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, I have always had a passion for Military Missiles; t' power, me hearties, 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! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Though they may be an icon o' freedom, missiles are a bit more difficult t' duplicate in our hobby, due their inherent but required instability. 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. Ya scallywag! T' construction throughout this article may seem a bit long, but t' model is very easy t' build and looks great on or off t' rail.

Construction:
Before I began, shiver me timbers, 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. Begad! Aye aye! In fact, matey, for as short as it is, it wound up bein' t' heaviest one in t' group when considerin' length t' weight, me bucko, so great care was taken t' make sure it would be stable on t' pad. Aye aye! I had planned on customizin' me own nosecone, includin' t' lens section, so after takin' many pictures from WPAFB U. Avast! Arrr! S. Arrr! Air Force Museum, arrr, t' decal documentation be completed. Begad! Ahoy! They had two o' these missiles on site, shiver me timbers, one in white and one in olive drab, shiver me timbers, so I decided t' build the white TV guided version for now, but will eventually have both as I took pics of both. Begad! Also, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me hearties, 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, shiver me timbers, as I have found them very reliable when "tuned in" properly. Avast! Blimey! It's designed as a basic single deploy model and uses a dual parachute system. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Main fins are TTW, me hearties, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' Body tube was pre-slotted from PML t' my specifications, 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. After this was done, arrr, I spent some time drawin' t' fin patterns out on t' .062" G10 fiberglass sheets I had purchased. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey!

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

After I rounded t' edges o' t' fins, me hearties, I cut a small corner in t' long fins tip t' simulate t' real ones. T' motor mount be next; it was sanded and ready t' go. Ya scallywag! Arrr! 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. Arrr! Begad! 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. This way I had access t' both fin areas for mounting. Begad! T' CR's were epoxied t' t' motor mount after carefully measurin' their position. Ya scallywag! Avast! Next, me bucko, I mixed up some West Systems epoxy and installed t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! While I be at it, I took t' top centerin' rin' and added a slot for t' 3/4" Nylon piston strap. Next, I glazed it with t' remainin' epoxy so t' top CR would be waterproof and make for easy cleanup.

T' lower fins were aligned and glued through t' wall o' t' body tube on t' t' motor mount. Avast! 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. Begad! T' planks were cut t' t' length o' each fin, then rolled in epoxy and installed while dripping, so they hardened like concrete but weigh a lot less that hardwood. Blimey! Well, blow me down! It's a new technique I am trying for inside fillet replacement. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! 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. Aye aye! This fin area was now capped at both ends usin' CR's. Arrr!

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. Begad! T' very bottom G-10 centerin' rin' was placed in a short piece o' body tubin' and t' CR with t' blind nuts be laid over top o' it; this 1" deep piece o' BT was me alignment jig. Ahoy! I drilled three holes through t' blind nuts into t' G-10, arrr, matey, then used a bigger drill bit t' open t' holes. Aye aye! t' G-10 CR was placed over t' ply rin' and it was a perfect fit as t' blind nuts stuck out o' t' ply about 1/32" and fell right into t' G10 holes. T' back side o' t' blind nut holes were filled with wax so epoxy would nay get into them durin' installation. Ya scallywag! Avast! 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. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

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

My plan was t' mold me own glass window out o' epoxy. First off, me bucko, I want to say t' you all, me bucko, ya bilge rat, NEVER use acetone t' thin out epoxy! My experimentation brought forth results that can only be described in a photo. Ahoy! I tried it with some 5 minute epoxy, me bucko, me bucko, and when it kicked...it KICKED! It started bubblin' and rising like a cake...I LMAO. Blimey! T' result was 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!

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

I laid t' glass piece over top t' nosecone,. Begad! 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. Arrr!

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. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! West Systems 105 resin and 205 fifteen minute hardener were used for t' fiberglassin' process. Begad! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! 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. 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. Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Fine sandin' was completed and t' lower fins were ready for primer.

Installin' t' center fins on t' Maverick was next on t' agenda. I used 5 minute epoxy t' tack them in, then finished the center fin fillets. Begad! Well, blow me down! In summary, arrr, matey, I tape one end, then ran tape across the fin and BT parallel t' and about 3/8” from t' joint. Blimey! Arrr! 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. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! 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. Blimey!

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. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' top o' t' motor mount was plugged with a rubber boot so epoxy wouldn't run down t' motor mount. The planks were saturated with West Systems epoxy and pushed into place, arrr, then I installed t' very top centerin' ring. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! I poured some more epoxy on t' top of the centerin' rin' and rolled it around t' create fillets, then cleaned up any spilled epoxy. Next, I glued t' Nylon strap t' t' Piston face plate, shiver me timbers, then glued this face plate into t' Piston tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Once it set, 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.

I completely sanded t' rocket, then did an initial fill on t' body tube and nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! More sandin' (yuk!), shiver me timbers, me hearties, a tac rag and it be finally ready for primer. Ahoy! Blimey! I started by applyin' 4 coats o' White Krylon Primer t' t' body tube and nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It dried overnite, me bucko, then I wetsanded with 150-220 grit sandpaper. Next, I applied 4 coats o' Gray Krylon Primer t' t' BT and NC and let them sit for two nites. I filled any pinholes, then "dry" sanded t' filler with 220 grit wet/dry sandpaper. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! A couple o' spots were touched up, arrr, then I wetsanded both pieces with 220 grit sandpaper. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Some more light filling, me bucko, 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. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

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

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. Aye aye! Arrr! I was able t' fit 2 complete sets on one sheet o' decal paper...good for redundancy. One other thin' I did follow was t' colorin' of the decals...I used me photos t' "sample" t' color o' t' real missile, so yes, matey, even t' color is exact.

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

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

Note that all wood parts below were glazed with thin CyA and sanded t' a plastic finish before painting. 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. Begad! I started by makin' two Phenolic rings, one 1.5" and one 2" in diameter. Begad! Next, a large base plate was made that would cap t' inside bottom o' t' assembly. Two other plates were made from 1/4" ply, 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. Ya scallywag!

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

Next, I cut out a front faceplate, me bucko, angled at t' edges and marked groove marks on it in 10 degree increments. Aye aye! 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 was time t' turn me attention t' t' camera. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I used a 1/2" piece o' wooden dowel, me bucko, me bucko, put it inside me drill press and used a combination of files t' cur grooves in it t' make t' camera shaft. Ya scallywag! Notches were added t' the sides for realism, matey, then it be primed and hand painted in silver. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' top of the camera was made from a piece o' white plastic tube and died black usin' Rit Dye. Aye aye! Blimey! I pressed it on t' silver camera shaft, then filled it with 5 minute epoxy, creatin' a lens with t' epoxy. Begad! A hole was drilled thorugh t' two plates and t' camera shaft and I used a 4-40 screw and epoxy t' assemble the three pieces, along with t' Phenolic sleeves. Aye aye! A CR was made for t' 2" sleeve and glued t' t' sleeve, shiver me timbers, then t' entire assembly was glued t' t' front plate inside t' nosecone. Begad!

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! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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, matey, so I turned me attention to t' nosecone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! It be masked off, me bucko, then t' red stripe be painted using Krylon Bright Red Glossy Paint. Aye aye! Blimey! T' maskin' was removed and t' edges were pushed down, leavin' it nearly seamless. Finally, I applied t' decals t' the nosecone, me bucko, which be a bit o' a feat. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Each red letter had t' be individually applied t' follow t' curve o' t' nosecone, even though they were printed out as a label. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Once again, shiver me timbers, Microscale Decal Set be used and t' nosecone decals were completed. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Four coats o' Top Flite Flat Clear Dullcoat were applied t' t' body tube, then it was left t' dry. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nosecone was next...I masked off t' upper face where t' lens would attach and shot four coats o' clear on it, me bucko, arrr, after cleaning it first with a tac rag. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! 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. Ahoy! T' top 3/16" lip be also sanded with 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper t' prepare it for painting. Maskin' t' outer 3/16" was a challenge; I wanted it t' be a perfect circle, but without templates, shiver me timbers, you have to "eyeball" it when masking. I wound up usin' some 1/16" R/C Trim Tape for t' "master" edge, me bucko, then worked me way inward t' the peak o' t' Lens with 1/8", 1/4" and finally 3/4" maskin' tape. Additionally, matey, t' bottom o' t' Lens be also masked usin' strips o' 2" blue low-tac maskin' tape. Begad! Blimey!

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

Next, I worked on t' nosecone bulkheads and balancing. Avast! I used the remainin' BB's I had that Ken Parker gave me ( I am out Ken, ya bilge rat, please send more ). Arrr! Some West Systems Epoxy be mixed, then poured into t' inside front o' the nosecone, arrr, me hearties, 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. They bounced everywhere and evenly distributed themselves around t' front o' t' nosecone and sank into t' epoxy. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I set t' nosecone aside t' let t' added lead weight set and began work on t' bulkheads.

Three plates were made for t' bulkhead assembly. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' inside plate be hollowed out for access t' t' nose in case more weight needed t' be added. Arrr! I drilled holes through all three plates, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, 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. Begad! Ahoy! It be epoxied into t' inside o' t' nosecone and I used t' other two plates t' assist with alignment. Ahoy! Blimey! T' outside plates were removed, and West epoxy was poured on t' inside o' t' bulkhead plate t' add a good inside fillet. Blimey!

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. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I ran some epoxy around t' edge of this assembly t' strengthen it and prevent chipping, arrr, then let it dry. Begad! Blimey! T' plate was installed over t' bulkhead t' check t' fit and it worked out well. Begad! 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. Blimey!

Now it be time t' check balance. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! 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. I cut another 10' section, which will be used for t' nosecone, matey, and also placed it inside t' tube. Ahoy! T' model will use dual parachutes, shiver me timbers, one for t' nosecone and one for t' body tube; this setup has worked well for t' Harpoon and helps prevent zippers, so I decided t' use it for t' Maverick. Quick links were added and t' nosecone was installed, then t' model was checked for balance. Aye aye!

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

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

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

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

CG was checked, which be one BT in front o' t' CP located 12” from the rear. Then I realized that I forgot t' put a pressure relief hole in the forward BT, 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. Avast! Begad! My flight card was filled out and I headed t' t' rail. Begad! Ahoy! T' card was turned in and I weighed the model. Begad! Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! Arrr! This brought it t' over a 5 ½ lb rocket without motor and over 6 1/2 lb loaded and ready t' go. Well, blow me down! T' rocket was placed on t' rail, arrr, t' ignitor was installed and it was time for a launch.

When t' button be pushed, me hearties, it took t' t' skies, me bucko, arrr, did a swirl about 200' up and continued. T' flight was way cool...the swirl, 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, since Rocksim said 10 was too much and 8 was a bit short. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, the delay needed t' be ALOT shorter, a 8 or 6 seconds would have worked. Ahoy! It did eject nose-down, but didn't zipper and both t' nose cone and BT came in under their own chutes. Avast! Begad! I heard t' nosecone land, ya bilge rat, which wasn't usually a good sign. Walkin' over, I found t' body tube in t' high grass and in pristine condition, but t' nosecone wasn't quite as lucky. Aye aye! It landed in a gravel parkin' area just off t' access road, but luckily, me bucko, it didn't hit t' road. 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 bucko, since it obviously landed sideways. I be very pleased with t' rocket’s flight, arrr, arrr, 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, me bucko, for as much fin as be on this bird and t' unknown conditions o' building a exact scale replica, I was VERY happy with t' flight!!!

Summary:
In summary, me bucko, matey, t' Maverick was 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. Ahoy! Avast! 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. Ahoy! Flight characteristics make it look just plain good in t' air and t' details make it stand out on t' ground. I do have a ½ scale 6” diameter version on the boards now which will be done in t' 65D Infrared Olive drab version, me bucko, but that will be another story. Begad! Well, blow me down! 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. Scale Mavericks are hard t' find in kit form, and impossible for HPR, but with this solid design, decals now available and t' long but necessary construction details posted in this report, anyone can easily build this AGM-65A TV Guided Maverick!!!