Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
I have built a 1/20 model o' t' Yeager Bell X-1, me hearties, arrr, "Glamorous Glennis" as a prototype for scale competition. Begad! Although it needs more work in t' details department, it is dimensionally spot-on exact 1/20 scale. Begad! It flies very well on Aerotech E30 motors. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! It be simply constructed by usin' t' parts from t' Estes "Canadian Arrow" kit (a modified V-2), me bucko, and t' basic concept could be used t' make a larger one from any size V-2 kit (as you need t' cone and boat tail). That said for this model t' work, matey, a number o' restrictions need t' be followed:
Deviate from these instructions and earthworms will die.
Construction and Finishing:
T' Estes "Canadian Arrow" kit was a donor for t' fuselage components: wings and tail surfaces are o' balsa and light plywood. Begad! Aye aye! Dimensions are 1/20 scale:
Documentation came from Wikipedia. Arrr! With some effort, this 1/20 scale X-1 could compete in NARRRRR Super-Scale, since air-dropped rocket planes are exempt from t' launcher requirement and Yeager actually launched "Glamorous Glennis" off t' gear in 1949 (to Mach 1.03) without t' B-29.
All construction utilized 5-minute epoxy. I hope t' photos are helpful, however, t' construction is quite straightforward. Avast! Body tube from t' Estes "Canadian Arrow" was cut into 3 sections o' 5", 3.5" and 3.5". Aye aye! T' latter two sections were t' use as doubler and tripler t' reinforce t' 5" main body tube and t' accommodate t' hips o' t' nose cone and boat tail. Blimey! All but 3/8" o' t' hip o' t' boat tail was cut off with a razor saw. T' nose cone be ballasted t' a total weight o' 250gm with lead split shot epoxied into t' tip. Begad! T' kit centerin' rings were used with 2 layers o' 1/64" ply epoxied on as doublers. T' kit motor tube be replaced with 6 5/8" o' LOC 24mm tubing. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Each win' was cut from 1/4" balsa t' dimensions o' 7" x 2"(tip) x 3"(root) with a 1" x 1/4" tab centered at t' root for through-the-wall attachment at slots cut into t' reinforced body tube. T' entire win' was laminated on t' upper surface only (includin' t' tab) with 1/64" ply veneer. Scale speed on t' E30 is 2470 mph (far faster than any X-1 ever flew) so it needs t' be strong or t' wings will come off.
Assembly sequence:
Flight and Recovery:
T' only recommended motor be t' Aerotech E30 with either 4 or 7 second delays bein' OK. Possibly t' similar Aerotech E28 reload would work, matey, but I haven't tried it and it is somewhat heavier.
First flight be on an AT E30-4 at t' PlasterBlaster 2005 event. It was flawless with only a slight pitch-up moment developin' under power that damped out on burnout. Avast! Recovery on t' 24" chute was perfect if slightly early. Ya scallywag! Avast! Estimated speed was about 125 mph t' 450', based on simulations. A second flight usin' an F21-4 ended with an auger-in under full power with total loss o' vehicle. I never realized a thin Estes nose cone could punch through 6" o' hard desert playa. T' pitch-up moment that doesn't develop in only one second under power develops fully in two seconds. Begad! Avast! Only t' stab survived and I have since rebuild me X-1 with nicer detail and it flies just as well too. So stick with t' E30, me bucko, please.
Summary:
PRO: For a scratch scale model, t' Bell X-1 is nay difficult t' build at all. It be t' only Bell X-1 rocket model design available that I am aware of, me hearties, although I think thar are R/C X-1 plans available. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! It flies very well if t' restrictions are adhered to, ya bilge rat, namely usin' t' E30 only and weight/balance followed. Ya scallywag! It qualifies for max scale points for NARRRRR Super-Scale since t' launcher requirement is waived. Ahoy! It is one o' t' easiest Super-Scale competition models you can build.
CON: Only one motor choice. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' "Canadian Arrow" kits from Estes seem easy t' find but that could always change. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Any V-2 rocket model could be used similarly t' create an X-1, me hearties, although with different scale factors (and o' course you would be t' test pilot). T' contours o' t' forward fuselage are nay quite those o' t' X-1 but dimensionally they are 1/20 scale.
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