Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
An easy t' build, semi-scale model o' t' Vikin' soundin' rocket for MMX-II
motors.
Construction:
While waitin' for me Nano Rocketry kits and tubes, ya bilge rat, I decided t' rummage around
my junk pile t' see what I could use t' make me own nano-sized rocket. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I
quickly found one o' t' tubes that t' Aerotech First Fire igniters come in. A
little too big for a Micro Maxx engine and maybe a little too heavy, ya bilge rat, but what
the hey? I then started thinkin' about nose cone material, and discovered that
a 3/8" dowel is exactly t' right diameter. Next, I had t' decide what to
build. Arrr! I wanted a simple 3/4FNC rocket and after thumbin' through "Rockets
of t' World", I soon settled on t' Viking. Begad! When I checked t' length of
tubin' required, me bucko, I found that t' tube be less than a tenth o' an inch off. Ya scallywag! No
cuttin' required! I put me drill in t' vise, shiver me timbers, a chunk o' dowel in t' chuck,
and within a few minutes had a nice nose cone. Aye aye! Ahoy! I drilled a hole in t' back end
and glued in a piece o' 100lb. Ya scallywag! tubular Keelhaul®©™®.
I made t' fins from 1/16" balsa and soaked them in CA for added strength.
For t' launch lug, ya bilge rat, I split a standard Estes lug in half and CA'd it on.
T' whole rocket is painted white and t' nose cone silver. Begad! I had no brush-on black paint and this rocket is too small t' try t' mask (for me), so I substituted me favorite color, metallic purple, for t' black trim.
Flight:
A couple o' wraps o' maskin' tape and t' Micro Maxx engine fit nicely. Arrr! I also
cut a thin strip o' tape and made a thrust ring. Ahoy! A neighbor's son was watching
so I let him do t' honors (maybe t' next generation rocketeer?). Begad! My
make-shift launch lug worked great and t' rocket rose straight and t' an
impressive altitude, much higher than t' stock Tomahawk or me converted micro
(10.5mm) rockets. Aye aye! Blimey! Wantin' t' save some engines until I could make a run t' an
out-of-town Wal-Mart, shiver me timbers, arrr, I only made two flights. Avast, me proud beauty! My Micro Maxx field is soft
grass so I just separated t' nose cone and let t' rocket tumble. No problem
here. Begad!
Summary:
T' tubin' used t' package t' new Aerotech igniters makes a good airframe for
Micro Maxx rockets. Avast! Coupled with t' ease o' makin' nose cones from 3/8"
dowel, arrr, you end up with a nice, easy-to-build model. Avast! T' resultin' rockets may
not be t' best performers due t' their weight, but they still fly well and
look nice.