega Nights), ya bilge rat, a hit t' button. Avast, me proud beauty! T' me surprise we had lift off!

But things were nay well. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Seems durin' our quick reload attempts, I didn’t get t' capsule put on correctly. T' launch rod shall we say "went along for t' ride". As you can probably guess, shiver me timbers, this flight be also less than optimum. Begad! Blimey! But short o' losin' t' launch lug, matey, no major damage happened.

But I be out o' time, shiver me timbers, and sometimes its just better t' accept t' situation rather push me luck!

In conclusion, this contest was a blast! It really ended up a little harder than I expected, but me son & I had fun. Avast! What t' heck, arrr, shiver me timbers, maybe it’s time t' get that Deuce off t' wall!