MIB - Flyin' Gold Cone

A SciFi Comedy Spaceship Kitbashed from a FlisKit and flyin' on one or two MicroMaxx Motors

I decided t' build a Comedy Sci-Fi Rocket from Men In Black II. Ahoy! T' ship in question be t' gold chromed ice cream cone shaped vessel. Begad! It figures prominently in t' openin' "news reel" sequence as a recreation o' eye witness accounts. T' ship heads back t' Earth early in the film. It is shown passin' through space and wieldin' immense destructive power. T' flyin' cone crashes t' Earth in an apparently immense plume o' dirt. Arrr! We discover t' true size o' t' ship when a small dog investigates it after the ship crashes in a park. Ya scallywag!

My recreation o' t' MIB Flying Gold Cone be built in approximately 1:6 scale, so that it can be displayed with a kitbashed MiB action figure I created. Aye aye! With that as a goal, shiver me timbers, it was important t' preserve/restore t' cone shaped nature o' t' ship while on display. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down!

T' only structural elements not from t' FlisKit are pieces o' a Bic Round Stick pen used as engine mounts and launch lug, me bucko, matey, an expended MicroMax engine used in creatin' a cluster adaptor, and a piece o' threaded rod used t' weight t' nosedome. Arrr! Ahoy!

I fashioned t' lower cone from t' large nose cone. I drilled it out and inserted some BiC stick as an engine mount. Begad! Small diameter body tube serves as an engine block and ejection gas conduit. A shorter nosecone was sanded t' fashion t' nosedome. Aye aye! This be drilled out and a threaded rod inserted t' weight t' nose. A small section o' body tube serves as t' coupler betwixt t' two nosecones. Avast! A section o' t' kevlar thread from the FlisKit connects t' two nosecones together. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

I fashioned t' bent legs by steamin' t' stick stock from t' FlisKit and hand formin' t' desired shape. These are glued into holes hand drilled into t' upper end o' t' main body.

I created a cluster adaptor that allows two MicroMaxx motors t' be attached t' t' single MMT in t' lower cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I did this by bondin' two Bic stick sections together and bondin' a spent MMX casin' between the bonded MMTs. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' Bic plastic be heat formed around t' MMX casin' to direct t' ejection charge gasses from both lower engines up into t' spent casing. Ahoy! Blimey! T' cluster adapter is used by insertin' t' spent MMX casin' into the main MMT. T' threaded rod in t' upper nosedome allows t' installation of extra balance weight when t' lower engines are installed. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

To restore t' cone tip for display I created a display tail from a small nosecone and body tube found in t' FlisKit. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' tail fits into t' main MMT and provides t' pointy end for t' cone when it is on display. Blimey!

I painted t' entire assembly with gold acrylic usin' a brush. Ahoy! Avast! Nay stylish, matey, but sufficient for this scale.

T' single engine configuration can be launched on a standard MicroMaxx launcher. Ahoy! I epoxied a small section of Bic pen inktube t' t' bodytube t' serve as a MMX launchlug. Blimey! I launched t' MIB Flyin' Gold Cone on a single engine. Ahoy! It flew flawlessly, ya bilge rat, with a stable flight up t' about 50 feet. Arrr! T' ejection charge separated t' nosedome rather early (as is often t' case with MMX motors). Aye aye! T' resultin' non-aerodynamic configuration smartly slowed and tumbled down t' land about 15 feet from the pad. Begad! A perfect backyard flier. Ya scallywag!

T' MIB Flyin' Gold Cone features a handrolled paper launch lug for use on a MMX launchpad. Blimey! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This replaces an earlier version made from a BIC Pen ink tube. Arrr! Blimey! Also included is a standard launch lug as found in t' FlisKit Grissom kit. Multiple small lengths of stick stock from t' FlisKit were added just below t' nosedome separation point. Avast! Blimey! These were carved, shiver me timbers, sanded, matey, and painted t' approximate t' design details from t' movie version o' t' ship.

T' MMX cluster adapter be also refined. T' initial implementation, usin' BIC barrels and expended MMX be set aside. Avast, me proud beauty! A lighter version be fashioned from glue soaked rolled paper and a small diameter body tube from t' FlisKit. Ahoy! T' design be t' same, with two side by side MMTs ventin' into a single central tube that fits into t' main MMT. Avast! By soakin' the upper paper in yellow glue, shiver me timbers, I was able t' mold it t' transition smoothly into the central body tube. Avast! Begad!

T' first attempt at a MIB Flyin' Gold Cone cluster flight met with mixed results. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I fashioned a dual MMT cluster ignitor out o' a length o' nichrome wire. Avast! Ahoy! A small square o' tabe was used t' hold t' t' filament in each nozzle. T' rocket was balanced on a clothespin t' keep t' igniter leads up off o' t' standard Estes Portapad blast plate. Ahoy! When t' wire leads were touched t' t' 14V cordless drill battery, arrr, t' MIB Flyin' Gold Cone struggled up off t' pad, arced over about 15 feet off t' ground, arrr, and ejected its nose just before sinkin' into t' snowy yard. Aye aye! Avast! No damage was done. Aye aye! Upon inspection, it be obvious that only one engine ignited, me hearties, shiver me timbers, though both ignitors burned through. Ahoy! Aye aye! I suspect one filament may have slipped away from t' propellant. Blimey!

Review o' a digital launch video shows t' rocket leapin' almost out o' frame betwixt one image and t' next. T' rocket then lingers, dancin' at t' top o' t' rod, arrr, for three more images. Begad! Blimey! I believe the uneven thrust, shiver me timbers, coupled with t' single high mounted launch lug, shiver me timbers, me bucko, caused the rocket t' bind on t' rod, ya bilge rat, and have insufficient speed for stability as it cleared t' rod. Avast! Begad! I have made a design change t' t' MMX Cluster Adapter that should address this in future flights. Arrr! I added a launch lug on t' bindin' ring of t' Cluster Adapter. Well, me hearties, blow me down! T' pair o' lugs should help guide t' rocket up the rod if one o' t' engines fails t' fire. Avast! Ahoy!