Brief:
T' first model rocketry catalog I ever saw -- Estes' 1970 edition -- be chock-full o' models that are today considered classics. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! For t' last few years I've been recreatin' some o' these golden oldies. Arrr! One o' t' first recreations I started back in '98, but that I didn't finish until this summer, was t' Farside-X. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' Farside was Estes's first three-stage model. Blimey! It came in two versions: T' plain old Farside, matey, with a BT-50 sized payload section, arrr, me hearties, and t' Farside-X, matey, which had a big BT-60 payload section. Well, matey, blow me down! I obtained t' plans for t' Farside-X from t' "JimZ" plan site: http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-12x.htm

Construction:
T' Farside-X uses standard Estes components: Three lengths o' BT-50 body tube, three BT-20 motor mount tubes, and a BT-60 payload tube. Begad! Avast! I ordered t' tubes from Rogue Aerospace and cut them t' size usin' this handy chart: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/body_tubes.html 

I also purchased t' motor mount parts -- couplers and centerin' rings -- from Rogue Aerospace. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I obtained t' balsa reducer and nose cone from Balsa Machinin' Service. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' cone is a special-order item, t' BT-60L. Ahoy! Blimey! I decided t' use 1/16" basswood fins, for extra strength and ease o' finishing. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used an antique 12" Estes red & yellow parachute in me Farside. T' retro logo fit t' project. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' shock cord was a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I used barrel swivels and snap swivels t' eliminate "shock cord wind up."

T' Farside-X looks like a relatively simple model at first glance, shiver me timbers, but besides thar bein' a lot o' everythin' (nine fins, me hearties, three motor mounts, etc.) thar are some hidden complexities that make it a bit o' a challenge t' build. Blimey! It has canted fins, causin' t' model t' spin in flight, me hearties, thus addin' a bit o' stability. Well, matey, blow me down! T' motor mount design must be followed exactly t' allow t' three motors t' butt together. I found t' Farside plans were fairly clear and easy t' follow, shiver me timbers, but might be a bit "dense" for younger modelers used t' E2X construction and die-cut fins. Blimey! As with all recreation projects, shiver me timbers, buildin' t' Farside required a lot o' hand-cuttin' body tubes and fins. Aye aye! Arrr! There's a good section on these techniques in t' old Estes Model Rocketry Manual: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/nostalgia/estesmrm.html

I had t' "win' it" when buildin' t' motor mounts. Blimey! Arrr! Like a lot o' older kits, t' motor mount used thin centerin' rings glued on t' ends o' a length o' tube coupler. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Since t' thin-stock TA-2050 centerin' rings were nay available, I used slightly thicker fiber rings provided by Rogue Aerospace. Aye aye! In order t' preserve t' length o' t' I cut t' couplers a bit short so that t' ring/coupler assemblies would be t' same length as t' original kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I mistakenly glued t' launch lug and standoff t' t' third stage rather than t' second stage. This didn't have a big effect on either looks and performance, ya bilge rat, arrr, ya bilge rat, so I wasn't too upset!

Finishing:
I decided t' base me paint job on t' one shown in t' 1971 Estes catalog: http://www.ninfinger.org/~sven/rockets/catalogs/estes711/711est32.html

 I didn't end up with an exact match, shiver me timbers, arrr, but I liked me compromise: Yellow overall, with a black fin on each stage, a red nose cone, and a white payload section with black trim tape. Avast! I purchased a recreation decal from JimZ. I like t' give me recreated kits "catalog perfect" finishes. Arrr! Because t' Farside has so many fins this means a LOT o' fillin' and sanding. Well, blow me down! In fact, thar be so much finishin' work involved that after I applied its first primer coat, me bucko, t' Farside-X sat in a box for two years! I finally got around t' t' final finishin' in t' Summer o' 2001. Aye aye! T' paintin' and maskin' were a real chore, but I think things came out pretty good!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
T' plans list LOTS o' recommended motors, shiver me timbers, matey, includin' many, me hearties, such as t' A8-0 and 1/2A6-0, matey, that simply aren't around any more. Avast, me proud beauty! Fortunately, it will fly on t' available booster and sustainer motors. Aye aye! I've flown t' Farside-X once, usin' a bunch o' vintage motors: A B14-0 in t' first stage, arrr, a 1/2A6-0 in t' second stage, and a A8-5 in t' upper stage. Avast, me proud beauty! An odd combination, me bucko, but I wanted t' both have a stable flight (the B14 gets a model up t' speed really quickly!) and t' come back!

Preppin' t' Farside isn't easy. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' motors are taped together with cellophane tape, and t' t' end o' each stage's motor mount with maskin' tape. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This isn't easy! Blimey! Per t' instructions, I inserted a 2 oz. Begad! Blimey! payload -- some cubes o' modellin' clay -- into t' Farside's payload section prior t' flight. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! I must have done things right, because t' Farside-X flew perfectly! Blimey! T' first two stages burned smartly and got t' model up t' speed. Aye aye! Blimey! Stagin' be smooth, and didn't result in any course changes. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! By t' time t' A8-5 burned out, t' top stage was REALLY moving. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' spin-fins did their thin' too; it be plain that t' model was spinnin' like a top. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! I was very pleased and surprised by t' model's performance on this combination o' motors. Ahoy! Blimey! I'm goin' t' have t' find a bigger field if I move up t' anythin' usin' C motors!

Recovery:
Ejection took place near apogee, and t' parachute deployed nicely. I had t' walk a bit t' retrieve t' model, but only because it flew so high!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Farside be a challenge t' build and finish, but I'm very proud o' t' results. It looks great and t' one flight t' date was a real thrill.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5