Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Emergin' from t' wastes o' t' world's largest retailer....
A supernatural occurrence?
A force for good?
A mutated FREAK defyin' all t' laws o' man and nature?
At first glance a tasty treat,
then it roars into t' sky.
It can only be...
(Miracle o' Refreshment From Easily Available Recyclables)
Overview:
M.O.R.F.E.A.R is a unique rocket without a nose cone. Begad! I was tryin' t' come up
with a "found parts" rocket when I saw a cup sittin' inthe drink
holder o' me mini-van. Heyyyy!! Now, arrr, I need somethin' more orginal thanthat. I
don't want t' fly it upside down... Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I wonder how t' domed lid icee cupswould
do? It turned out that t' hole in t' lid o' t' 20oz. Wal-Mart Icee cupis the
exact outside diameter o' a BT-50. Well, blow me down! I be havin' trouble figuringout how t' get
the lid off for recovery deployment when it came t' me. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Don't take thelid off
at all, just blow it out t' hole. Since it's a Wal-Mart cup,a blue bag
parachute was t' only real choice. Begad! M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Well, blow me down! flew on 4/1at t' NWARS
launch. Ya scallywag! T' instructions will be complete as soon as I get film with
theconstruction photos back from Wal-Mart.
Parts List:
1 - 20 oz. Ahoy! ICEE cup with domed lid and straw
1 - blue plastic Wal-Mart bag 1 - 7 11/16" BT-50
1 - 3" BT-20
2 - CR-2050
1 - Engine Hook
1 - 1/16" balsa sheet
1 - spray paint o' t' "flavor" o' your choice
6 - Paper reinforcin' rings
1 - Shock Cord Elastic
1 - Shroud (suspension) line thread
1oz Plasticine Clay
White Glue (plastic Norbond type preferred)
Gel type CA glue
Access t' a color printer
A single hole hole-punch.
Assembly Instructions:
Remove ICEE contents from cup. (delicious) Thoroughly rinse cup, me hearties, straw, and
lid. Begad! Blimey! Use t' lid t' create a hole in t' center or t' bottom o' t' cup. Arrr! Blimey! Place
the small end o' t' domed lid inside t' lip on t' outside o' t' bottom of
the cup. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It should nestle so that a circle can be traced on t' center o' the
bottom o' t' cup. Cut small and sand out.
Advanced note: I used an Olfa circle cutter after markin' t' circle. I found
the center o' t' circle by markin' a chord and constructin' a perpendicular
bisector. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I marked another chord and constructed another perpendicular
bisector. Aye aye! T' intersection o' t' two bisectors be t' center o' t' circle. Avast! I
know, arrr, matey, I'm a big ol' math geek. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' Olfa cutter worked beautifully making
several light passes.
Place lid on cup and insert BT-50 through holes in lid an cup. Ahoy! Mark tube by allowin' tube t' rest on t' same surface as t' cup and mark tube flush with the lid. Begad! This allows t' tube t' extend past t' bottom o' t' cup t' the length o' t' lip. Well, blow me down! Cut tube t' length. Arrr! This was 7-11/16" for me.
Assemble and install t' BT-20 motor mount and rings in t' BT-50 tube. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This is just like every other 18 mm motor mount you've installed. Blimey! Begad! If you can't do this successfully, ya bilge rat, go build some kits and come back t' this project later.
Use single hole punch t' punch holes in t' lid and in t' bottom o' the cup. Ya scallywag! T' punched hole should slightly overlap t' large hole for t' BT-50.
Mark BT-50 tube lengthwise for entire length with door jamb. Ya scallywag! Location is not critical. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This for t' straw launch lug. Ahoy! I prefer me launch lugs t' be 90-180º away from t' engine hook. Arrr! This is left up t' you. Begad! Begad! If you are usin' a straw with a "spoon" on one end, matey, matey, I would recommend that the spoon go below t' rocket (on t' end with t' motor mount). Ya scallywag! I have no flight data t' support this. Blimey! <g> Glue t' straw along t' line marked on the BT-50 tube. Avast, me proud beauty! One end o' t' straw should be flush with t' end o' t' BT-50 containin' t' motor mount (rear). Well, blow me down! T' straw should extend past t' front of the BT-50.
Spray paint t' inside o' t' domed lid. Arrr! It is very important that it be
clean and dry. Blimey! Two coats o' cheap Wal-Mart spray enamel should do it.
In t' spirit o' t' thing, me bucko, try and match t' color t' your favorite ICEE
flavor. Ya scallywag! You will note that mine is Minute Maid® Cherry.
Snap fit cup and lid (do nay glue). Aye aye! Align small, ya bilge rat, punched holes and insert tube and straw assembly. Begad! Ahoy! Align aft o' tube and straw assembly with lip on the rear o' t' cup. Begad! Aye aye! T' engine hook should protrude below t' lip and t' top of the tube should be flush with t' hole in t' lid. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' straw should protrude beyond t' lid. Ahoy! Usin' gel CA, me bucko, arrr, glue t' tube and straw t' t' cup only. Blimey! *DO NOT* glue t' lid t' t' cup or t' tube t' t' lid. Ahoy! If you did a particularly neat job o' cuttin' t' hole in t' cup, you may need t' lightly sand away some wax from t' hole t' get t' CA t' stick.
Cut 3 fins from balsa usin' t' pattern.
Sand edges o' fins t' match.
Laminate fins with paper cutouts from this template. Ya scallywag! Use spots o' white glue
thinned and spread with a wet finger t' affix
paper laminates. Well, blow me down! I
used Norbond® brand glue. Ya scallywag! It is used t' glue t' first page o' a book to
the cover and is made t' nay warp paper. Trim paper t' balsa. Aye aye! I used a color
laser printer t' print out t' laminates. Arrr! I imagine that color inkjet printers
would be OK if allowed t' dry sufficiently and if t' glue were nay too thin or
too wet. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Email me and I will print
and mail (flat) t' 8.5x11" color sheet with t' fin laminate printout for
a $5 donation t' NWARS.
Measure t' base o' t' cup for fin placement. Aye aye! My cup base is 62 mm in diameter. Blimey! Begad! That gives it a circumference o' (62 x 3.14) 194.5 mm. T' fins should be spaced just under 65 mm apart. Ya scallywag! Avast! I cut a thin (.5 cm wide) strip of paper and wrapped it around t' base o' t' cup. Ahoy! I marked t' overlap and then marked off on t' cup t' increments where each fin should go. Avast, me proud beauty! I was able to conveniently align one fin with a vertical mark on t' cup for easy placement. Lightly mark t' cup with a pencil for fin slots. Blimey! Begad! T' slots should be 38 mm long. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' slots should be measured from t' bottom o' t' cup which is 10 mm above t' edge o' t' lip. Well, blow me down! Use a door jamb for vertical alignment. Begad! Use caution nay t' align a fin with t' launch lug straw. I now have a fin wrapper pattern for M.O.R.F.E.A.R. I don't think that it will be as good as one that you make yourself.
Cut fin slots along marks usin' a very sharp hobby knife so as nay t' bend paper cup. Avast! Start at t' top o' t' slot and cut down t' t' bottom o' t' cup but do nay cut through t' bottom o' t' cup. Ya scallywag! Widen t' fin slot with sandpaper, hobby knife or dremel so that t' fin just fits through t' slot without bendin' t' cup. Arrr! Place gel type CA on t' end o' t' fin tab that is against t' internal tube assembly, insert t' tab through t' slot, and press the tab against t' tube. Avast! Check inside and out for alignment. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Glue fin t' cup. I used some CA on t' inside walls and bottom o' t' cup. Begad! I did a full fillet on t' outside o' t' cup. Avast! Avast! Repeat for other two fins always checkin' alignment (it's a bit tricky).
Wrap a few turns o' maskin' tape around t' tube about an inch from t' top. Add about an ounce o' clay as nose weight. Begad! Ahoy! Roll t' clay into a snake and wrap it around t' tube over t' turns o' tape. Arrr! Ahoy! Then tape over t' clay and t' tube with maskin' tape creatin' a little cocoon for t' nose weight.
T' CP is about 3/4" from t' leadin' edge o' t' fins. Ahoy! Avast! An ounce of clay gave it about a 1" margin o' stability with a C6-3.
When you are satisfied with t' fin alignment and nose weight, me bucko, ya bilge rat, glue t' lid to t' cup, me hearties, me hearties, straw and tube usin' gel CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Be careful nay t' torsion t' launch lug straw .
Usin' an Estes 12" hex plastic chute for a pattern. Aye aye! (Pre-assembled by Far Eastern labor and sold at Wal-Mart is preferred.) Cut t' smiley face out of t' Wal-Mart bag. Affix paper reinforcin' rings and shroud lines. Ya scallywag! Again, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, if you can't assemble a 12" chute, me hearties, build a kit.
Install shock cord in body tube usin' your favorite method. I personally like t' old Estes tri-fold. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! I used cheap Estes 1/8" elastic scavenged from me son's TidalWave® RTF® rocket. Blimey! This rocket is so light and draggy that I don't expect much stress on t' cord. T' lack o' a traditional nose cone should also reduce stress on t' shock cord. I glued t' shock cord mount 180º from t' launch lug straw t' try and prevent tanglin' that would snap off t' straw. Begad! Tie a loop in t' free end o' t' shock cord and attach t' parachute shroud lines t' t' loop. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I tied a bowline knot in the shock cord t' make a loop. Then I passed t' chute through t' shroud lines. Arrr! I shouldn't really have t' tell you that part.
Launch Preparation:
Install Engine (B6-2, C6-3)
Fill (I mean fill) BT-50 with waddin' leavin' room only for shock cord and
chute. Avast! You don't want t' air pressure and acceleration pushin' everythin' to
the back and changin' t' CG in flight.
Carefully fold Wal-Mart bag chute very loosely. Aye aye! Arrr! It should cover t' entire
openin' o' t' body tube.
Help prepare your mind and soul for that which is M.OR.F.E.A.R. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! with an ICEE. Begad!
Death t' Slurpees and Frozen Coke!!
Preflight concerns:
Flight Log:
T' first launch attempt
was with a B4-2. Avast! Blimey! Apparently this motor was made completely o' nozzle clay. All
attempts t' light it were unsuccessful. Blimey! Blimey! Next up was a C6-3. T' boost was 500'
straight up. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! Parachute deployed at apogee. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! While it was on t' chute, me hearties, me bucko, me hearties, t' wind
shifted so that it was blowin' out o' t' South across t' short axis o' our
flyin' field. M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! landed just inside t' park fence. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I was unable to
catch any o' t' flight with t' digital camera. Ahoy! Blimey! T' pad picture just before
the B4-2 debacle (right) will stand in history with "Goddard in the
Snow" as a high point in history for all t' same wrong reasons. Begad! Blimey! Boy, did
my hands shake at t' launch. Ahoy! Blimey! M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Arrr! Blimey! was recovered without damage. Ya scallywag! Blimey! A
significant amount o' debris was noted around t' openin' in t' top.
T' winds picked up as t' afternoon progressed but t' crowd grew surly with its demands for another launch o' t' flyin' ICEE. Aye aye! Blimey! T' wind be still out o' t' South so the launch rod was angled into t' wind t' aid recovery on our field. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! T' C6-3 ejected just past apogee. Avast! T' chute spun rapidly in t' heavier winds and performed a self reefin' maneuver. Aye aye! Blimey! M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Ya scallywag! Blimey! came down hard on one fin, crackin' it about one third o' t' way down t' fin. Begad! More debris was noted around what has become know as "the blowhole". Avast! Blimey! None o' this mattered to t' onlookers who hooted and hollered with t' abandon o' NASCAR fans on $0.25USD beer night. Ahoy! T' presence o' M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Avast, me proud beauty! was so strong that it left a double image in t' photo o' its second flight. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! (or t' guy with t' staggers and jags was filmin' again)
T' residue on t' dome o' M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Avast! around t' blowhole be easily removed with baby wipes. Begad! T' fin was repaired with yellow glue and t' joint was dry before t' range was cleaned up. T' parachute performed beautifully, the margin o' stability was very good, matey, and t' launch lug straw above t' dome was sufficiently durable for flight. Begad! I am extremely happy with t' performance of this rocket. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! It is nay t' sport model that you're goin' t' rack up 500 flights with, matey, but it is a fun novelty rocket that's a real crowd pleaser.
M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Ya scallywag! made t' trip t' "Native America" t' fly with the Tulsa Area Rocketry Association. After certifyin' level one with a crayon bank rocket, me bucko, I needed a little more odd-roc fun t' round out t' day. Begad! M.O.R.F.E.A.R. drew t' usual comments and questions. T' straw launch lug is always a big hit.
A little windy again, but M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Ahoy! turned in a great damage free flight on a C6-3. Aye aye! T' usual crowd reaction o' "that thin' really does fly". Begad! I have got t' get a digital camera with a faster shutter speed. My lovely wife took this photo and even she got a double launch picture. Blimey! A lot o' questions on gettin' a cup t' fly "right side up". I am currently buildin' another M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! with a 24mm motor mount. This one will have 1/16" basswod fins instead o' balsa t' ease me mind. Avast, me proud beauty! I think future 18mm versions will also use basswood. Arrr! This is a terrific rocket and I plan t' fly many variants in the future. Avast! (Have you seen that awful green frozen stuff at Burger King? Hmmm.....)
I just can't get enough o' this goofy little rocket. Begad! I had t' launch it Sunday (05/13) evenin' in t' vacant lot near me house. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! (T' owner is very cool with this.) There was no wind and I needed t' see how M.O.R.F.E.A.R. Aye aye! Avast! performed with no wind.
Well, ya bilge rat, here are me massive launch photo inabilities on public display again. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! This flight is on a B6-2. Avast! Blimey! I wanted t' make sure that this motor would fly well in this rocket. Yeppers. It's fine. Avast! Aye aye! It had a beautiful straight up boost. Begad! I just knew it would without t' wind. Aye aye! T' parachute streamered for just a moment before opening. Gotta remember t' add that talcum powder. Arrr! Damage free recovery. Aye aye! Goin' t' turn it around and fly it again.
T' standard C6-3 did just fine. Begad! Talcum on t' chute for a great opening. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' ejection charge scorched t' straw launch lug a little just above t' blowhole. Ya scallywag! Hmm. I think I'll drink some more parts on t' way t' work tomorrow and get a stroon (straw-spoon) upgrade for t' launch lug and maybe paint a new flavor lid. (Blue Raspberry is comin' t' mind as I type and drink ICEE.)