Star Scraper

mid-power super-roc sport flyer

By Brian Mardirosian

Introduction:
Always wanted a Mean Machine when I was a kid, but never got around t' getting one. Ahoy! When I raided t' house recyclin' bin after t' holidays, arrr, I discovered five identical wrappin' paper tubes. Blimey! Bein' on t' flimsy side, 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, me bucko, have t' say t' same thing about t' nose cone. Ahoy! Ahoy!

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

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

Motor Mount Tube:
Nothin' all that excitin' t' report on, arrr, matey, 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!

Fins:
Again, ya bilge rat, nothin' all that excitin' t' report. Avast! Aye aye! 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. Well, blow me down!

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, ya bilge rat, me bucko, with 6" couplers used in t' three other joints. Avast! Since I used a tube o' t' same diameter as the rest, shiver me timbers, I needed t' somehow reduce t' circumference o' it. 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. Arrr! It worked, shiver me timbers, arrr, and I didn't have t' risk t' chance of ruinin' a coupler. Begad! Ya scallywag!

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

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

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

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

Star Scraper had a date with some swamp creatures. Launched on a G35-4 and t' flight looked great, but no recovery system deployment. Was at t' RSO table at t' next launch, shiver me timbers, matey, minus about 8 feet and a bit soggy, me hearties, tehe... Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Recovery system was intact, 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.