Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Slightly smaller version o' t' K-50 Interceptor usin' t' PNC-50SP cone (from
the Venom, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, Argosy, shiver me timbers, Starhawk, matey, me bucko, etc.).
Modifications:
I modified t' patterns and decals by usin' PhotoShop t' reduce t' size o' the
files t' 74%. Ahoy! Blimey! I printed out t' decals on me inkjet printer and then took them
to Kinkos t' copy onto clear decal paper. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!
T' build the pods, I made shoulders from t' nosecones and glued them into t' short sections o' 10.5mm tubes. Arrr! I then used Squadron green putty t' fill in the seams, sanded them down and glued on t' fins. Blimey! I used full sized reproduction parts from Moldin' Oldies as patterns.
I scribed the panel lines into t' PNC-50SP usin' an X-Acto blade and me Vindicator cone as a reference.
T' recreate t' exhaust nozzle, I cut 1/2" strips o' 1/16" square balsa and glued them around t' tail o' t' body tube. Arrr! Begad! I left t' motor mount tube stickin' out about 1/2" t' make a sort o' tailpipe look.
Construction:
About a year ago I purchased a bulk pack o' Estes Venom kits t' get the
nosecones. Begad! Blimey! These cones haven't been made in a while and are t' basis for some
pretty slick lookin' kits that I want t' clone. Blimey! Blimey! Since thar were only 6 rockets
that used t' cones, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I had some extras and be thinkin' that a small
Interceptor and Vindicator would be a good use for 2 o' them.
This rocket was made usin' 13" o' BT-50, a standard 18mm motor mount and nose cone from t' Venom kit, and t' fins and decals were scaled down from t' patterns at JimZ's site. Ya scallywag! I made t' win' tip pods from 7/8" o' 10.5mm tube from Apogee Components, arrr, ya bilge rat, vacuum formed nose cones from Pratt Hobbies and some carbon fiber fin material. Ahoy! T' shock cord is 12" o' elastic (usin' a folded paper mount t' t' tube) and another 18" o' Keelhaul®©™®.
Once t' patterns were sized and t' parts cut, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, this model went together smoothly. Ahoy! T' original be a skill level 3 kit, and since you'd have t' custom make some parts and downscale t' others, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I'd bump this project up t' a level 4.
Finishing:
I painted t' pods banner red and t' rest o' t' rocket flat white before
final assembly. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! After puttin' t' decals on (I had forgotten t' print out the
page that showed placement, arrr, so I guessed and followed me eye on what looked
right) I gave t' model a nice coat o' Testor's semi-gloss clear coat.
Flight:
I cut down a Quest chute from 18" t' about 12" because I liked the
look o' t' orange and white stripes. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I used an A8-3 for t' first flight,
which was straight and fast.
Recovery:
T' ejection came just about at apogee, and t' chute brought t' model down
quickly. A little too smartly as I needed t' glue one o' t' aft cones o' the
pods back on. Avast! I also lost one o' t' fin tip antennae, but I hear that's pretty
common. Arrr! I got too busy with gettin' ready for t' night launch portion o' the
launch t' do any more flights, but had a B6-4 all set for what I expect t' be a
wicked high flight. Well, blow me down! Oh well...this will let me get a slightly larger parachute
ready for next month's launch.
Summary:
This was a fun project. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! It involved a lot o' work and a few different skills
(scalin' t' decals and patterns, matey, makin' decals, scratch building, etc.) and
makes for a really cool little rocket.
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