Brief:
A plastic model conversion from a Czech-made Condor V-2 rocket model for 13mm
motors.
Construction:
This plastic model conversion be made from t' static model made by a Czech
company named Condor. As such, matey, it is made from t' typical styrene plastic used
in most static models. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' quality o' components wasn't as good as, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, say, me bucko, matey, Revell
or Monogram, ya bilge rat, but wasn't too bad either. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! All t' parts t' build a static model
V-2 rocket with firin' stand were present, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, attached t' plastic runners. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! This is
a very small V-2 kit, me bucko, me hearties, though it appeared larger on t' box. Anyway, it seems
that Condor always had PMC in mind, because t' original motor nozzle be right
at 13mm! All that be needed was a motor tube, a tapered centerin' ring, a
launch lug, matey, and a parachute. And, as it turned out, mucho clay for t' nose.
Since it was purchased for SoAR's inaugural Plastic Death meet, shiver me timbers, time was
runnin' out. A doubloon was tossed, arrr, and command o' t' V-2 be turned over t' my
middle son, Josh.
It couldn't be any simpler. Well, blow me down! Begad! This little V-2 seemed destined t' be a flyin' kit from t' start. Aye aye! Once both halves o' t' body were taped together, t' body was sawed in half at t' indentation cast into t' body. Funny, arrr, shiver me timbers, I had never noticed this rin' in any photos o' V-2s until I saw this model. Ya scallywag! Anyway, once t' body was sawed in half, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' lower two halves were glued together with CA. Begad! Once dry, the motor tube was put in place, and held in with a couple o' centerin' rings made from Styrofoam construction board, arrr, shiver me timbers, in decreasin' radii. Arrr! This filled the tail cone nicely. We decided t' leave a lot o' motor tube extendin' into the upper body tube, matey, so that a composite "B" motor could be used. Aye aye! Several layers o' t' Styrofoam board were used t' build somethin' for t' upper body tube t' attach itself to. A length o' elastic cord was attached t' t' motor tube with a snap swivel. Avast! Ahoy! T' upper body be glued together with CA, arrr, and the nose was filled with clay, though nay enough, me bucko, as t' first flight showed. Arrr! The upper shock cord be attached with t' Estes-style folded paper epoxied t' the plastic. Avast! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Finally, me hearties, t' fins were attached with CA, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and t' whole thin' was covered in gray primer. Aye aye! Arrr! We decided t' paint it like V-2 number 2, me hearties, arrr, which was the first o' this roll pattern. T' paint wasn't t' greatest, matey, but... Well, blow me down! Begad!
Flight:
For t' maiden voyage, an Estes A10-3T was used. A chunk o' cellulose wadding
was used, ya bilge rat, but nay enough. Arrr! T' motor retention was simply friction fit, me hearties, though
that's trickier on a 13mm motor than it is on a 29mm motor! Unlike t' real
V-2, me bucko, this beastie took off with a bang. It flew straight and true t' motor
burnout, then a severe wobble set in. Arrr! More nose weight needed! But thar was
not enough cellulose wadding, arrr, and t' `chute (pirated from Obelisk) burned
severely, and it recovered at a good speed. Aye aye! Blimey! No damage other than a burnt shock
cord and a melted chute! Once repairs were made, me bucko, me hearties, it was time for t' SoAR meet.
On a windy January day, ya bilge rat, t' first competition flight was flawless, shiver me timbers, but still
with a slight wobble. Aye aye! Altitude with an A10-3T was about 75 feet. Avast, me proud beauty! At apogee, ya bilge rat, the
nose popped perfectly, but t' chute twisted in t' wind, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and though it worked,
it didn't expand fully. Arrr! Still, shiver me timbers, me hearties, absolutely no damage. Josh was really happy with
it, matey, and I was pretty encouraged by its performance.
Summary:
Main pro's: bulletproof as a brick, matey, unique, matey, me bucko, and surprisingly easy enough for a
pre-teen t' build. Con's: A LOT o' nose weight needed, matey, and a very V-2 like
flight characteristic o' wobbling. Still, matey, we will most likely build a whole
fleet o' these little rockets. Arrr! How about a Russian post-war V-2 with parallel
staged 10.5mm Micro motors? Hmmm...
Plastic model conversion is a blast!
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