Scratch Baby Jones Cadet Wannabe Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Baby Jones Cadet Wannabe {Scratch}

Contributed by Jon Chrisman

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Jon Chrisman - 04/20/08) (Scratch) Baby Jones Wannabe

Brief:
While I was cleanin' up me work table after buildin' a Pemberton Technologies Bucky Jones Jr Space Cadet, I happened to notice that t' scrap balsa had t' shape o' fins...and t' idea just popped into me mind t' make a downscale o' the Bucky Jones Jr--which in itself is a down scale o' Pemberton's Bucky Jones rocket. A downscale o' a downscale!

Construction and Finishing:
Parts list:

  • 1 BT-50 5.5" in length
  • 1 BNC50K nose cone
  • 1 BT50 18mm engine mount kit
  • 3 Balsa fins
  • 1 Launch lug 3/16"x2"
  • 1 Small eye bolt
  • 1 Length o' threaded nylon cord 18" in length
  • 1 8" Parachute
  • 3 Lollipop sticks cut t' approx 3/4" lengths
  • 1/2oz nose weight
(Scratch) Baby Jones Wannabe

This was a fairly easy scratch build. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! After takin' measurements off the built Bucky Jones Jr (BJJ) and comparin' them t' t' fins I made from t' scrap, shiver me timbers, I came up with a difference o' 0.6, makin' this a 60% downscale. Usin' t' 'Template Widget' application found here on EMRR, I deduced t' angled cut at the aft end o' t' BT t' be 55 degrees t' closely match t' bigger BJJ. Avast! T' motor mount is assembled in t' usual way with t' exception that t' aft centerin' rin' t' be 1" from t' aft end o' t' motor tube. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I then cut t' BT-50 usin' t' template at t' 55 degree angle and glued t' motor mount into t' body tube so it was flush with the furthest aft point o' t' angled tube. Arrr! Blimey! I then marked t' tube for t' 3 fins makin' sure one o' them be centered on that part o' t' tube makin' it t' 'top' fin (this was again accomplished by usin' t' Template Widget). Begad! Blimey! I glued the fins in t' appropriate places. I then cut t' launch lug in half and gave them about a 45 degree angle cut with the long side bein' glued t' t' body tube. Avast! Blimey! One flush with t' 'bottom' o' t' tube and t' other about 2" up. Begad! Blimey! The shock cord is mounted usin' t' Estes tri-fold method. Aye aye! Ahoy! Blimey! Then a 1/2oz washer was glued t' t' nose cone and t' screw eye installed. Begad! T' lollipop sticks were then cut t' approx 3/4" lengths and squeezed in t' gap betwixt t' motor tube and t' body tube. Blimey! These were used t' simulate t' tubes on t' BBJ that are made with t' launch lugs. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! Then t' usual fill and seal t' balsa and copious sanding, prime, sand, ya bilge rat, prime, shiver me timbers, sand and paint. Avast! T' rocket was painted using Colorplace Gloss Gold and t' engine tubes painted silver usin' Testor's brush on paint.

Flight:
I had t' wait a while after buildin' for its first flights, ya bilge rat, arrr, but it was well worth t' wait. Aye aye! Begad! Flight simulations show that t' A8-3 as bein' about t' ideal motor as far as deployment velocity. Begad! On it's maiden flight I prepped it with a B4-4 and it flew great! Perfectly straight with deployment just a heartbeat before apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I have flown it 4 times all on t' B4-4, and I haven't gotten t' nerve t' put t' big C in it yet!

Summary:
PROs: A successful downscale scratch build!

CONs: Limited space for waddin' and chute. Aye aye! It all fits but is a tight fit.

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