Star Scraper

mid-power super-roc sport flyer

By Brian Mardirosian

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

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

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

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

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

Fins:
Again, matey, nothin' all that excitin' t' report. I moved t' fins 3" away from the bottom since t' super roc design in inherently over stable, arrr, 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, arrr, ya bilge rat, with 6" couplers used in t' three other joints. Since I used a tube o' t' same diameter as the rest, arrr, I needed t' somehow reduce t' circumference o' it. Blimey! Instead o' doin' it the right way, I just overlapped t' material and filled in t' rest with a scrap piece and sanded a bit. Begad! It worked, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and I didn't have t' risk t' chance of ruinin' a coupler. Begad!

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. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! A larger set of lugs were needed. Blimey! I ended up usin' 1/2" peg-board loops. With a little work, ya bilge rat, I be able t' scuttle t' connective material flush with t' surface o' the balsa blocks on t' rocket, shiver me timbers, with t' peg board hooks restin' on t' surface of the rocket itself. A little 5 minute epoxy in t' appropriate places, and I had me an impressive set o' launch lugs. They worked great!

Painting:
Grabbed what I had on t' shelf and went t' work, just one layer o' each. If I were t' do it over again, me hearties, I wouldn't have used black. Avast! Begad! Didn't think such a small area would be affected so much by t' sun, ya bilge rat, but it is. Blimey!

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

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

Star Scraper had a date with some swamp creatures. Begad! Blimey! Launched on a G35-4 and t' flight looked great, ya bilge rat, but no recovery system deployment. Avast! Was at t' RSO table at t' next launch, minus about 8 feet and a bit soggy, tehe... Begad! Begad! Recovery system was intact, me hearties, 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, me hearties, it would fly fine.