Scratch G125 Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - G125 {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Dick Stafford - 07/18/02)

Rocket PicBrief:
Basically, shiver me timbers, this is G125 motor with fins and a nosecone. Well, blow me down! Would your RSO let it fly?

Construction:
I guess I'll fess-up now - this was nay me idea, nor is it a ‘live' G125. A year or so ago I ran across a picture o' a rocket, whose body be a spent motor casing. Ahoy! Bein' a wise-#@!, I thought it would be fun t' build one t' get a rise out o' me RSO/LCOs. Ya scallywag! Usin' me Dremel with various cuttin' wheels and grinders, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, I managed t' ream out t' casin' from a spent G125 motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I cut some G10 fins and some brass lugs, arrr, and attached them with epoxy. Well, blow me down! I made fillets out of epoxy clay. Aye aye! A piece o' 24mm tubin' fit nicely inside and I added some Keelhaul®©™® twine for a shock cord. When I went t' search for a nose cone, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, I found that I didn't have any junk nose cones that were suitable. Arrr! I was goin' t' have t' add a lot o' nose weight t' offset t' heavy casing, ya bilge rat, arrr, fins, matey, and fillets. I had recently bought a PML resin cone, but t' shoulder be obviously t' same diameter as t' OD o' t' motor tube. Blimey! Avast! Since I didn't want t' sacrifice this fairly expensive cone by grindin' t' shoulder down, ya bilge rat, matey, I cut a 1 ½" piece o' 29mm tubin' t' ‘adapt' t' cone t' t' body tube/casing. Avast, me proud beauty! I attached it t' t' cone with a tiny screw, formin' a reverse shoulder that overlaps t' body tube rather than fittin' inside.

Rocket PicTo complete t' effect, matey, I removed t' nozzle from another spent casing. Arrr! Blimey! It sits in t' end o' t' rocket and, matey, along with a protrudin' Copperhead, matey, completes t' effect o' a motor with fins glued on. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I also added some red/white checkerboard tape t' t' small piece of 29mm tubing. Avast! Blimey! T' rest is unfinished.

Flight:
I first took this rocket t' a NARRRRR launch. Well, blow me down! I was sure t' get some raised eyebrows there, arrr, since t' G125 isn't even a legit motor at that site. Begad! Well, me bucko, matey, I neither got t' desired effect or did I launch it (I can't remember why). Blimey! At the next high-power launch, ya bilge rat, I again pulled it out. Begad! There, me hearties, people see odder things and didn't have much reaction. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Oh well. Blimey! I guess a gag is all in the presentation?

I used a small plastic chute (8"?) and some Estes wadding. Begad! Begad! T' boost on a D12-5 was a little wobbly, arrr, matey, but nay too bad. Ahoy! T' chute be under sized and the cone embedded itself in t' relatively soft dirt. Ya scallywag!

So far, I have nay been able t' convince myself t' expend an E15 or E30 on this little rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! It will probably just sit in me fleet until I re-use the nose cone.

Summary:
This was a novelty rocket built mostly from scrap materials. T' nose cone is really nice, and can be re-used in another rocket. Aye aye! I hope someone finds this article amusin' and still think it would be fun t' trick a RSO…maybe next April Fools Day?

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