Brief:
Maverick AGM-65A-X White Version True 33% Scale Length: 32" Diameter: 4" Fin Span: 14" Fin Height: 3" Est Weight: 5-6 lbs Dry Motors: "I-J" class For t' longest time, ya bilge rat, I have always had a passion for Military Missiles; t' power, their ability t' maneuver and target and the unique looks o' these warbirds defendin' our skies have left me in awe, watchin' as they perform their duty defendin' our country. Aye aye! Blimey! Though they may be an icon o' freedom, missiles are a bit more difficult t' duplicate in our hobby, matey, due their inherent but required instability. Blimey! Blimey! This be t' challenge that has driven me t' build rockets such as the AMRAAM, Harpoon and now, t' TV Guided AGM-65A Maverick. Arrr! Arrr! T' construction throughout this article may seem a bit long, matey, but t' model is very easy t' build and looks great on or off t' rail. Blimey!

Construction:
Before I began, ya bilge rat, I knew this would be a heavy rocket as that is what is usually required t' make a true scale missile stable…a lot o' nose weight. Aye aye! Blimey! In fact, for as short as it is, it wound up bein' t' heaviest one in t' group when considerin' length t' weight, so great care be taken t' make sure it would be stable on t' pad. Begad! Begad! Blimey! I had planned on customizin' me own nosecone, includin' t' lens section, me bucko, so after takin' many pictures from WPAFB U. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! S. Arrr! Blimey! Air Force Museum, shiver me timbers, t' decal documentation be completed. Blimey! Blimey! They had two o' these missiles on site, arrr, one in white and one in olive drab, so I decided t' build the white TV guided version for now, ya bilge rat, but will eventually have both as I took pics of both. Avast, me proud beauty! Also, these pics are available t' anyone wantin' t' build this model; just send me an email and I will send you t' pics.

I began construction with t' body tube; the tube is PML Quantum and it uses a piston ejection system, as I have found them very reliable when "tuned in" properly. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's designed as a basic single deploy model and uses a dual parachute system. Ahoy! Blimey! Main fins are TTW, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, while the center fins have t' lower 6" extendin' through t' wall into t' body tube for mounting; t' remainin' forward part o' t' upper fin resides in a "dato" slot. Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! T' Body tube was pre-slotted from PML t' my specifications, arrr, me hearties, but I had t' cut out t' lower 6" for t' upper fins all the way through for t' TTW mount as PML only dato slotted them. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! After this was done, I spent some time drawin' t' fin patterns out on t' .062" G10 fiberglass sheets I had purchased. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

I worked on t' Maverick fins next; all the fins were rough cut with a Dremel and asbestos cuttin' wheel, arrr, then I stacked the lower fin set and used a table sander t' "fine" shape them. Arrr! Arrr! Next, I worked on t' upper fin set. I started by flushin' up t' bottom root and rear, arrr, then used t' table sander t' shape t' rear. Begad! Once this be done, ya bilge rat, I stacked them and drilled two 1/4" holes through t' bottom root o' t' fin that resides inside t' body tube. Arrr! Arrr! T' fins were bolted together, then final sanded on t' table sander. All fins were ready t' go and I just need t' round some edges. Arrr!

After I rounded t' edges o' t' fins, me bucko, I cut a small corner in t' long fins tip t' simulate t' real ones. Well, blow me down! T' motor mount be next; it was sanded and ready t' go. Aye aye! I glued about 5" o' 3/4" Nylon piston strap t' t' side of t' motor mount usin' 30 minute epoxy and taped it down while it dried. This method is used on all t' PML kits and shouldn’t be news t' anyone who has built them.

I glued on t' upper centerin' rin' for t' lower fins and t' lower centerin' rin' for t' upper fins. Well, arrr, blow me down! This way I had access t' both fin areas for mounting. Well, blow me down! T' CR's were epoxied t' t' motor mount after carefully measurin' their position. Avast! Next, ya bilge rat, I mixed up some West Systems epoxy and installed t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! While I was at it, matey, I took t' top centerin' rin' and added a slot for t' 3/4" Nylon piston strap. Avast! Next, me hearties, I glazed it with t' remainin' epoxy so t' top CR would be waterproof and make for easy cleanup. Ya scallywag!

T' lower fins were aligned and glued through t' wall o' t' body tube on t' t' motor mount. Begad! I fiberglassed the inside joint on each fin side usin' 6 oz cloth followin' me normal routine, then used some 1/4" Balsa planks t' sandwich t' fins betwixt t' inside body tube wall and motor mount. Blimey! T' planks were cut t' t' length o' each fin, then rolled in epoxy and installed while dripping, shiver me timbers, so they hardened like concrete but weigh a lot less that hardwood. It's a new technique I am trying for inside fillet replacement. Begad! I installed a centerin' rin' over t' bottom of the motor mount and pushed it up against t' bottom o' t' lower fins and planks. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This fin area was now capped at both ends usin' CR's.

T' bottom centerin' rin' was marked usin' a PMR retainer as a template. Next, I installed three 8-32 blind nuts for t' retainer and epoxied them into place. Aye aye! T' very bottom G-10 centerin' rin' be placed in a short piece o' body tubin' and t' CR with t' blind nuts was laid over top o' it; this 1" deep piece o' BT be me alignment jig. Ahoy! Begad! I drilled three holes through t' blind nuts into t' G-10, shiver me timbers, then used a bigger drill bit t' open t' holes. Avast, me proud beauty! t' G-10 CR was placed over t' ply rin' and it be a perfect fit as t' blind nuts stuck out o' t' ply about 1/32" and fell right into t' G10 holes. Well, blow me down! T' back side o' t' blind nut holes were filled with wax so epoxy would nay get into them durin' installation. Ahoy! I roughed up t' inside face o' t' G-10 ring, then mixed up some 5 minute epoxy and laminated t' two pieces together and clamped them until they dried.

Next, me hearties, I mixed up some West Systems epoxy and applied it around t' inside of t' body tube and motor mount at t' end. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I also applied some t' t' inside and outside edges o' t' laminated CR, matey, then poured t' rest inside t' bottom well o' t' body tube. Ahoy! T' laminated CR be inserted into t' BT, ya bilge rat, arrr, then t' Bt was placed upright on a table and pushed t' bottom CR assembly flush into place. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I cleaned up any excess epoxy, which wasn't much, ya bilge rat, with denatured alcohol, then rolled t' body tube t' make sure all t' glue inside would produce some good fillets. Arrr!

My plan was t' mold me own glass window out o' epoxy. First off, I want to say t' you all, arrr, NEVER use acetone t' thin out epoxy! Blimey! My experimentation brought forth results that can only be described in a photo. Aye aye! Blimey! I tried it with some 5 minute epoxy, and when it kicked...it KICKED! Blimey! It started bubblin' and rising like a cake...I LMAO. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' result be a bubbly substance that actually represents expandin' foam, which rose t' 1" thick; looks like I found a new use for epoxy as a foam filler! Blimey!

Well, matey, arrr, matey, I switched t' West Systems 105 Resin with 206 Hardener, matey, which is 30 minute. Blimey! Blimey! T' 206 is less yellow than t' 15 minute or 1 hour, so it was me first choice. I cleaned out me mold (bowl) from t' previous attempt, me bucko, me bucko, then mixed up a batch and poured it in. Begad! As careful as I was with mixing, it was loaded with bubbles, so I took some denatured alcohol and poured a little into t' mold, then started mixing. Avast, me proud beauty! It got swirly at first, me hearties, but then cleared up and the bubbles were dissapearin' left and right. Begad! Once it be clear, ya bilge rat, t' top still was not smooth, me bucko, arrr, me hearties, so I lightly blew on it and actually watched t' alcohol evaporate to leave a glass finish. Begad! Blimey! T' mold be left t' set overnite. Avast, me proud beauty! Once set up, ya bilge rat, I "popped" t' glass out o' t' mold and it came out really well. The Diameter o' t' lense was just under 3".

I laid t' glass piece over top t' nosecone,. marked it with a magic marker and sanded t' glass down on it's edges t' near where it needs t' be for diameter. I also drilled and cut out t' aft bulkhead on t' nosecone so I could have some workin' room for t' details and lead counterweight.

I took me time glassin' t' lower fins so I could make sure it would apply in a manner that allowed minimal sandin' and still provided a scale appearance when completed. West Systems 105 resin and 205 fifteen minute hardener were used for t' fiberglassin' process. Arrr! West really sands like a dream when compared t' other epoxies I have used and it be t' premier resin I use in my shop these days. Aye aye! Aye aye! Blimey! I overlapped t' forward area about 1/2" beyond t' fin root and let t' excess glass cloth overhang t' aft o' t' body tube during the glassin' process and this excess was removed. Avast! Aye aye! Blimey! Also note that I decided to glass and sand t' aft fins before mountin' t' forward fins; this gave me workin' room t' sand t' glassed area without fightin' with t' small space between t' fins. Ahoy! Fine sandin' was completed and t' lower fins were ready for primer.

Installin' t' center fins on t' Maverick was next on t' agenda. Well, blow me down! I used 5 minute epoxy t' tack them in, then finished the center fin fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! In summary, I tape one end, matey, then ran tape across the fin and BT parallel t' and about 3/8” from t' joint. Well, blow me down! I poured t' epoxy, then used a piece o' PVC tubin' t' make t' fillets and wiped off t' excess from t' PVC end as I went. Once done, a ridge o' extra epoxy had formed from excess epoxy spillin' out t' sides o' t' PVC tube while squegeein' and it resided on t' tape. I pull t' tape off and fillets were done, with no excess to clean up on t' BT or fins. Begad! Begad!

Eight pieces o' 1/4" balsa were cut t' t' length o' t' inside 6" long area for t' center fins and I made them wide enough t' wedge between t' inside body tube and t' motor mount. T' top o' t' motor mount was plugged with a rubber boot so epoxy wouldn't run down t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! The planks were saturated with West Systems epoxy and pushed into place, then I installed t' very top centerin' ring. I poured some more epoxy on t' top of the centerin' rin' and rolled it around t' create fillets, me bucko, then cleaned up any spilled epoxy. Next, arrr, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I glued t' Nylon strap t' t' Piston face plate, then glued this face plate into t' Piston tube. Begad! Blimey! Once it set, shiver me timbers, I glazed t' inside and outside faces o' t' piston with epoxy t' waterproof t' wood and make for easy cleanup with soap and water after a launch. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey!

I completely sanded t' rocket, arrr, then did an initial fill on t' body tube and nosecone. Ahoy! More sandin' (yuk!), a tac rag and it was finally ready for primer. Aye aye! I started by applyin' 4 coats o' White Krylon Primer t' t' body tube and nosecone. Well, blow me down! It dried overnite, then I wetsanded with 150-220 grit sandpaper. Next, me bucko, matey, I applied 4 coats o' Gray Krylon Primer t' t' BT and NC and let them sit for two nites. I filled any pinholes, arrr, then "dry" sanded t' filler with 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Ya scallywag! A couple o' spots were touched up, ya bilge rat, then I wetsanded both pieces with 220 grit sandpaper. Begad! Begad! Some more light filling, arrr, then four more coats o' White Krylon Primer were applied t' both t' nosecone and bodytube and left once more t' dry overnight for two nites. Ya scallywag! Ahoy!

I wetsanded once again under the sink with 400 grit and moved t' 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Arrr! T' nosecone was dried, shiver me timbers, then I used a tac rag t' remove any dust. Avast! Finally, matey, 4 coats o' Krylon White Glossy Paint were applied t' t' nosecone and it came out pretty nice. Next, me bucko, t' surface o' t' BT be tac ragged, then I applied 4 coats o' White Glossy Krylon Paint. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' coupler holder was removed from t' front o' t' BT, along with t' paper I had taped up inside t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Note that I now use glossy paint for all me rockets, with t' exception o' a few nosecones. This allows for a much smoother surface when applyin' decals, t' paint is much thicker than flat paint, matey, which lets it fill nicer and I wind up flat coatin' it afterwards anyway for that military look. Well, blow me down!

Workin' from all t' photos and measurements I took while at t' WPAFB Museum, I spent t' next day finishin' t' scale decals and have them available via a link. I was able t' fit 2 complete sets on one sheet o' decal paper...good for redundancy. Begad! Begad! One other thin' I did follow be t' colorin' of the decals...I used me photos t' "sample" t' color o' t' real missile, so yes, even t' color is exact.

It be time t' do rivets…I grabbed me syringe, some R/C canopy glue, matey, a roll o' low tack maskin' tape and a marker. Avast! Begad! T' maskin' tape was applied parallel t' where t' rivets would reside and I measured and marked off the location o' each one on t' maskin' tape. Arrr! Begad! Next, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, t' syringe be filled with the glue; canopy glue resembles Elmers White Glue, matey, except when it dries, me hearties, it can be easily painted since it is water and oil-proof. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Doin' one side at a time and workin' from me photos and markers, I completed all t' rivets on t' model. Begad! Arrr! If I made a mistake, ya bilge rat, t' old rivot be simply "wiped" away and a new one was done. It took a few hours but, as sick as this sounds, shiver me timbers, was very enjoyable. T' rivets dry in about an hour, shiver me timbers, so in no time I was sprayin' t' final coat of Krylon White Glossy Paint over them. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

After t' paint dried, I masked off t' bottom o' t' rocket and painted the brown stripe usin' Krylon Brown Glossy Paint. Ahoy! T' maskin' was removed, ya bilge rat, then the edges were pressed down and t' model was set aside. Aye aye!

Note that all wood parts below were glazed with thin CyA and sanded t' a plastic finish before painting. Begad! Now came for t' very fun and exciting part...the nosecone! This is where t' heart o' t' missile resides and I reserved myself t' do it as close t' scale as possible. Blimey! I started by makin' two Phenolic rings, one 1.5" and one 2" in diameter. Next, a large base plate was made that would cap t' inside bottom o' t' assembly. Ya scallywag! Two other plates were made from 1/4" ply, arrr, one 1.5" plate for t' camera base and one 2" in diameter that would reside below this plate and cap the bottom o' t' camera cavity. Begad!

T' phenolic rings were filled, shiver me timbers, then primed and painted. Blimey! Blimey! T' two smaller plates were primed, then t' smaller one was painted with Testors Gold Paint and t' bottom plate be painted black. Arrr! I began workin' on detailin' t' gold camera baseplate. Aye aye! I made a support bracket from some .010 mil plastic sheet, then primed and painted it black. Three pins were cut t' 1/4" in length and used t' mount t' bracket. Arrr! A template was made and 4 holes were marked and drilled in t' gold plate. No. Begad! Well, blow me down! 1 screws were mounted in t' holes for realistic support o' t' lens assembly. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Next, I cut out a front faceplate, angled at t' edges and marked groove marks on it in 10 degree increments. Well, blow me down! Begad! I used a Dremel with a cuttin' wheel and and cut grooves in t' front faceplate, then cut out t' unused center section and epoxied it in t' front o' t' nosecone. It was primed, then painted by hand usin' Testors Silver Paint.

Now it be time t' turn me attention t' t' camera. I used a 1/2" piece o' wooden dowel, shiver me timbers, me bucko, put it inside me drill press and used a combination of files t' cur grooves in it t' make t' camera shaft. Begad! Notches were added t' the sides for realism, me bucko, then it be primed and hand painted in silver. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' top of the camera be made from a piece o' white plastic tube and died black usin' Rit Dye. I pressed it on t' silver camera shaft, then filled it with 5 minute epoxy, creatin' a lens with t' epoxy. Well, blow me down! A hole be drilled thorugh t' two plates and t' camera shaft and I used a 4-40 screw and epoxy t' assemble the three pieces, arrr, along with t' Phenolic sleeves. Begad! A CR be made for t' 2" sleeve and glued t' t' sleeve, then t' entire assembly was glued t' t' front plate inside t' nosecone. Begad! Arrr!

I spent t' next few days detailin' t' Maverick; all t' decals were cut out for t' body tube, arrr, then applied usin' Microscale Decal Set. Well, blow me down! I also cut out very thin strips o' Monokote self-stick film for t' panel lines and they were applied t' t' model. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' decals came out really nice, so I turned me attention to t' nosecone. Arrr! It was masked off, shiver me timbers, me hearties, then t' red stripe was painted using Krylon Bright Red Glossy Paint. T' maskin' be removed and t' edges were pushed down, leavin' it nearly seamless. Avast! Finally, I applied t' decals t' the nosecone, arrr, which was a bit o' a feat. Begad! Each red letter had t' be individually applied t' follow t' curve o' t' nosecone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, even though they were printed out as a label. Aye aye! Begad! Once again, Microscale Decal Set was used and t' nosecone decals were completed. Blimey!

Four coats o' Top Flite Flat Clear Dullcoat were applied t' t' body tube, then it was left t' dry. Well, blow me down! T' nosecone be next...I masked off t' upper face where t' lens would attach and shot four coats o' clear on it, after cleaning it first with a tac rag. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Blimey! Both t' nosecone and body tube coated well.

Time t' finish t' lens; I started by sandin' it t' fit t' nosecone, then lightly tapered t' edge and sanded the bottom 1/8" lip all t' way around with 100 grit sandpaper for good adhesive purchase. Ya scallywag! T' top 3/16" lip was also sanded with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper t' prepare it for painting. Begad! Avast! Blimey! Maskin' t' outer 3/16" was a challenge; I wanted it t' be a perfect circle, arrr, but without templates, you have to "eyeball" it when masking. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I wound up usin' some 1/16" R/C Trim Tape for t' "master" edge, then worked me way inward t' the peak o' t' Lens with 1/8", shiver me timbers, 1/4" and finally 3/4" maskin' tape. Additionally, me bucko, t' bottom o' t' Lens was also masked usin' strips o' 2" blue low-tac maskin' tape. Begad!

Once t' Lens be masked off, I hit t' lip that was showin' again with 600 grit sandpaper, me bucko, shiver me timbers, cleaned it and went t' paint. Two coats o' Krylon Semi-Flat Black Paint were used t' paint t' Lens. Avast, me proud beauty! I knew that I only had one chance to get it right, shiver me timbers, especially with maskin' it and sanding, ya bilge rat, so extreme care was taken not t' overdue it. Blimey! I let t' paint dry for about a half hour, then removed the bottom masking. Ya scallywag! It looked good so far , me hearties, ya bilge rat, so T' rest o' t' tape was removed and it worked! I had a nice 3/16" lip all t' way around t' Lens. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I pressed the inner paint lip down and blended t' ridge t' t' lens, which is easy t' do since t' paint is still soft and it was ready t' mount. Ya scallywag!

Next, I worked on t' nosecone bulkheads and balancing. Begad! I used the remainin' BB's I had that Ken Parker gave me ( I am out Ken, please send more ). Well, blow me down! Some West Systems Epoxy be mixed, me hearties, matey, then poured into t' inside front o' the nosecone, around t' edges. I laid t' nosecone on a flat surface and poured the BB's on t' aft 2" inside plate, which be t' bottom plate o' the camera assembly. Arrr! They bounced everywhere and evenly distributed themselves around t' front o' t' nosecone and sank into t' epoxy. Arrr! I set t' nosecone aside t' let t' added lead weight set and began work on t' bulkheads. Begad!

Three plates were made for t' bulkhead assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! T' inside plate be hollowed out for access t' t' nose in case more weight needed t' be added. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I drilled holes through all three plates, arrr, then took the inside plate and installed two 1/4" blind nuts (T-nuts for you rocket guys.) Next, I installed two bolts through t' T-nuts so they would extend out the back o' this plate. Arrr! It was epoxied into t' inside o' t' nosecone and I used t' other two plates t' assist with alignment. Ahoy! T' outside plates were removed, shiver me timbers, matey, and West epoxy was poured on t' inside o' t' bulkhead plate t' add a good inside fillet.

T' two outside plates were laminated together with West Systems Epoxy and a 850lb rated solid 1/4" "Eye" bolt be installed t' hold the two bulkheads together while t' epoxy set. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I ran some epoxy around t' edge of this assembly t' strengthen it and prevent chipping, then let it dry. Begad! T' plate was installed over t' bulkhead t' check t' fit and it worked out well. Aye aye! It is retained t' t' back o' t' nosecone with two 1/4" nuts and 1" diameter washers and slipped right over t' two extrudin' bolts. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

Now it was time t' check balance. Avast, me proud beauty! I loaded up a 3 Grain Pro38 I205 and installed it in t' aft o' t' model. A 15' piece o' shock cord was cut from the spool o' 9/16" Tubular Nylon I purchased from t' ROL Auction some time ago and placed inside t' body tube. Begad! I cut another 10' section, which will be used for t' nosecone, and also placed it inside t' tube. Ahoy! T' model will use dual parachutes, one for t' nosecone and one for t' body tube; this setup has worked well for t' Harpoon and helps prevent zippers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, so I decided t' use it for t' Maverick. Quick links were added and t' nosecone be installed, then t' model be checked for balance. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Blimey!

With motor installed, CG came out t' 2 1/2" in front o' CP. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! FYI, Center o' Pressure is located 12" from t' aft o' t' model. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I decided to add a bit more nose weight, shiver me timbers, me bucko, so I purchased some 1/4" x 1 1/2" fender washers and stacked them on t' shaft o' t' "Eye" bolt. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' plate was bolted t' t' bottom o' t' nosecone and checked once again for CG. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This time it was 4 1/2" in front o' CP...I was finished with t' balancing. Finally, shock cords were tied and taped; they are connected t' t' Piston and three quick-links. Begad! Blimey!

T' lens was mounted usin' a 1/8" wide thin film o' Silicon Sealer around t' mouth o' t' nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I made sure t' inside camera bay was free of dust, then cleaned t' inside o' t' lens before mounting. I placed t' lens on, shiver me timbers, twisted it a bit for a good seal and wiped up t' excess. Arrr! It appeared t' be stuck on pretty darn good, so sandin' both edges paid off. Blimey!

A trip t' t' hardware store be required before I could mount t' rail buttons. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! I picked up some Stainless #8 screws 1" long and some 8/32 bolts 1" long, along with some lockin' nuts. Avast! Blimey! T' hole for t' lower screw was drilled and t' button was installed. Arrr! T' upper button be installed witha bolt and I hand curved a 3/4" fender washer for t' inside o' t' BT. Begad! T' bolt was retained with a #8 self lockin' nut. Begad! I checked t' lens and it too was ready, so I am polished up t' Lens and got ready t' take some final pics.

Flight:
All I can say about launch day is, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, well, it be hot! Blimey! Fortunately, we had humidity in t' low 40% range and t' breeze o' 4-6mph made it tolerable. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! It was time t' launch t' Maverick AGM-65! Blimey! I assembled t' Pro38 3 grain I205, then installed it in t' motor mount and used a PML retainer t' keep it in place. A dual parachute design was used; t' body tube comes down under one chute, ya bilge rat, while t' nosecone comes down under it’s own parachute. I started usin' this setup with me scratch Harpoon AGM-84, which also can be found in a review here at EMRR. Ya scallywag! This deployment technique gets t' heavy nosecone away from t' body tube, helpin' prevent zippers. Ya scallywag!

CG was checked, ya bilge rat, which was one BT in front o' t' CP located 12” from the rear. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Then I realized that I forgot t' put a pressure relief hole in the forward BT, me bucko, me hearties, so I broke out t' Dremel and did a field drill with a 1/8" bit and located t' hole 5” behind t' end o' t' BT. My flight card was filled out and I headed t' t' rail. Begad! Blimey! T' card was turned in and I weighed the model. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' nosecone came in at 1.5 lbs and t' Body tube I found out later came in at 3.51 lbs without motor or chute. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! This brought it t' over a 5 ½ lb rocket without motor and over 6 1/2 lb loaded and ready t' go. Avast! Blimey! T' rocket was placed on t' rail, t' ignitor be installed and it be time for a launch.

When t' button was pushed, it took t' t' skies, arrr, did a swirl about 200' up and continued. T' flight was way cool...the swirl, ya bilge rat, then up at about a 70 degree pitch...I would have sworn a F-14 was targetin' it! T' delay be set to 9 seconds, matey, since Rocksim said 10 was too much and 8 was a bit short. Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, me bucko, the delay needed t' be ALOT shorter, me hearties, a 8 or 6 seconds would have worked. Arrr! It did eject nose-down, but didn't zipper and both t' nose cone and BT came in under their own chutes. Well, blow me down! I heard t' nosecone land, which wasn't usually a good sign. Walkin' over, I found t' body tube in t' high grass and in pristine condition, me hearties, but t' nosecone wasn't quite as lucky. Begad! It landed in a gravel parkin' area just off t' access road, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but luckily, me hearties, arrr, it didn't hit t' road. Blimey! The gravel chipped some o' t' paint on it's side, so a touch up will be needed, but t' lens only received a minor scratch, me hearties, since it obviously landed sideways. I was very pleased with t' rocket’s flight, but I feel it needs a bit more nose weight and a bigger motor like a 4 grain PRo38 I240 or a AT I211W. Nosecone weight will be brought up another 8 oz and t' paint will be fixed but, for as much fin as be on this bird and t' unknown conditions o' building a exact scale replica, I be VERY happy with t' flight!!!

Summary:
In summary, matey, t' Maverick be a blast t' build and fly! Old school strengthening methods and basic construction o' a single deploy airframe shouldn’t be news t' any HPR flier and makes this rocket very easy t' build. Aye aye! In order to really make it stand out though, take t' time and detail t' model as this will give it features that are both unique and a real head turner. Aye aye! Flight characteristics make it look just plain good in t' air and t' details make it stand out on t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! I do have a ½ scale 6” diameter version on the boards now which will be done in t' 65D Infrared Olive drab version, but that will be another story. Ya scallywag! Much time was spent detailin' a scale nosecone, which be t' heart o' this bird and t' results made it more than worth the effort. Well, blow me down! Begad! Scale Mavericks are hard t' find in kit form, and impossible for HPR, but with this solid design, arrr, decals now available and t' long but necessary construction details posted in this report, anyone can easily build this AGM-65A TV Guided Maverick!!!