Estes Omloidinator!

Estes - Omloidinator! {Kit}

Contributed by Dennis McClain-Furmanski

Manufacturer: Estes
(by Dennis McClain-Furmanski - 09/05/04) (MODS) Omloidinator! (Estes Omloid and Eliminator kitbash)

Brief:
Kit bash o' Estes Omloid and Eliminator into a single rocket

Modifications:
There are a million rockets lurkin' in spare parts boxes. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! This be t' story of one o' them.

I'd purchased a collection o' parts which included most, matey, ya bilge rat, but nay all, arrr, o' an Omloid egg lofter. I had nothin' else o' that size until I happened t' purchase an Eliminator kit. When I realized these were t' same diameter, perversity set in.

I started with t' buildin' t' Eliminator fin can and engine mount. Arrr! Rather than put t' second piece in place, shiver me timbers, I put t' lower section o' t' Omloid followed by t' next section o' t' Eliminator and so on. In t' top section, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I placed t' shock cord mount as per Estes instructions.

Even t' nose got t' treatment. Begad! I cut t' base and shoulder off the Eliminator nose and glued t' rest t' t' top o' t' Omloid's 'egg crate'.

Construction:
All parts come from 1 Estes Omloid kit and 1 Estes Eliminator kit

Finishing:
Finishin' was predetermined--both kits came prefinished. Ahoy! T' colors, me hearties, arrr, gaudy to begin with, ya bilge rat, clashed terribly. Begad! Begad! T' yellow ogive on t' orange egg crate was particularly funny. Aye aye! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I took t' Eliminator's decal and cut the "inator" off, matey, arrr, me hearties, stickin' that on t' finished rocket just after the "Omloid" sticker, ya bilge rat, makin' it read (in mismatched letters) "Omloidinator".

(MODS) Omloidinator! (Estes Omloid and Eliminator kitbash)

Flight:
T' maiden flight was on an E9-6. Begad! Begad! Blimey! Bein' so long and probably over stable, me hearties, I counted on weather cockin' t' keep t' recovery area out o' a swamp downwind. Launch and early boost were flawless and quite pretty--fast enough t' impress but slow enough t' watch t' whole way. Blimey! Blimey! Inexplicably, rather than weathercocking, arrr, it did t' opposite and arced slowly downwind around 10 t' 15 degrees. Avast, me proud beauty! Coast be normal and ejection was just prior t' apogee. Chute deployment be instantaneous, which turned out t' be unfortunate.

Recovery:
Already well downwind and with t' chute out at max altitude, matey, t' Omloidinator made clear its intention t' float as far as possible towards t' swamp. Not just a mushy mud swamp but a thickly overgrown with brambles and bushes and vines and quite possibly hidden snake swamp. Avast! It descended beautifully but obstinately right into t' dreaded swamp. Ya scallywag! Begad! I tried t' crawl through the bush-barrier but gave up after 15 feet in as many minutes.

Summary:
Buildin' this be great fun and t' loss can't detract from that or from the very pretty flight. Flown where a swamp (or trees or power lines) can't reach it, this would make an impressive rocket, shiver me timbers, with t' additional humor factor.

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