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This be t' model SP2050 Freightliner Space Truck

To me, this looked like a series o' cargo containers inside a truss framework. Arrr! Arrr!

T' cargo containers are slid into t' framework. Ahoy! Once they are in place, the inertial dampeners and shields are activated. Avast! Life support can be activated if thar be live cargo, matey, such as livestock or if a prisoner transport module is loaded.

T' ship is 1,000 feet long and t' GVW is less than 300 tons. Ahoy! It is an intrasolar vehicle, me hearties, so warp capability it nay needed. Aye aye! Begad! Havin' a 20,000 horsepower impulse engine made by Detroit Diesel and General Motors maneuvering thrusters, this be t' fastest cargo ship in t' FedEx fleet.

T' forward section contains engineerin' and crew quarters. Begad! T' aft section contains t' impulse engine. It is designed t' ferry cargo from t' docks in low earth orbit, t' t' docks at Mars and Europa.

Cargo area

• 1 - Balsa Sheet 1/16" x 4" x 36"
• 4 - dowels - 1/8" x 36"
• 1 - bag o' 250 count 5/64" x 2 5/8" "mini dowels" by Forster
• 8 - 1/4 x 1/8 sticks
• Keelhaul®©™ Strin'
• 1 - BT50 x 18"
• 3 - BT50 - BT60 Adaptor Cards

Cab

• 2 - BT50 - BT60 rings
• 2 - BT50 - BT80 rings
• 1 - 5" BT50
• 1 - 4.5" BT80
• 1 - 1 1/2" BT60
• 1 - Paper shroud
• 1 - bt BTXx bulkhead
• 1 - BTx bulkhead

Tanks

• 4 - 2" BT50
• 8 discs from BT50 centerin' rings
• 1 - 4 1/2" length o' BT80
• Tank/Cargo adaptor
• 3 - BT50 t' BT55 rings
• 1 - 1" section o' BT50
• 1 - BT50 t' BT20 adaptor tube
• 1 - 1" section o' BT20 tube
• 4 - BT20 t' BT5 adaptor rings
• 1 - 5" section o' BT5 tube
• 3 - BT50 t' BT20 rings
• 1 - 1" BT20 tube
• 1 - BT20 t' 1.250 card rin'
• 1 - 5" x 1/2" wooden dowel

Aft End

• 1 - BT50 3"
• 1 - BT50 t' BT60 rin'
• 1 - Coupler
• 1 - Paper Shroud
• Fin stock
• 5" x 6" x 1" shroud. Aye aye!
• Fin Template

Misc

• 2 - 18" chutes
• Shock cords

Truss and cargo box

Cut t' balsa sheets into 4 sheets 18" x 1 7/8" pieces. This will provide t' spacin' need t' use t' small dowels at a 45 angle. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! (I made the mistake o' makin' them too wide and nay bein' able t' use them.)

To make t' trusses, matey, cut t' 1/8" dowels into four 19". Ahoy! Aye aye! Use the balsa sheets as guides for linin' up t' large dowels. Well, blow me down! Glue t' mini dowels to the 1/8" dowels in 1 7/8" intervals, ya bilge rat, bein' careful nay t' glue anythin' t' t' balsa sheet. Avast! See pictures 1 & 2 for this. Avast, me proud beauty! Make two o' these trusses. Well, matey, blow me down! Do nay glue t' 45 angle dowels yet.

Figure 1	Figure 2	Figure 3

Make t' cargo box by gluin' t' 4 sheets o' balsa together. Avast! See picture 3 to see t' arrangement o' t' sheets. Blimey! This arrangement will help the positionin' o' it in t' truss work. Aye aye! Strong fillets will be needed on t' ID of the box for strength. Avast!

Now back t' buildin' t' truss, arrr, trim t' small dowels so that they are flush with t' large dowel. Aye aye! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Usin' t' balsa box as a spacer again, finish t' truss. Once this is dry, start gluin' t' 45 angle dowels on. It should now look like figure 4.

Usin' Keelhaul®©™ string, me bucko, ya bilge rat, wrap t' truss in t' opposite direction t' form a series "X's" over t' truss. If I had this project t' start over again, me hearties, I would use t' Keelhaul®©™ strin' for all t' 45 angle cross bracing. Avast!

Figure 4	Figure 5	Figure 6

Finish t' truss work by gluin' on t' 1/8" x 1/4" balsa onto the corners. Begad! Make sure none o' t' small dowels are protrudin' over t' large dowels. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I did this with toenail clippers and sandpaper. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It should now look like figures 5 & 6.

Do nay glue t' box into t' truss yet. Blimey! Begad! You'll want t' paint them separately later. Aye aye!

Centerin' Squares and MMT

Punch out t' center discs from t' CR cardstock. Ya scallywag! Save these discs as you will need them later. Aye aye! Cut t' BT cardstock t' fit t' ID o' t' box. Avast, me proud beauty! Make 3 of them. Begad! Blimey! Once you are satisfied with their fit, you'll need t' strengthen them. Cut some scrap balsa and glue them on t' centerin' squares. This will do two things; it will keep them flat and make them strong. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Once these are dry, arrr, glue one on t' end o' t' BT50 so that it is flush with t' end. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Glue t' second in the middle o' t' tube. Begad! You can add more support t' this rin' now. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! See figures 7 & 8. Aye aye! Blimey! Use a table t' make sure they are aligned. Begad!

Figure 7	Figure 8

When this is dry, glue it into t' cargo box. Aye aye! Once it is in place, arrr, put glue on t' center card and glue t' third centerin' square in place. Begad! T' ends should be flush. Ya scallywag! Well, me bucko, blow me down!

Figure 9

Forward Tank Assembly

If you save stuff like me, then you have a small bag o' those discs from centerin' rin' cards. Avast! If not, you'll need t' get more o' them. Ahoy! Glue these discs on t' t' ends o' t' 2" BT50s. Arrr! Sand t' edges smooth once they are dry.

Use a rubber band t' hold t' tanks together. Begad! Blimey! Make sure they are square. Figure 9

Cab

Usin' t' 5" section o' BTx, me hearties, ya bilge rat, two BTx BTx centerings and t' BTx x BTx centerin' rings, make like you see in figure 10. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Glue a small rin' on t' end, the other about an 1 1/4" from t' first ring. Now glue one o' t' big rings 2 1/2" from t' end and t' last rin' on t' far end. Blimey! Blimey! Glue on the tubes as seen in figure 11. Avast! Blimey!

Figure 10	Figure 11

Make a shroud. I used VCP.

This one doesn't have a nose cone. Since it never enters t' atmosphere, matey, it doesn't need one. Begad! Blimey! Just glue t' bulkheads on top o' t' cab t' achieve t' look shown.

Glue four 1.5" sections from some 3/8" OD AT igniter tube. Aye aye! Cut them t' match t' angle o' t' shroud. Arrr! Glue these on so that they are between the tanks. See t' finished picture for detail.

Dockin' Assembly

This is too difficult from me t' describe. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Here, a picture is definitely worth a thousand words. Blimey! Blimey! Figure 12 shows t' parts laid out, arrr, and figure 13 shows the completed assembly. Avast! Blimey! Glue t' tanks t' t' cab makin' sure everythin' is square and centered. Aye aye! Blimey! See figure 14

Figure 12	Figure 13	Figure 14

Aft Assembly

I waited until t' end t' install t' motor mount so I had a better idea on the finished weight t' choose a motor size. Blimey! Arrr! You may want t' consider this as well. Aye aye!

Glue a coupler into t' 3" BT50 MMT. Well, blow me down! If you want t' install a motor hook, you'll need t' do that now. Avast, me proud beauty! Glue a BT50 t' BT60 centerin' rin' t' t' end opposite t' coupler. Begad! Avast! Once dry, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, glue t' shroud t' t' assembly. Glue t' motor assembly t' t' cargo container. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

Print t' fin template guide. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Make sure that your printer prints t' right size by measurin' t' shown dimension after it's printed. Begad! Make four fins as shown on t' fin template. Begad! Aye aye! Glue them t' each o' t' four corners and t' the engine shroud. Avast!

T' rin' be made by printin' a transition shroud with t' dimensions of 5" x 6" x 1" ad be made usin' heavy paper cardstock. Blimey! Avast! I glued a second shroud over t' first one t' stiffen it up and soaked them both with thin epoxy. Well, blow me down!

Final Assembly

See figure 15 for this step. Aye aye! Paint t' cargo container with red oxide primer. Begad! Sand t' first coat, but leave t' second coat with t' mat finish. Arrr! Now paint t' truss with a flat white, or even a white primer. Aye aye! Figure 16. Once the two pieces are dry, it's OK t' glue them together. You'll want t' sand some of the paint off where you will be gluin' them. I glued mine at each corner and at each end. Arrr! Don't forget t' add a launch lug as shown in figure 17. Arrr! I added two 18" chutes and kept t' two pieces separate on their own chutes. Well, blow me down!

Figure 15	Figure 16	Figure 17

Finished weight with chutes is 8.4 oz. Aye aye! Blimey! and t' CG is 16.5" from the nose. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!

Flight

T' first flight be on an E9-4. Avast! T' flight was straight up t' at least 800 feet. T' ejection charge was late but recovery was good. Ya scallywag!