(Contributed - by Bill Eichelberger - 01/22/10)

Brief:
I've long flown t' Goony flag, but a recent thread at TRF showcasin' different Goony creations got me wonderin' if I was neglectin' t' Goony side o' me brain. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! After much introspection it be determined that nay only be I neglectin' t' Goony side, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but t' rest o' it as well. Aye aye! Blimey! With that decided, I began spendin' time at www.ninfinger.org studyin' t' Estes catalogs tryin' t' find suitable candidates for "goonification". Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I came up with a couple before switchin' t' t' Centuri catalogs, me bucko, where I had an Epiphany. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I realized that Goony was a life force all its own and that no rocket could be safe from parody. Aye aye! Blimey! Nay even t' Centuri Vector V.

Construction:

Parts List:

• PNC-60 nose cone
• 7.5" BT-60 main body tube
• 1.75" BT-80 lower body tube
• 2 CR-2060 centerin' rings
• 3 CR-6080 centerin' rings
• 6080 paper transition
• BT-20J engine tube
• engine hook
• CR-520 engine block
• 3/32" basswood fin stock
• 24" length Keelhaul®©™® shock cord
• 24" length 1/8" sewin' elastic shock cord

I've forever been intimidated by rockets with paper transitions, arrr, me hearties, and that, coupled with t' need t' eventually make me own 6080 centerin' rings (this be a "spare parts" build,) made me put this idea onto t' back burner once I had gathered t' bulk o' t' parts. Well, blow me down! My first attempt at a paper transition had come t' a bad end due t' some apparent miscommunication betwixt t' program and me printer, matey, an occurrence that took t' wind out o' me sails in a big way.

I got reinterested in t' project one Friday night with a Sunday launch breathin' down me neck. Arrr! I found t' tools I needed t' successfully make t' rings and transition, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and Jay Goemmer pointed me in t' right direction t' find a widget that allowed me t' print off a five fin BT-80 fin markin' guide.

Things went pretty smartly from that point. I decided t' stick with t' stock size fins, so that meant goin' with t' Estes Viking-style fin orientation. Blimey! I also decided t' go with an internal launch lug mounted on t' side o' t' BT-60. Well, blow me down! This meant that I'd need t' make holes in me beautiful handmade centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, so I found and icepick and gouged me way through both. Avast! Ya scallywag! It also meant that I'd have t' find a way through t' transition, also nay a problem, matey, but also nay an aesthetic high point o' this bird.

Finishing:
T' basswood fins didn't need a lot o' help hidin' t' grain, so I went with one coat o' thinned Fill & Finish and a couple o' coats o' primer, which was how it looked for t' first two flights. Ahoy! Blimey! From thar I sprayed t' fin can with a no-name blue, Valspar silver and Testor's Candy Apple Red that I'd wanted t' try for a long time. Arrr! Begad! T' nose cone had been sprayed silver when I did t' mid-section o' t' rocket, arrr, which played right into t' Testor's, which is supposed t' be sprayed over silver or gold metallic. I was a little concerned about t' possibility o' crazing, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but t' Candy Apple coated nicely and looked great without a hint o' crazing. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I had planned t' print up a set o' stock decals t' finish t' project, but some o' t' no-name blue metallic pulled away from t' scrap o' BT-80 that made up t' lower body tube durin' t' unmaskin' and I kind o' lost me enthusiasm for t' project. For those who might be interested in followin' in me clown shoe footprints, ya bilge rat, matey, Sandman has a decal set that he put together.

Flight:
Flight day turned out t' be beautiful from t' start, and with t' sun already up and warmin' things up by t' time I awoke, I decicded that t' time was right t' spray a coat o' primer on t' rocket t' improve t' looks a little. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! By t' time I had everythin' ready t' leave a couple o' hours later, t' primer be dry and I thought everythin' was goin' me way.

Ten minutes later I was parked off t' side o' US 27, matey, realizin' that despite t' beautiful day, t' convertible may have been a mistake. Well, blow me down! Despite me careful packin' o' t' days birds, two were damaged, one o' them bein' t' Vector G. Arrr! Turns out that t' hasty fin attachment on Saturday evenin' be over a painted section o' t' scrap BT-80. Begad! I didn't think t' sand t' paint t' rough it up, matey, arrr, and somethin' as slight as fallin' over in t' back o' t' car was enough t' sprin' a fin despite t' double fillets. Ya scallywag! Once at t' field I roughed up t' area where t' fin had been, then re-glued it with LocTite Gel CA. Blimey! Good enough for a couple o' flights, I hoped.

With a field t' size o' t' VOA, arrr, ya bilge rat, I felt comfortable tryin' with a C6-5 for t' first flight. Aye aye! I checked t' fins for any wiggles I might have missed and announced it as a heads-up flight. Blimey! T' Vector G leapt off t' pad smartly and arced t' t' north in t' light breeze. Aye aye! Much better than I had hoped for. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Ejection be perfect and recovery, while a decent walk into t' tall grass, matey, me hearties, was likewise.

T' second flight, also on a C6-5 (because it was all I had,) was almost a carbon copy o' t' first. Begad! T' only difference was a fin breakin' off on recovery, but again it be easily reattached with gel CA. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Subsequent flights are planned on cozy B6-4 Field usin' A8-3's and B6-4's, ya bilge rat, arrr, likely after I break off and reattach t' remainin' fins.

Recovery:
Several years ago I won an Ebay auction for some clear plastic parachutes that came 10 for $1. Ahoy! They got shuffled around durin' our move in 2005 and recently resurfaced. Begad! I hadn't thought o' a parachute when I left t' house, so I had t' scramble come flight day. Ahoy! T' chute performed perfectly, me hearties, and it would be difficult t' find fault with t' deal now.

Summary:
Pro's: Performance. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' sheer gooniness o' it all.

Con's: Some o' t' "spare parts" I used had been previously used as paint tubes which made fin attachment a challenge. Begad! T' pizza and win' ad that I used for t' transition be too thin and slick and wouldn't accept t' thin CA that I normally use t' beef cardstock up.