Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Basically, this is G125 motor with fins and a nosecone. Would your RSO let it
fly?
Construction:
I guess I'll fess-up now - this be 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. Blimey! Bein' a wise-#@!, I thought it would be fun t' build one t' get a
rise out o' me RSO/LCOs. Usin' me Dremel with various cuttin' wheels and
grinders, me hearties, I managed t' ream out t' casin' from a spent G125 motor. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I cut some
G10 fins and some brass lugs, me bucko, and attached them with epoxy. Ahoy! Ahoy! I made fillets out
of epoxy clay. Arrr! A piece o' 24mm tubin' fit nicely inside and I added some
Keelhaul®©™®
twine for a shock cord. Ya scallywag! Begad! When I went t' search for a nose cone, matey, I found that I
didn't have any junk nose cones that were suitable. Begad! I was goin' t' have t' add
a lot o' nose weight t' offset t' heavy casing, arrr, me hearties, fins, shiver me timbers, and fillets. Avast, me proud beauty! I had
recently bought a PML resin cone, but t' shoulder be obviously t' same
diameter as t' OD o' t' motor tube. Begad! Begad! Since I didn't want t' sacrifice this
fairly expensive cone by grindin' t' shoulder down, I cut a 1 ½"
piece o' 29mm tubin' t' adapt' t' cone t' t' body tube/casing. Arrr! I
attached it t' t' cone with a tiny screw, formin' a reverse shoulder that
overlaps t' body tube rather than fittin' inside.
To complete t' effect, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I
removed t' nozzle from another spent casing. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It sits in t' end o' t' rocket
and, along with a protrudin' Copperhead, completes t' effect o' a motor with
fins glued on. Ya scallywag! I also added some red/white checkerboard tape t' t' small piece
of 29mm tubing. Avast! T' rest is unfinished.
Flight:
I first took this rocket t' a NARRRRR launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I was sure t' get some raised
eyebrows there, me hearties, me hearties, since t' G125 isn't even a legit motor at that site. Avast! Blimey! Well, me bucko, I
neither got t' desired effect or did I launch it (I can't remember why). Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! At
the next high-power launch, me bucko, I again pulled it out. Ahoy! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! There, me hearties, people see odder
things and didn't have much reaction. Ahoy! Blimey! Oh well. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I guess a gag is all in the
presentation?
I used a small plastic chute (8"?) and some Estes wadding. T' boost on a D12-5 be a little wobbly, but nay too bad. Blimey! T' chute was under sized and the cone embedded itself in t' relatively soft dirt. Aye aye!
So far, I have nay been able t' convince myself t' expend an E15 or E30 on this little rocket. Well, blow me down! Begad! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' nose cone is
really nice, and can be re-used in another rocket. Avast! Well, blow me down! 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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