Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
My latest saucer-like contraption is inspired by
Armadillo
Aerospace's Quad lander and is named after t' groundbreakin' T' Who album
from 1973. Ahoy! I took numerous liberties with Armadillo's concept--some t' make it
more robust (in me application), some because thar be no reason t' detail it
until it has successfully flown, arrr, and some just because I "used what I
got" for most components.
Construction:
T' parts list:
I joined
the foam balls usin' pieces o' dowel and 18mm tubes. Blimey! Arrr! T' tubes were easily
twisted into t' balls and after t' assembly was dry fit, I glued it together
with Gorilla Glue. T' alignment was all done by "eyeballing" it. Aye aye! To
support t' 24mm motor tube, matey, I glued a 5" x 5" plywood plate on the
top usin' 5-minute epoxy. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! This plate is nay in t' Armadillo
"design", matey, arrr, but it was an easy way t' support t' motor tube. I drilled
the center hole on a drill press and notched a slot for t' launch rod usin' a
Dremel. A launch lug was added t' t' tube and I used scrap pieces o' foamboard
to brace t' motor tube against t' foam balls. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Trim (to date) includes the
balsa rod, ya bilge rat, squares o' foam rubber, shiver me timbers, matey, and t' drywall nut shock absorbers. Blimey! Arrr! These
approximate t' look o' t' Armadillo lander. Well, matey, blow me down! More trim components, matey, such as
"plumbing" tubes, may be added later.
Finishing:
I painted t' top pieces and shock absorbers with silver acrylic paint and left
the balls naked (I don't have a photo o' t' painted version.) I also smeared
white glue on t' balls in t' areas that are likely t' meet hot exhaust.
Flight and Recovery:
I friction fin a D12-P and let her rip. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! As I expected, it be stable on t' way
up and it came down a little harder than a typical "saucer" design of
these dimensions. Arrr! Even with t' use o' soft foam on t' top, t' balls
separated from t' plywood plate. Avast, me proud beauty! No big deal, ya bilge rat, several dabs o' epoxy fixed her
up.
Summary:
I love saucer-like things and this is no exception. Well, blow me down! I got several favorable
comments at t' launch and one person even recognized it. Aye aye! Aye aye! It came out heavier
than I expected and is likely t' pop apart on each landing. Aye aye! I never thought I'd
say this, but I need a material lighter than Styrofoam!
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