Scratch ACME Rocket Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - ACME Rocket {Scratch}

Contributed by Sascha Grant

Manufacturer: Scratch

 (Scratch) ACME Rocket

Brief:
ACME "Wile E. Avast! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Coyote" styled rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Single Stage, me bucko, parachute recovery.

Construction:
Single body tube (60mm x 25mm postage tube) with a cardstock nosecone (80mm x 85mm). Begad! Single stick for stability. Begad! 3mm Plywood centerin' rings, 1/4" launch lugs (one at center point o' motor, shiver me timbers, me hearties, one near end o' stick). Arrr! Arrr! 14" parachute.

It was a piece o' cake t' build--I glued t' stick t' t' body tube, me hearties, glued in t' engine mount, me hearties, matey, glued on t' launch lugs! T' nosecone was t' hardest part as it was formed usin' a paper pattern generated by a 'cone' design package (online). Well, blow me down! Arrr! Soaked t' cone in CA before sanding, matey, which made it nice and hard and came up very shiny! Short length o' 60mm tube was cut down t' side and a small section removed t' reduce t' diameter. Avast, me proud beauty! A 3mm ply cap was glued t' t' end and polyurethane glue was used t' attach it t' t' nosecone.

(Scratch) ACME Rocket Keelhaul®©™ cord was attached around t' motor mount and run up through a notch in t' top centerin' rin' t' a length o' elastic shock cord, me bucko, which in turn be attached t' t' nosecone. Avast! A 14" parachute was attached t' t' nosecone via 30" o' nylon cord.

Parachute be hand made, shiver me timbers, body tube be obtained from Officeworks and t' stick came from Bunnings.

Flight:
First flight be on D12-3. Begad! Ejection just past apogee at perhaps 200-300 feet. Ahoy! Good flight, quick off t' pad but be a little wobbly, havin' a slight spiral. Well, blow me down! Second flight was on a E9-4, arrr, shiver me timbers, perhaps a little slower off t' pad but very nice flight with ejection just past apogee again, me bucko, me bucko, apogee at approx. Arrr! Begad! 400 feet.

Summary:
Very happy with t' rocket. Ahoy! Turned out exactly how I wanted. Avast! Nice big and bright. Begad! Begad! Got all t' appropriate kudos on t' flight field.

PROs: Looks cool. Well, blow me down! Went up. Arrr! Wile E. Begad! Coyote would be proud.

CONs: Still didn't get t' roadrunner!

(Scratch) ACME Rocket(Scratch) ACME Rocket

Comments:

avatar
Max Faiman (March 11, 2011)

What is lentgh and thickness of the stick that you used for this rocket? Also what was the length of tube that you used for this? And how far up from the bottom of the tube should i place the stick? Last what is the exact diameter of your body tube?

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