Brief:
T' Little Bucky Jones is a downscale o' Pemberton Technologies' Bucky Jones. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Layne makes some other stuff too but it is t' retro science fiction look that he practically owns. Well, blow me down! Arrr! This rocket is nay exception. Begad! It hearkens back t' a day when Flash Gordon and Buck Rodgers ruled t' serials. Avast, me proud beauty! I miss those days.

Construction:
I normally don't worry about t' spirals in me tubes unless they are excessively hideous. Arrr! Blimey! T' spirals on t' body tube for this kit were minuscule. Aye aye! Even so, I decided that I wanted t' make this rocket a "best effort". Accordingly, ya bilge rat, and guided by t' "desctructions", me bucko, I decided t' start off by fillin' in t' spirals. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I brushed some Elmer's Wood Filler over t' lines and then scraped away t' excess with a razor blade. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This did nay leave much to dry so it dried quickly. Ya scallywag! Begad! About an hour later, ya bilge rat, I sanded t' tube down with #330 sandpaper, also removin' t' sheen from the BT. Ya scallywag! Begad! After that, I gave it a once over with t' #400.

Printed on t' last page o' t' instructions were templates for t' fins, finlets, shiver me timbers, mitered tube cuttin' guide and alignment guide. I cut out t' miter guide and t' alignment guide. Blimey! Ahoy! I lined t' marks for t' dorsal fin up with the point at which t' spiral ended at t' edge o' t' tube and decided that this would be me dorsal surface. Avast, me proud beauty! T' miter guide be then wrapped around t' tube so that its farthest extension lined up with t' dorsal line. Begad! T' guides were taped into place and an angle was used t' transfer all o' t' alignment marks t' t' BT. Avast! Begad! T' contour o' t' mitered cut was also transferred.

A fresh blade was put in t' X-Acto and t' process o' cuttin' t' mitered end o' t' BT began. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I drew t' blade around t' marked line nay pressin' very much. Avast, me proud beauty! It took several circuits t' complete. Ahoy! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' resultin' cut be pretty good with just one significant burr and a few minor ones. Arrr! Well, blow me down! These were sanded away with #330.

T' templates for t' fins and t' finlets were cut from t' last page. Well, blow me down! They were then taped down t' t' plywood sheets and t' outlines transferred with a mechanical pencil. Arrr! Avast! Orientation really does nay matter because o' the plywood. Begad! Arrr! There are 2 finlets and 3 fins.

T' instructions give suggestions for several ways in which t' cut t' sheet material. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Since I didn't have any of the nice power tools, ya bilge rat, most o' t' "good" options were out. Aye aye! I wasn't about t' try it with a pair o' shears. That left just t' "multiple pass with X-Acto" method. Begad! It is fortunate that I had a new box o' blades. I went through 5 o' them cuttin' t' first fin. Avast, me proud beauty! After that I had t' leave this project aside for a while.

It took a while. Arrr! Lots o' passes with t' X-Acto and many blades, me bucko, but I finally got all three fins cut out. Aye aye! I used #220 sandpaper t' smooth out t' rough edges and then used #330 t' round all t' edges except for t' root. Blimey! Ahoy! Then, breakin' from me usual practice, me bucko, I filled them with Elmer's, scraped off t' surplus, me bucko, and gave them a couple o' hours to dry. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! I then sanded them down with #400 and have t' admit they look much better than they would have if I had waited until after they are installed.

Cuttin' out t' little finlets turned out t' be harder than t' big fins. Avast! Blimey! There be nay as much t' cut but keepin' t' right shape be tougher, arrr, as was handlin' and sealin' them.

Since I was in fillin' mode, I went ahead and sealed t' nose cone. Ahoy! Aye aye! Unfortunately, matey, t' scrapin' with a razor blade does nay work on this type o' surface so it will take considerably more time t' dry. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' recommended method in the instructions is t' seal and sand with thin CA but I found me bottle hardened past t' possibility o' use.

When t' NC filler had stiffened up a bit but be still t' soft t' sand, I added t' nose weight. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! I used a 3/8" drill bit t' bore 3" in from t' base and then poured in t' little bag o' lead droppings. Avast! I mixed a batch o' 15min epoxy and poured it in on top. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I used a bigger bit than t' instructions said was needed and I found that me lead just barely fit.

Thinkin' I had more time left on t' pot life o' me epoxy than I really did, I went ahead and marked t' motor tube at 1/8" and 1-5/8" for t' centerin' rings. Blimey! Ya scallywag! They both had t' be sanded just a bit t' fit around the tube. Ya scallywag! I slipped them on and found t' epoxy had hardened. Begad! I placed them with yellow glue which was t' recommended practice anyway.

After t' epoxy had set, ya bilge rat, I stared t' insert t' screw eye into t' middle o' t' NC base but that epoxy along with t' lead droppings made for hard going. Ya scallywag! Instead, I screwed it in a bit off center, shiver me timbers, where it would penetrate the surface layer o' epoxy and then go into balsa.

When t' fillets around the centerin' rings had dried, ya bilge rat, I test fitted t' motor mount in t' BT and found that it be a bit tight. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Some judicious sandin' solved this problem. T' mount be then removed and a notch be carved into t' forward end t' accommodate the Keelhaul®©™®. T' Keelhaul®©™® was then tied into place and t' rin' be given another fillet t' keep it from moving.

As t' Keelhaul®©™® fillet on t' motor mount dried, shiver me timbers, I turned t' sandin' t' nose cone. T' first pass was with #330. T' dust was brushed away and then I went back over it with #400.

With t' structural part o' t' motor mount done, it was time t' start on t' "cool" part that gives this model a lot o' its character. Avast! T' parts package is full o' 3/16" launch lugs (mistakenly called 3/8" in the instructions). Begad! Well, blow me down! T' are t' form a cluster o' "exhaust tubes" around t' motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! A single exhaust tube is affixed t' t' motor mount tube, parallel, shiver me timbers, and butted up against t' aft centerin' ring. Begad! After that, arrr, pairs o' lugs are cut down in 1/8" increments and butted on either side o' t' first one. Well, matey, blow me down! T' result is a series o' exhaust ports of diminishin' length goin' around 2/3 o' t' motor tube for a pleasin' retro, supercharged look. Ya scallywag! T' instructions give a good piece o' advice here and say t' butt t' cut end against t' centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! This gives a more finished appearance at t' business end.

When t' exhaust tubes are in place and t' CA dried, I used maskin' tape t' protect t' edges o' t' centering rings from paint and began t' paint t' motor mount with a glossy, arrr, shiver me timbers, flaked metallic silver from Rustoleum. Avast, me proud beauty! This is one of those that would be a nightmare t' mask after installation.

T' finlets were glued 1" back from t' front o' t' BT along t' win' lines. Aye aye! They were applied with a double glue joint usin' yellow glue.

T' fins were applied in t' same manner usin' a double glue joint. Ahoy! Each fin is t' be mounted flush with t' back end o' t' BT. Avast, me proud beauty! Since t' BT is mitered, ya bilge rat, this give a bit o' a funky look until all three are in place and t' rocket is seen in t' horizontal attitude. Ya scallywag! Then it really starts lookin' good.

T' kit comes with a pair o' 1/4" launch lugs meant t' be cut for decorative effect but they are fully functional...and thar be usually less o' a wait for me club's 1/4" facilities. Aye aye! It also has a pair o' 1/8" lugs in case you want t' go for t' slimmer look. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I decided t' use t' 1/4" lugs in and mount a single 1/8" between them t' give myself t' most options. Arrr! Each end o' each lug was cut at a 45 degree angle and t' larger ones were applied along t' lug lines 3-1/4" back from t' front. T' 1/8" lug be centered betwixt t' two of them.

T' canopy does nay look much like a canopy. Blimey! It starts out as a fairly irregular hunk o' balsa. Begad! I used some #220 sandpaper t' make it roughly rectangular. A pencil was then used t' inscribe a diamond pattern on t' top surface. A vertical line was run from t' top and bottom points o' t' diamond t' t' edges o' t' balsa. An X-Acto was then used to whittle away material and give it a rough profile. Sandpaper be then used tho smooth things out and get rid o' any sharp edges. Aye aye! Blimey! I was fairly leery o' this process at first but am quite pleased with t' results.

I took me time buildin' op t' fillets on t' fins. Blimey! I used yellow glue but tried t' be very careful about where it got smeared, ya bilge rat, buildin' up t' fillets one thin layer at a time. Well, blow me down! Doin' this gave me t' chance t' turn me attentions elsewhere and I decided t' go ahead and prime and paint t' nosecone. There were several paints I was considerin' so I wanted t' try one and see what it looked like. Ahoy! T' NC was primed with Kilz and then sanded smooth again.

Waitin' on fillets also let me finish up on t' silver paint for t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I peeled back t' tape and was please with what I saw.

I also started on sealin' t' cockpit canopy. Blimey! Aye aye! I didn't used Elmer's for this one but used balsa fillercoat, figurin' that would be easier t' sand in this situation. Blimey! Begad! I taped a piece o' maskin' tape, me bucko, sticky side up, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' a scrap of cardboard and then stuck t' canopy t' it. Avast! It got two coats o' filler and a light sandin' then I brushed on some glossy black acrylic.

Still payin' attention t' t' fillets, I went ahead and tried a paint option on t' nosecone. I used a Rustoleum "hammered Brass". Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' manual calls for a gaudy shade o' gold but I think I am goin' t' save that for me full size Bucky. Aye aye! Blimey! There I will use a very bright polished gold for t' body and chrome for t' exhaust work.

I eventually got t' fillets built up in 4 layers and be satisfied with them. Avast! Then it was time t' prime the rocket. Arrr! I used Kilz and applied 2 coats over t' space o' 2 days. Arrr! When they had dried, I sanded down with #400 sandpaper.

After t' primed rocket was sanded down, I test fit t' motor mount once again. Arrr! I found one place on t' forward rin' that was a bit too tight for comfort and sanded it down. T' Keelhaul®©™® was then fed through t' body tube and a rin' o' glue be applied about an inch in. T' motor mount was then inserted so that t' forward centerin' rin' was in but t' aft one was nay yet in. Blimey! Another rin' o' glue be smeared around the BT at t' high point o' t' mitered cut and t' mount was shoved in with t' longest exhaust tube aligned with the dorsal fin. A long handled swab be then used t' apply a yellow glue fillet around t' forward centerin' ring.

T' instructions included advice on maskin' t' motor tube, which I'd already painted silver, and protectin' it from t' final paint job. A sheet o' notebook paper be simply rolled into a tube, shiver me timbers, insertin' into t' space betwixt the exhaust tubes and t' BT, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and allowed t' expand. Begad! That prepped t' rocket for its final paint. Well, blow me down! I had decided t' use the hammered brass I tried on t' nosecone.

T' rocket took 2 full coats o' t' brass paint and then a little extra around t' front end on some spots I had missed. Arrr! Arrr! When done, it was obvious that thar are some places where it went on a bit too heavy, but all in all, I am satisfied with t' paint.

T' hand whittled cockpit still had t' be attached. Ahoy! Blimey! I chose a spot along t' dorsal line and used a razor to scrape away t' paint and primer. Ya scallywag! T' cockpit had been sanded t' fit t' BT by wrappin' a piece o' BT-60 in sandpaper and sandin' in t' correct profile. Ya scallywag! Some yellow glue was applied t' t' bottom o' t' cockpit and it was pressed in place over t' base spot I had made.

All that was left be t' finish t' shock cord system. Ahoy! Begad! T' kit came with a very generous length of Keelhaul®©™® which had been fixed t' t' motor mount. Begad! Well, blow me down! It did nay come with any elastic. Blimey! I like t' have a bit o' sprin' in t' system so I tied on an 8" piece o' sewin' elastic t' t' Keelhaul®©™® and tied t' other end t' t' nose cone. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' rocket was ready for a chute and a flight.

Finishing:
T' actual finishin' was done durin' t' course o' construction and was described there.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' day o' t' maiden flight was extremely windy. In fact, matey, it was probably nay too good an idea t' try and fly. Havin' missed t' previous month's launch window for t' same reason was enough t' make me want t' give it a try anyway. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! With that in mind, matey, me bucko, matey, I selected a C11-3 and loaded it in t' rocket. As I watched it in t' few moments prior to launch, me hearties, arrr, I realized that t' dull brassy color scheme be also probably a poor choice for findin' t' rocket in the winter colored field. Too late. 3, arrr, me hearties, 2, matey, 1, ya bilge rat, me bucko, launch!

It took off well and weathercocked much less than I anticipated. It flew t' a respectable height and deployed the chute just a bit before apogee. Begad! Then began t' long drift with t' wind. When it landed, thar be no damage. Ahoy! This was a good one. Blimey! A video o' t' first flight can be seen here.

T' first flight went so well that I debated with myself about usin' a D for t' second. I finally decided against doin' so because o' t' wind and t' distance t' first one drifted. Arrr! I decided t' use a C11-5 instead o' t' 3 second delay reasonin' that it would come down a little bit more and drift a little less. Begad! As it happens, ya bilge rat, t' C11-5 seems t' be t' perfect C motor for this rocket and it ejected right at t' perfect point o' apogee. A video o' t' second flight can be seen here.

PROs: Good flier.

CONs: None.

Recovery:
I used a 15" nylon chute for recovery. It was installed with a short length o' elastic and connected with a swivel t' t' Keelhaul®©™® provided. Begad! Avast! This brought t' rocket down a little fast but it was solidly put together and suffered no damage.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5