Star Scraper

mid-power super-roc sport flyer

By Brian Mardirosian

Introduction:
Always wanted a Mean Machine when I was a kid, me hearties, me bucko, but never got around t' getting one. Begad! When I raided t' house recyclin' bin after t' holidays, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I discovered five identical wrappin' paper tubes. Aye aye! Arrr! Bein' on t' flimsy side, shiver me timbers, figured it would be a test t' reinforce them enough t' fly on a G motor in t' form o' a super roc. Blimey!

Nose Cone:
Shaped out o' a styrofoam ball used for a Christmas decoration that had seen better days. Hmm, matey, have t' say t' same thing about t' nose cone. Blimey!

Recovery System:
A parachute that I had created for a min diameter bird that was way too big for it. Blimey! Small for Star Scraper (about 20" I'd say) but t' long, ya bilge rat, light body tubes would be glidin' on t' way down, me hearties, arrr, figured it be enough.

Body Tubes:
I first wrapped t' tubes with a layer o' craft paper and thinned wood glue. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Once that set-up, matey, I then applied one layer o' copy paper and thinned wood glue. Aye aye! Blimey! When everythin' dried, matey, I be amazed with t' amount of strength added t' t' tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! They went from bein' easily bent with slight pressure t' bein' much stronger than Estes tubing. I was also pleased with the fact that t' tubes remained fairly lightweight, certainly lighter than some heavy-duty tubes o' similar size used in rockets. Begad! Blimey! Overall, ya bilge rat, me hearties, a worthy compromise in strength-to-weight ratio, and you can't beat t' price. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

Motor Mount Tube:
Nothin' all that excitin' t' report on, me hearties, basic two centerin' rings o' 1/8 balsa with a slightly oversized motor mount tube o' thick cardboard tubin' from what I believe be t' core o' a fax machine paper roll. Avast, me proud beauty!

Fins:
Again, ya bilge rat, nothin' all that excitin' t' report. Begad! I moved t' fins 3" away from the bottom since t' super roc design in inherently over stable, shiver me timbers, and I wanted to give them some protection from fast landings.

Couplers
I heard it time and time again from others more wise than I that couplers makes or breaks (literally) a super roc. 13" coupler for t' mid-body separation point, with 6" couplers used in t' three other joints. Begad! Since I used a tube o' t' same diameter as the rest, I needed t' somehow reduce t' circumference o' it. Aye aye! Instead o' doin' it the right way, arrr, I just overlapped t' material and filled in t' rest with a scrap piece and sanded a bit. Blimey! Begad! It worked, and I didn't have t' risk t' chance of ruinin' a coupler.

Launch Lugs:
I tried me old 1/4" screw eye-in-balsa method. One of them promptly ripped out when t' rocket was on t' pad. Begad! Begad! Blimey! A larger set of lugs were needed. I ended up usin' 1/2" peg-board loops. With a little work, me bucko, I was able t' scuttle t' connective material flush with t' surface o' the balsa blocks on t' rocket, with t' peg board hooks restin' on t' surface of the rocket itself. A little 5 minute epoxy in t' appropriate places, ya bilge rat, and I had me an impressive set o' launch lugs. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! They worked great! Blimey!

Painting:
Grabbed what I had on t' shelf and went t' work, arrr, shiver me timbers, just one layer o' each. Begad! Well, me hearties, blow me down! If I were t' do it over again, shiver me timbers, I wouldn't have used black. Avast, me proud beauty! Didn't think such a small area would be affected so much by t' sun, arrr, me bucko, but it is. Avast, me proud beauty!

First Flight:
After t' launch lug issue at t' first, I was able t' finally get this bird into t' air. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Takin' advantage o' a calm spell, me hearties, Star Scraper rose without incident up a G38-4. Unfortunately, matey, me hearties, me bucko, at about 2 seconds after burn-out ejection occurred. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! No damage t' report, shiver me timbers, but I'd say the rocket was only 400' off t' ground, matey, tough t' say since it is so tall. Blimey! Blimey! All of the kids were pointin' and commentin' on it, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and some o' t' adults had some snide comments about it, arrr, ya bilge rat, tehehe. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It certainly is a looker, and it towered above the Mean Machine that was also flyin' that day. Ahoy! Blimey!

Conclusion:
It took a long time t' finish from beginnin' t' end, but it be worth it. Certainly an attention-getter (134"x2.1"), shiver me timbers, and it proves that paper and wood glue can significantly add strength with little weight t' body tubes.

Star Scraper had a date with some swamp creatures. Ahoy! Aye aye! Launched on a G35-4 and t' flight looked great, but no recovery system deployment. Well, blow me down! Was at t' RSO table at t' next launch, matey, ya bilge rat, minus about 8 feet and a bit soggy, ya bilge rat, tehe... Ya scallywag! Blimey! Recovery system was intact, matey, ya bilge rat, as well as t' fins and launch lugs and I have a feelin' if I stuck a nose cone on what I had left after it dried out, it would fly fine.