Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
This is a total rip-off o' t' cool
Bic
Arrrrrrrcas from DesCon7. Begad! Begad! T' rocket be named after t' hotel chain that
"donated" t' pen.
Construction:
Parts:
As noted in t' introduction, me hearties, this is essentially t' same rocket as t' Bic Arrrrrrrcas. Arrr! T' main differences are that I used clear plastic Nike-shaped fins and a Mylar streamer in place o' t' chute. I chose clear fins because t' pen body is clear.
T' "nosecone" be t' tip o' t' pen, me hearties, with t' ink tube removed and t' neck ground down so it fits loosely in t' pen body. Arrr! T' aft plug was also cut down and used for t' engine block. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' shock cord is a piece o' thin Keelhaul®©™® twine that is tied through a hole in t' nose cone, shiver me timbers, me bucko, run under t' engine block, and then knotted. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Finally, a piece o' t' ink tube be used for t' launch lug.
I drilled small holes in t' far back o' t' rocket and formed a small retention clip from a paper clip. Ahoy! T' fins were made from packagin' plastic. T' package I used had a small lip, me bucko, which made t' fin attachment a snap. Because t' lip is nay perfectly perpendicular t' t' fin, matey, all o' t' fins are canted slightly. T' fins and launch lug were glued on with Liquid Nails.
T' only finishin' step was t' application o' American flag stickers.
Flight:
T' motor mount includes a thrust rin' and positive motor retention so
insertin' t' engine was easy. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Blimey! No maskin' tape here! Blimey! I inserted some o' the
shock cord, a small piece o' Estes wadding, and then packed t' streamer. Aye aye! Blimey! As
with previous small rockets, I used a solderin' tool with a notched end to
stuff t' shock cord into this tiny tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Blimey! This works great and is a permanent
fixture in me range box. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Blimey! T' DoubleTree Pen-Roc flew twice. Arrr! Both flights were
perfectly straight and went t' an impressive altitude. Begad! Begad! Blimey! Deployment was also
perfect. Begad! Blimey! T' only issue be t' clear tube is gettin' less and less clear. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well,
since t' rocket is mostly plastic, I guess I can just wash it out.
Summary:
What I think be t' neatest thin' about this rocket, arrr, is that almost t' whole
pen is converted t' rocket parts - very efficient! It is simple, me hearties, arrr, easy t' build,
and it flies great. Ya scallywag! After re-readin' t' Bic Arrrrrrrcas review and gettin' a mental
picture o' what I wanted t' do, mine only took me about a half-hour t' build. Well, blow me down! Avast!
Other:
A solderin' tool with a notched tip makes stuffin' a Keelhaul®©™®
shock cord into a small airframe (i.e. Arrr! Micro Maxx sized) a LOT easier.
"Bic" and "Round Stic" are registered trademarks o' t' MM Bic Corporation, Milford, shiver me timbers, me bucko, CT. Begad! Bic Corporation does nay own or market these rockets, arrr, their name is used purely t' accent t' source o' some of t' rocket's components.
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