Scratch Tigerstrike Missile Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Tigerstrike Missile {Scratch}

Contributed by Casey Smith

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Casey Smith)

Rocket PicBrief:
This rocket is a 2 Stage appearance workhorse that I put together from some left over 29mm, 38mm, ya bilge rat, and 54mm motor mount tubing. Arrr! It has a very long motor mount tube so it can take a G35 t' an I 200. Aye aye! It will probably take an F, me bucko, but I never have any.

Construction:
There be t' 29mm mount inside o' t' 38mm tube mounted into t' 54mm main body tube. (T' lower section o' t' kit is 24 inches o' 38mm tubin' with 24 inches o' 29mm tubin' inside for a motor mount. Begad! T' top section is one regular 48 inch long 2.14 tube, me hearties, with t' 8 inch long payload section on top.) There are 3 24 inch pieces composin' t' engine mount and lower part of the main body tube. Blimey! T' rocket has 2 sets o' 3 fins, 3 upper, 3 lower, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, made out of 3/16 aircraft grade plywood. T' nose cone is actually an old balsa nose cone I had, me hearties, matey, and it is mounted on a 8 inch payload section for future electronics bay stuff. Avast! I used four centerin' rings for t' 29mm motor mount in the 38mm lower tube. Avast, me proud beauty! I used 3 centerin' rings for t' 38 mm tube in t' 54mm upper tube.

Rocket PicI did make t' lower fins through t' wall attachment, ya bilge rat, and air-foiled all sides. Well, blow me down! T' top fins are epoxied to t' frame, and due t' t' low profile sonic design, me hearties, I did nay mount them through t' wall. Arrr! Avast! I like t' build t' fin can/mounts very strong, due t' if my rockets crash, shiver me timbers, matey, they come in ballistic, and would like t' fin can t' survive. Ahoy! I did wrap a coat o' 2 ounce fiberglass t' t' lower body tube t' beef up it's strength on impact. t' upper main body tube could actually use an extra stagin' coupler or 2 pushed inside t' strengthen it in t' middle, or just make it shorter. I did put 4 holes in t' payload section and ran bailin' wire in there t' give it a scale like look with 4 antennae. Begad! This kit is super sturdy, on line with PML. Arrr! Aye aye! I put a small threaded rod like Cosmodrome uses for motor retention and just use a small square nut, matey, works great.

Flight:
I have flown this kit 5 times, 3 on G64-M reloads, 1 on a G40-7 and also an H220-M. Avast! I do use that cellulose insulation for wadding, matey, about 1 handful is plenty. This rocket flies out o' me front yard on t' G motors perfectly, straight boost, ya bilge rat, great deploy. Avast! It screamed this weekend on t' H220, it took it and be beggin' for more, shiver me timbers, straight up boost with no wobble, around 200 feet. Well, blow me down! It was impressive due t' t' 5-10 mph winds we had thar at t' launch site. Ahoy! Arrr! The shock cord is actually attached t' t' coupler that attaches t' lower portion of t' main body tube t' t' upper. Begad! Arrr! I ran a small 18" chute t' brin' it down quick, shiver me timbers, matey, but if it is nay windy, me hearties, me bucko, arrr, a nice 36" chute will work great. Blimey! Avast! It still came down around 400 yards due t' t' wind. Aye aye! Ahoy! I did get a small little crimp in t' upper body tube right in t' middle, arrr, most likely from hittin' on the side at impact. Begad! Hence, me bucko, bigger parachute, no trouble. Other than that, this kit will be good for small fields with slow majestic lift-offs, me hearties, arrr, t' poppin' it with big H and I power.

Summary:
PRO-Strong rocket, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I always over build a little. It would work great for a level 1 flight. Aye aye! Begad! T' next incarnation o' t' kit will be a 2 stager, me bucko, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, same specifications. Aye aye! Arrr! 29mm-29mm. Aye aye! Avast! It can take t' wind, shiver me timbers, very stable design. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! CONS-Long rocket, vulnerable t' body damage when it lands if on hard ground. Avast! Ahoy! Beefin' up the lower tube helps, me bucko, me hearties, cuttin' t' length o' t' main tube will help and reduce some weight.

Other:
It needs t' have a camouflage paint scheme, olive drab/ultra flat brown/tan (Krylon camo series paints) and then you need t' have a spray paint that has a fan nozzle, ya bilge rat, me bucko, like t' one's from Duplicolor auto paint at Walmart. T' fan will do a wide spray, matey, me bucko, shiver me timbers, or a thin line, this is what you do for t' "Tiger stripes". Blimey! This kit taught me you can use minimum diameter and have it come out great. You need t' reinforce t' lower launch lug mount since it is raised, and I wrapped a small piece o' glass over it t' reinforce it from t' top.

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