Brief:
Retro Repro, ya bilge rat, Boost Glider, shiver me timbers, 18mm

T' Swift BG is one o' t' new kits released by Semroc for NARAM 51. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It is a reproduction o' an old Centuri design. Aye aye! Begad! Although I have had terrible luck with gliders, somethin' prompted me t' get started on this one right away. It might be t' one t' break t' jinx.

I ordered mine as soon as it was availible and in typical Semroc Time Warp fashion, it arrived almost immediately, even though Semroc was closed for NARAM. It was also production kit number 10.

Construction:

Construction began by locatin' t' win' and gently sandin' it in its balsa frame and then releasin' it. Ya scallywag! Although t' win' consists o' 4 pieces, ya bilge rat, they are nay yet cut apart at this stage. Avast! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' only thin' that marks t' discrete pieces is a line.

With t' win' remainin' in one piece at this point, ya bilge rat, t' instructions gave two options for shaping. Begad! T' first was t' merely round t' edges o' t' balsa and I was sorely tempted t' go this route. Begad! T' other was t' try and sand an airfoil into t' wing. Ya scallywag! Nothin' ventured, me bucko, nothin' gained.

In effect, I merely rounded t' forward and outside edges but I made an attempt t' approximate an airfoil on the trailin' edge. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I drew a sandin' block across t' aft edge from one end t' t' other tryin' t' guide t' profile down t' a blade. Arrr! Ahoy! It turned out better than I expected but it is certainly nothin' t' brag about.

T' win' sections were numbered from left t' right for later identification. Blimey! Arrr! A steel ruler be then used t' guide a razor knife along t' marked lines and separate t' win' into 4 segments. T' freshly cut edges o' t' win' segments were then beveled with sandpaper so that when canted, me hearties, they would fit together better.

T' kit came with t' pieces t' construct a pair o' balsa jigs t' aid in gettin' t' correct dihedral angle on the wings. Ahoy! Begad! They were removed from their parent material and glued together. Aye aye! They are identical except for one bein' a bit taller than t' other. Ya scallywag! After use, ya bilge rat, me hearties, they are discarded so thar are no extra points for style here.

A piece o' wax paper was taped down t' t' workin' surface and then t' inner right win' segment was taped flat t' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' tip o' t' outer right win' segment was then taped t' t' taller o' t' two jigs. Aye aye! With that done, me hearties, a bead o' white glue was run against t' beveled edge and t' two segments were pressed into place, allowin' t' jig t' hold t' pieces at the correct angle. A day later, t' jig was removed and t' end piece did nay fall off. I took that as a good sign. Ahoy! The process be then repeated with t' left side o' t' win' with similar encouragin' results.

T' two win' halves were then joined together in a similar manner. Well, blow me down! Begad! One side be taped down flat and t' other be glued into place usin' t' shorter o' t' jigs positioned under t' outer joint o' t' untaped wing. Blimey! After another day t' dry, the jig be removed and things were still lookin' encouraging.

T' tail boom comes in two main pieces. Ahoy! They were removed from t' parent material and test fitted together. The fit be good and no sandin' was needed. Some white glue was then put into t' keyed joint and t' two pieces put together and laid flat on t' wax paper. A steel ruler be used t' make sure t' boom was straight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' next day, the boom be ready t' be peeled up and looked fine. Begad! T' jinx, if nay gone, ya bilge rat, had certainly gone into hiding.

There are two balsa strips, rounded at one end, intended t' be applied on either side o' t' forward end o' the boom. Well, blow me down! Avast! They provide some support on t' side for the booster pod. A light layer o' glue was applied t' t' boom and spread out for t' length o' t' facing. Begad! Aye aye! A facin' be then pressed into place so that it was even with t' front edge and the top and bottom surfaces. Begad! Well, blow me down! It was allowed t' dry like that for about 30 minutes. Begad! Some cheap plastic clams were used to keep it in place. Ya scallywag! When dry, arrr, t' opposite facin' was placed in t' same manner, matey, shiver me timbers, clamped and set aside t' dry.

T' horizontal stabilizer was removed from its sheet. Sandpaper be used t' round all t' edges. Blimey! Blimey! T' vertically stabilizer be similarly removed and sanded on all edges except for t' bottom, arrr, ya bilge rat, which was left flat.

With t' tail pieces sanded and test fitted, a line o' glue was applied t' t' base o' t' vertical stabilizer and it was fit onto t' horizontal. Blimey! T' assembly was then set flat on t' wax paper and a steel ruler was used to insure a right angle.

After dryin' for a day, me bucko, me hearties, t' boom was unclamped and examined. Blimey! Arrr! It seemed in good shape and t' pieces were mostly in alignment. A bit o' light sandin' took care o' evenin' up t' edges. Arrr! With t' edges even, me bucko, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I then needed t' taper t' leadin' and trailin' edges o' t' facings on each side. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I used a sandin' block and tried t' gently take t' material down t' a knife edge.

T' tail assembly was placed at t' end o' t' boom on t' flat side. I had a sinkin' feelin' about this because no jig or template was provided, me bucko, only an admonition t' make sure it was placed straight. Ya scallywag! I used white glue and eyeballed it t' best I could and checkin' t' angle with a steel ruler. Avast! Begad! I tried t' make sure that it was straight and level. Begad! T' feelin' o' impendin' doom was palpable.

T' next day, it be time t' place t' wing. Avast! A mark was made 1/2" back from t' side pieced and t' win' was glued into place with white glue. Avast! Avast! T' trepidation factor was even higher than with t' tail because I know from experience these things just never turn out, me bucko, especially when thar be an angled surface involved. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' feelin' of impendin' doom returned with a vengeance.

Even though I knew I was doomed by this point, I figured I had gone too far t' back out now and I got t' work on t' pod hook. Avast! Blimey! It be in two pieces which needed only t' be glued together. Avast! Blimey! I used white glue and clamped it.

T' first step in workin' on t' engine pod be t' take t' motor spacer and mark off 1/4". Blimey! Blimey! T' thrust rin' be then located and t' Keelhaul®©™® was tied around it. A rin' o' white glue was swabbed around t' interior o' t' motor tube, usin' t' motor spacer to mark t' swab at t' right depth. Well, blow me down! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' spacer was then used t' push t' thrust rin' into place, ya bilge rat, up t' t' mark which had been made, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, and withdrawn. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' motor tube be then marked for t' placement o' t' engine hook and a slit be made in t' body tube t' receive it. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' hook be placed and a cardboard sleeve was slipped into place t' hold it in place.

Shortly after I began this build, Sheryl from Semroc contacted me and let me know that in some o' these kits, arrr, t' band was too tight and gave advice o' fixin' t' problem. Well, blow me down! Mine was just a touch tight but, arrr, in me mind, well within tolerances. Begad! It be glued in place with white glue and filleted fore and aft.

T' nose cone was typical, arrr, high quality Semroc. Ya scallywag! I doused it with some thin CA t' harden it up some.

I turned me attention back t' t' glider again. Arrr! As far as I could tell by lookin' at it, it be in pretty good shape. Ya scallywag! The intersections needed some filletin' and I tried usin' Titebond Trim and Moldin' glue. Arrr! It applied as good as I had heard it would and when I checked back a day later, shiver me timbers, I be impressed.

T' pod hook was glued into place on t' motor tube opposide t' t' engine hook usin' white glue.

T' nose cone be lightly sanded and then t' eye screw be screwed into place, matey, backed out, ya bilge rat, t' hole filled with white glue and screwed back into place.

T' launch lug was glued into place along t' pod hook with white glue. Arrr! It was seated on top o' t' engine hook band.

A length o' sewin' elastic provided with t' kit be tied t' t' eye hook and t' Keelhaul®©™®. T' streamer be then secured into place halfway along t' elastic with t' provided adhesive strip.

With that t' pop pod be done and t' rocket was ready t' be finished.

Before I could get started on t' finishing, though, arrr, me hearties, curiosity got t' better o' me and I had t' try and hand toss t' glider. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I took it outside, turned into t' wind, gave it a toss...and was flabergasted.

IT FLEW!!!!!!!!!!

IT DID NOT CRASH !!!!!!!!!!!

I grabbed Toby, gave him t' camera and made him try and shoot a video.

I launched it again and it flew again, this time makin' a sharp left turn soon after launch. Arrr! T' video is here.

Since t' glide was nay really captured, we tried again, ya bilge rat, this time with me tossin' towards t' camera. It seemed t' go well until a rocket beatin' tree got in on t' act. Who would have expected t' thin' t' go UP? T' second flight can be seen here.

There be no damage and I had t' try again. Avast! This time it still flew, me hearties, matey, me bucko, or glided, but made a hard right turn. Well, blow me down! I put it down t' t' vagaries o' t' wind eddies around t' corner o' t' house. Arrr! Begad! T' third video can be seen here.

I also realize that finishin' will likely change t' glide characteristics but at this point I don't really care: a glider I had built had actually glided. Begad! That had never happened before.

Finishing:
T' instructions warn that finishin' o' this rocket should be done with a light touch in order t' minimize weight. All well and good but competitive performance t' me took a back seat t' just workin' and lookin' acceptable. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! On most projects these days I use Elmer's filler but for this one I went with Balsa fillercoat on t' theory that I would be usin' less o' it.

I painted it onto t' pod hittin' t' nosecone and t' balsa hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' glider be completely covered with t' stuff. I put it on thick figurin' I would only apply a single coat, even though that would nay completely fill t' grain.

T' fillercoat had a day t' dry and then I went after it with #400 sandpaper. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' grain on t' balsa parts o' the pod seemed t' have been mostly filled. T' pod was then brushed off and set up in t' booth where it was given a heavy coat o' Kilz.

T' glider was likewise treated t' a scrubbin' with t' #400 paper. Begad! While t' grain seemed t' have been filled better than I had expected, thar was still some that escaped unfilled. Well, blow me down! T' glider be then primed with Kilz as well. Blimey!

A day later, t' pod be sanded again. I was mindful o' t' warnings I had heard about buildin' up too much sealer/primer/paint and went after it with 320 and then 400 sandpaper. When I be done, I had misgivings because it mostly still looked white. I could see grain and pencil marks, though. Blimey! Knowin' how fast Kilz covers things up, me hearties, I figured that most o' what I be seein' be t' chalkiness o' t' balsa fillercoat. Aye aye! Blimey! T' pod was then taken back t' the booth and given a single coat o' gloss white.

T' glider be sanded with similar results. There were still some nasty spots o' grain but I sanded down t' where t' wood was just startin' t' show through. Aye aye! Blimey! T' glider was then given a single coat o' gloss white as well.

T' next day, shiver me timbers, me bucko, a rin' o' maskin' be applied just below t' nose cone o' t' pod and foil be wrapped around the rest o' t' body. T' nose cone was then sprayed a bright orange.

T' glider be masked as well leavin' t' win' tips, boom and vertical tail assembly exposed for paint. Arrr! Begad! The glider then had its date with t' orange paint. Begad! This be done in 2 stages so that I would have somethin' t' grip.

The next day I peeled off t' maskin' t' take a look and It was lookin' good. That left only t' blue stripin' and I took out t' tape t' mask for a thin stripe on each win' and t' t' horizontal stabilizer. I then used a brush t' place the blue paint.

So far this project had gone extremely well; better than I had imagined it could with a glider project. Now was t' time for tragedy t' strike. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! It struck when I removed t' maskin' and saw what had happened when t' paint had wicked under t' tape.

While I be stewin' about t' blue paint, me hearties, I took t' time t' test fit t' pod t' t' glider. It was a bit tight due t' paint havin' gotten in t' hook cavity. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I took a sandin' stick and cleaned it out some until t' fit seemed a good one.

A day later, I was sure t' blue paint had dried completely. Avast, me proud beauty! I took some white acrylic and used a brush t' try and cover up t' worst o' t' bleeding. Arrr! It certainly toned things down but it could probably stand another 2 applications in addition t' t' 2 that were put on.

T' decals for t' Swift are a simple matter but add a lot t' t' finished product. Avast, me proud beauty! T' largest o' t' decals has t' Semroc logo and t' name o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I mounted it as on t' facecard; on t' dorsal surface o' t' right wing. Ahoy! T' kit also came with a pair o' smaller versions o' t' same design. These were mounted on t' horizontal stabilizer, one on top and one on t' bottom, both on t' right as you face t' rocket. My kit also came with an additional decal identifying is as production number 10 and havin' some more info about t' rocket. I put this one on t' left dorsal surface o' the main wing. Avast, me proud beauty! That completed t' "finishing" and, me bucko, as I said, matey, I thought even t' simple decals added a lot.

T' first test "glides" after t' finishin' did nay go well. T' paint added plenty o' weight and the Swift started t' act like me Cosmos Mariner. Begad! Blimey! I realized I needed tail weight.

A vid o' t' first post finishin' crash can be seen here. Avast! Aye aye!

The second try is here.

I went inside and inserted one o' t' trim nails provided for weight into t' left horizontal stabilizer and then went back outside t' try again.

Addin' one nail did nay do too much t' improve things although it did give me hope. Ya scallywag! I had one semi-successful glide before me nephew came out with t' camera. Begad! Well, blow me down! Still, I thought it needed another nail.

T' first test with one nail can be seen here.

T' second test with one nail can be seen here.

T' third test with a single nail is here. Blimey!

I added another nail and did nay do much better. Ya scallywag! And on t' 3rd flight, matey, it crashed in t' street and broke off a win' tip.

T' first try with 2 nails is here.

T' second try with 2 nails is here.

T' fateful thrid flight with 2 nails is recorded here.

I took t' carcass back into t' shop t' try and get it fixed up again. T' tip be put pack on with a double glue joint usin' yellow glue. Begad! T' angle was obtained by eyeballin' it.

While repairin' t' wingtip, I noticed that bouncin' on t' asphalt also took a bite out o' t' nose. Avast! Blimey! At first I was goin' t' try and fill it but then thought better o' that approach. Avast! Blimey! I thought I might be able t' reduce t' nose weight a little bit by sandin' a bevel into both sides o' t' nose. Aye aye! Blimey! I took out a sandin' block and got t' work. Aye aye! Blimey! The newly beveled nose be sprayed with orange paint and it blended fairly well with t' rest even though t' new surface had nay been sealed.

When t' glue from t' wingtip repair had dried, me hearties, I took out some Tightbond Trim and Moldin' glue and applied a fillet to each side o' t' joint in an effort t' strengthen it.

When t' repairs were complete, I tried throwin' t' glider a few more times t' test it out but t' results were both contradictory and confusing. Blimey! Sometimes it would stall like it needed more tail weight. Other times it would dive and a few times it just kind o' moved without doin' anythin' resemblin' gliding. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! In t' course o' one o' these tests, it turned in a very nice glide that rivaled anythin' done by t' unpainted model. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' just wait and try it out on t' launch pad. Ahoy! I called t' construction o' this one done.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' maiden flight o' t' Swift Boost Glider was at t' September 09 launch o' t' Alamo Rocketeers. Begad! Blimey! I prepped it with a 1/2A6-2 and set it up on t' pad. It received favorable comments from all for appearance. Almost immediately after leavin' t' rod, me hearties, shiver me timbers, t' rocket started t' arc over but t' curve became more gentle over time and it always had a slight upward inclination. Ya scallywag! I had a good view o' t' pod poppin' off; that was fun t' watch. Then I got t' watch t' glider plummet t' t' earth; that be nay fun t' watch.

T' vid o' this event can be seen here.

The unanimous consensus o' those present who knew about such things was that t' glider was tail heavy. Aye aye! I pulled out one of t' nail weights and repacked t' streamer in t' pod realizin' that I had forgotten t' put any waddin' in thar the first time. Begad! Fortunately, t' streamer was only slightly singed. For t' second flight I loaded a B6-2 since I had no B4-2s. Avast! It was taken out t' t' pad and hooked up. When t' ignition button was fired, me hearties, t' Swift showed t' same arcing behavior as before but nay as drastic. It went up relatively high considerin' it spent most o' t' boost at about a 60 degree angle t' t' ground. Aye aye! When t' pod popped, matey, though, things were definitely different. Begad! It started gliding. Ahoy! It would lazily turn into t' wind and seem t' just stand in place for a while nay losin' any altitude and maybe even gainin' a bit. It would then turn with t' wind and fly away for a short time (but a long distance) before turnin' into t' wind t' repeat t' performance....again...and again...and again. Ahoy! Arrr! On some circuits it did gain altitude but it be definitely goin' t' come down...eventually. Aye aye! I began t' get worried that I would lose it but everyone kept an eye on it until it finally went down...a long way away.

I wish I could show some great photos o' t' flight but I was t' busy bein' awestruck t' remember t' take any. All I have t' offer is a photo o' t' grounded pod a few yards from t' launch pad. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Oh and me daughter took this video: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/3960923315/

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I think Gliders are an acquired taste but this one is a great place t' start doin' t' acquiring. It is me first and only glider that can be termed a success t' date. T' construction be simple enough for anyone t' do, t' instructions were well written and, shiver me timbers, arrr, ya bilge rat, most o' all, ya bilge rat, matey, it works.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Persons wishin' t' follow t' exploits o' this rocket can do so here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23694991@N03/collections/72157621956600615/