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