Scratch Tigerstrike Missile Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Tigerstrike Missile {Scratch}

Contributed by Casey Smith

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Casey Smith)

Rocket PicBrief:
This rocket is a 2 Stage appearance workhorse that I put together from some left over 29mm, ya bilge rat, 38mm, and 54mm motor mount tubing. Ahoy! It has a very long motor mount tube so it can take a G35 t' an I 200. Ya scallywag! It will probably take an F, but I never have any.

Construction:
There be t' 29mm mount inside o' t' 38mm tube mounted into t' 54mm main body tube. Aye aye! (T' lower section o' t' kit is 24 inches o' 38mm tubin' with 24 inches o' 29mm tubin' inside for a motor mount. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' top section is one regular 48 inch long 2.14 tube, with t' 8 inch long payload section on top.) There are 3 24 inch pieces composin' t' engine mount and lower part of the main body tube. Avast! T' rocket has 2 sets o' 3 fins, 3 upper, ya bilge rat, arrr, 3 lower, made out of 3/16 aircraft grade plywood. Begad! Avast! T' nose cone is actually an old balsa nose cone I had, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and it is mounted on a 8 inch payload section for future electronics bay stuff. Ya scallywag! I used four centerin' rings for t' 29mm motor mount in the 38mm lower tube. Well, blow me down! I used 3 centerin' rings for t' 38 mm tube in t' 54mm upper tube.

Rocket PicI did make t' lower fins through t' wall attachment, and air-foiled all sides. Blimey! T' top fins are epoxied to t' frame, me hearties, and due t' t' low profile sonic design, ya bilge rat, I did nay mount them through t' wall. Blimey! I like t' build t' fin can/mounts very strong, due t' if my rockets crash, they come in ballistic, arrr, me hearties, and would like t' fin can t' survive. Well, blow me down! I did wrap a coat o' 2 ounce fiberglass t' t' lower body tube t' beef up it's strength on impact. Aye aye! t' upper main body tube could actually use an extra stagin' coupler or 2 pushed inside t' strengthen it in t' middle, or just make it shorter. Blimey! I did put 4 holes in t' payload section and ran bailin' wire in there t' give it a scale like look with 4 antennae. Aye aye! Avast! This kit is super sturdy, on line with PML. Blimey! I put a small threaded rod like Cosmodrome uses for motor retention and just use a small square nut, arrr, arrr, works great.

Flight:
I have flown this kit 5 times, matey, shiver me timbers, 3 on G64-M reloads, me hearties, arrr, 1 on a G40-7 and also an H220-M. Avast! I do use that cellulose insulation for wadding, ya bilge rat, about 1 handful is plenty. This rocket flies out o' me front yard on t' G motors perfectly, straight boost, arrr, great deploy. It screamed this weekend on t' H220, shiver me timbers, it took it and be beggin' for more, straight up boost with no wobble, around 200 feet. Aye aye! It was impressive due t' t' 5-10 mph winds we had thar at t' launch site. Blimey! Ahoy! The shock cord is actually attached t' t' coupler that attaches t' lower portion of t' main body tube t' t' upper. Ahoy! I ran a small 18" chute t' brin' it down quick, me hearties, but if it is nay windy, arrr, a nice 36" chute will work great. Arrr! Blimey! It still came down around 400 yards due t' t' wind. Ya scallywag! I did get a small little crimp in t' upper body tube right in t' middle, most likely from hittin' on the side at impact. Blimey! Hence, shiver me timbers, bigger parachute, matey, no trouble. Avast, me proud beauty! Other than that, this kit will be good for small fields with slow majestic lift-offs, t' poppin' it with big H and I power.

Summary:
PRO-Strong rocket, shiver me timbers, matey, matey, I always over build a little. Avast! Arrr! It would work great for a level 1 flight. Ahoy! T' next incarnation o' t' kit will be a 2 stager, same specifications. Well, blow me down! Well, me hearties, blow me down! 29mm-29mm. Avast! It can take t' wind, me hearties, very stable design. Avast! CONS-Long rocket, vulnerable t' body damage when it lands if on hard ground. Begad! Well, blow me down! Beefin' up the lower tube helps, matey, cuttin' t' length o' t' main tube will help and reduce some weight.

Other:
It needs t' have a camouflage paint scheme, shiver me timbers, olive drab/ultra flat brown/tan (Krylon camo series paints) and then you need t' have a spray paint that has a fan nozzle, me hearties, like t' one's from Duplicolor auto paint at Walmart. T' fan will do a wide spray, me bucko, or a thin line, me bucko, arrr, this is what you do for t' "Tiger stripes". Begad! This kit taught me you can use minimum diameter and have it come out great. Blimey! Begad! You need t' reinforce t' lower launch lug mount since it is raised, and I wrapped a small piece o' glass over it t' reinforce it from t' top.

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