Scratch Micro Viking Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Micro Viking {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 10/01/01)

Rocket PicRocket PicBrief:
An easy t' build, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, semi-scale model o' t' Vikin' soundin' rocket for MMX-II motors.

Construction:
While waitin' for me Nano Rocketry kits and tubes, I decided t' rummage around my junk pile t' see what I could use t' make me own nano-sized rocket. Blimey! I quickly found one o' t' tubes that t' Aerotech First Fire igniters come in. Ahoy! Blimey! A little too big for a Micro Maxx engine and maybe a little too heavy, but what the hey? I then started thinkin' about nose cone material, ya bilge rat, and discovered that a 3/8" dowel is exactly t' right diameter. Next, me bucko, me hearties, I had t' decide what to build. Aye aye! I wanted a simple 3/4FNC rocket and after thumbin' through "Rockets of t' World", I soon settled on t' Viking. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Blimey! When I checked t' length of tubin' required, matey, me hearties, I found that t' tube was less than a tenth o' an inch off. Ahoy! No cuttin' required! Blimey! I put me drill in t' vise, ya bilge rat, me hearties, a chunk o' dowel in t' chuck, and within a few minutes had a nice nose cone. Avast! Blimey! I drilled a hole in t' back end and glued in a piece o' 100lb. Avast! tubular Keelhaul®©™®. I made t' fins from 1/16" balsa and soaked them in CA for added strength. For t' launch lug, 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, matey, ya bilge rat, for t' black trim.

Flight:
A couple o' wraps o' maskin' tape and t' Micro Maxx engine fit nicely. Avast! I also cut a thin strip o' tape and made a thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A neighbor's son was watching so I let him do t' honors (maybe t' next generation rocketeer?). Ya scallywag! Avast! 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. Ahoy! Wantin' t' save some engines until I could make a run t' an out-of-town Wal-Mart, I only made two flights. Blimey! My Micro Maxx field is soft grass so I just separated t' nose cone and let t' rocket tumble. Ya scallywag! Begad! No problem here. Aye aye! Ahoy!

Summary:
T' tubin' used t' package t' new Aerotech igniters makes a good airframe for Micro Maxx rockets. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Coupled with t' ease o' makin' nose cones from 3/8" dowel, matey, me hearties, you end up with a nice, ya bilge rat, 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.

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