T' original Estes Mars Lander was always one o' me all time favorite kits. Arrr! I remember when I was 11 years old and seein' one at a local hobby shop. Ahoy! Avast! I had t' have it but at that time $9.95 was a lot o' loot t' spend. Begad! Ya scallywag! I finally got a job doin' yard work for a neighbor and saved t' buy it. Begad! Avast! I be so excited when I got that kit and built it. Blimey! I had it for many years but time and Mom’s weekly cleanin' o' me room took their toll on that exotic rocket. While in college I managed t' get all t' remainin' pieces and cloned another kit. Ya scallywag! I even had an extra set o' decals from a designer special. That reborn lander would have been enough had I nay discovered high power rocketry.

With t' advent o' higher power motors it now became possible t' build a bigger version o' t' lander. Well, blow me down! I was in a vacuum o' sorts. Blimey! I thought I be t' only one thinkin' o' this but after doin' some searchin' on t' web a few years ago I found that I was one o' many that shared t' same dream and they had already accomplished t' task o' upscaling. Well, blow me down! I then discovered t' rmr newsgroup last year and began hearin' o' rumors o' a 2x Mars Lander upscale kit bein' offered. Aye aye! I had t' find out about that. Ya scallywag! In turn I was led t' a man by t' name o' Tom Prestia, proprietor o' Tango Papa Decals, who was offerin' kits t' make a 2x upscale Mars Lander. Aye aye! They were relatively inexpensive at $57 plus an extra $15 for t' pre-cut centerin' rings. Begad! For that price you got a section o' PML 7.5" body tube, two coupler rings t' fit t' 7.5" tube, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a 3" dia mailin' tube, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, a balsa nose cone (made by BMS), about 4’ o' Keelhaul®©™ cord from Pratt Hobbies, a small bottle o' white fabric paint, matey, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, reproduced copies o' t' original Estes Mars Lander instructions, arrr, 2x enlargements o' all t' patterns and shrouds printed on card stock, arrr, a set o' 2x decals (Tom makes very high quality decal reproductions in original and custom sizes), me bucko, a section o' clear polyethylene tubin' for t' leg hinges, 4 plastic balls for t' leg hinge pivots, an assortment o' rubber bands, me bucko, arrr, a Pratt Hobbies Nomex chute protector (4" square), and a sheet o' tips and hints on constructin' t' lander. T' extra $15 gets you a single ¼" ply 7.5" x 38mm centerin' ring, three 3.00" x 38mm ¼" ply centerin' rings, and several centerin' rings for t' shrouds cut from foam core board.

T' term kit is really a misnomer. Aye aye! Blimey! Basically what Tom has done is put together all t' hard t' procure parts and all that is left for t' builder t' get be t' wood and finishin' materials. Well, blow me down! Blimey! In all fairness t' Tom he has stated that this is a craftsman type project. As a scratch builder myself I can vouch for this. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I had no illusions when I bought t' ‘kit’ as t' what I was getting. I was partly curious and considerin' what I would have had t' spend just t' order t' body tube alone it was a bargain. Blimey! Blimey! I treated t' Mars lander upscale as a scratchbuild from t' very beginning. Blimey! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! It be never me intent t' double t' size o' all t' original parts and assemble. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! This would never work considerin' t' increases in forces and weights. High power construction techniques were called for.

Base Unit/Leg Support
T' first consideration t' be made was for accessibility and repairability o' t' lander’s internals. Most people that have built an original sized version have reported that t' rubber bands used t' give t' legs their shock absorbin' sprin' tend t' break over time, either from hard landin' or t' rubber wearin' out. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' basic design is such that easy access t' replace these items is non-existent. Aye aye! Ahoy! Others have tried t' use springs instead o' rubber bands t' overcome t' problems associated. Avast, me proud beauty! T' problem with springs be t' method t' mount and attach them along with t' added complexity and weight. Ahoy! My method has always been t' keep things simple. Blimey! Begad! After lookin' at how t' lander goes together I decided that t' easiest thin' t' do was make t' body removable. T' body o' t' lander is nay load bearin' at all. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' motor tube and t' parachute tube are really t' load bearin' structures. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' body shroud is really for aerodynamic purposes only. Therefore me lander uses rubber bands t' provide t' shock absorption in t' landin' gear.

Second consideration had t' be given t' strength and durability. Begad! Tom Prestia noted that on his lander models t' legs had a tendency t' break on a hard landin' or if t' model drifted upon landing. Aye aye! T' method for mountin' t' legs t' t' motor tube is similar t' t' original kit with t' exception that t' support shafts are spaced out further from t' motor tube. This causes them t' experience more force actin' on them. Blimey! T' use ¼" wood dowel would nay be adequate. I opted t' use ¼" carbon fiber arrow shaft. This material is extremely strong.

In order t' allow for t' lander’s legs t' be removable t' motor tube had t' be able t' separate from t' base plate. Blimey! Begad! I designed t' assembly in two sections. Arrr! Ahoy! First be t' motor tube itself, a LOC 38mm, with t' ply centerin' rings t' support t' landin' gear and t' parachute tube. Blimey! Second be t' base plate. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' base plate is a ¼" thick ply centerin' rin' with a 38mm dia hole in t' center. Epoxied t' this is one o' t' 7.5" coupler tube pieces that slips into t' 7.5" lower body section as well as t' ply support gussets for t' motor tube and t' hook screw blocks. T' motor tube and t' base unit slip together and are held by two 4-40 screws into blind nuts. Aye aye! Four ply gussets surroundin' t' motor tube give it t' necessary support. When t' base plate is removed t' four pins through t' arrow shafts are slipped out and t' lander legs can easily slide out for service or repair. Ya scallywag! Also attached t' t' motor tube centerin' rin' be t' shock cord mount eyebolt. Arrr! T' 3.00" parachute tube will slip over t' three centerin' rings and is held in place by a single screw into t' eyebolt mount block.

Lander Legs
T' lander legs themselves are built up assemblies. Avast, me proud beauty! Rather than make them out o' a single thickness o' ¼" ply they are made from 3/16" bass wood strips covered with 1/32" veneer ply sheeting. T' basswood provides t' basic frame with an internal truss for strength. Ya scallywag! Avast! This type o' construction while more time consumin' adds a lot o' strength and weighs considerably less than a piece o' solid ply. Ya scallywag! T' bottom edge o' t' lander leg is also reinforced with a brass ‘U’ channel soldered t' a ¼" dia brass tube. Blimey! T' wood portion o' t' leg fits into t' channel and in combination with t' tube provides for more strength. Well, blow me down! T' remainder o' t' leg is finished pretty much t' same as t' original version would be. Ahoy! There can be several options for hingin' t' lander leg. I chose t' polyethylene tube method as per t' original and what is supplied with t' ‘kit’. Since t' model has access t' this area it seemed t' easiest choice. Begad! I did decide t' use carbon fiber arrow shaft for t' upper portion o' t' leg arm pivot. Usin' ¼" wood dowel seemed too risky since this is a high stress area and t' carbon fiber adds no weight. Avast, me proud beauty! T' footpads are cut from 1 ½" wood dowel with 1 7/8" cap plates glued t' them. Avast! I also added a dowel section that runs through t' footpad and into t' inside o' t' brass tube o' t' lander leg. This provides extra rigidity and more gluin' surface area. Blimey! T' exposed edge o' t' 1 ½" dowel is finished off with a strip o' corrugated plastic sheet. Avast! T' shock cylinder is 3/8" brass tubin' centered on t' ¼" wood dowel.

Main Body
T' body shrouds were made from standard posterboard. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' ‘kit’ included cardstock enlargements o' t' originals but t' larger mid body shroud required piecin' several sections together and I preferred t' have it made from one piece o' material. Begad! In addition I did nay trust t' Xeroxed reproductions t' be accurately sized. Blimey! It was much easier t' lay out me own shrouds. Begad! I calculated t' necessary arc lengths and radii and fabricated all t' shrouds. Blimey! Ahoy! I made a set up table out o' a piece o' heavy duty cardboard so I could duplicate t' center points and arcs later when I made t' detail body panels. T' first shroud made was t' mid body. Blimey! I first epoxied t' 7.5" dia coupler tube section t' a foam core centerin' ring. This would be t' base o' t' mid body and slip into t' main 7.65" body tube. Ahoy! I then made three supports from balsa t' set t' height o' t' top bulkhead, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, which was also a foam centerin' ring. Aye aye! With these two rings aligned and set I had a basic frame which t' wrap t' shroud around. T' shroud was rolled and glued together then slipped over t' frame t' set its shape. Well, blow me down! A bead o' glue run around t' inside edges where t' shroud and rings meet was all that was needed.

T' upper part o' t' ascent stage cone contains a 3" dia. Arrr! Ya scallywag! body tube section same as that o' t' main internal body (parachute) tube. Avast! An outer couplin' rin' is used t' slip join t' two sections together when t' lander is assembled. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After t' paper shroud be mated t' this small section o' body tube, ya bilge rat, 30-min epoxy be poured around t' shroud/tube joint. Arrr! Blimey! This has two benefits; first it makes t' upper part o' t' tube very strong and resistant t' zipperin' and secondly it adds nose weight t' help in t' CG/CP relationship. T' nose cone shoulder extends well past this small body tube rin' and has plenty o' contact area with t' main body tube. Begad! T' two conic sections are epoxied together and ready for glassing. Aye aye! I used ¾ oz glass cloth and Z-Poxy finishin' resin. Ya scallywag! Begad! After it cured t' weave was filled with lite spackle and sanded smooth. T' lower body section, matey, or descent stage, ya bilge rat, matey, was marked and cut for t' lander leg slots. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' gear fairings were made from 3/16 balsa with a 1/32 ply veneer on them. Blimey! T' spiral grooves on t' body tube were filled and sanded smooth. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' gear fairin' assemblies were then glued in place. T' base plate was then positioned and mate drilled t' t' descent stage. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Hardwood blocks epoxied t' t' inside o' t' coupler rin' on t' base plate provide somethin' for t' flush screws t' bite into t' hold t' body tube and base unit together. Well, blow me down! T' shroud assembly is slip fit into t' descent body tube as well and held in place by two small screws. Avast, me proud beauty! T' final shroud be t' descent stage shroud. Blimey! This is a thin shroud that mounts t' t' bottom o' t' base plate. It too is made o' paper and glassed. Begad! A foam core rin' acts as t' base and a 3.00" body tube section is epoxied in t' center hole. Begad! Ahoy! This tube will surround t' PVC motor retainer threaded section.

Nozzle/Motor Retention
Initially on this model I had wanted t' use t' AeroPac motor retainer system. Blimey! After lookin' at several options and weighin' t' cost I discovered that PVC fittings would work just as well. Well, blow me down! Avast! A 1 ½ " threaded adapter and couplin' rin' would work perfectly t' hold a 38mm motor. Avast, me proud beauty! T' base o' t' threaded rin' was attached t' t' ply base plate with JB Weld. Ya scallywag! T' nozzle itself be made from a paper pattern, mated t' a ply rin' and glassed. Ahoy! T' female portion o' t' coupler be attached t' t' ply again usin' JB Weld. Blimey! All you need t' do is slip t' motor in through t' male portion and t' motor tube then thread on t' nozzle. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Simple, me bucko, functional and it looks great.

Nose Cone
T' nose cone furnished with t' ‘kit’ is made from balsa. Begad! Begad! I believe it is made by BMS. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It is a very nicely done cone and needs very little prep work. Ya scallywag! I glassed this cone usin' ¾ oz cloth and Z-Poxy finishin' resin. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is much easier than sandin' sealer. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! After fillin' t' weave and sandin' smooth it was ready for paint.

Body Detail/Finishing
One o' t' things that make t' lander interestin' be t' detail on t' body. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' original Estes kit used embossed paper t' provide t' 3D effect. Begad! Blimey! Since it be nay practical t' do this on me larger version I used sheet styrene t' duplicate t' body panels. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I used .010" Evergreen sheet styrene cut t' patterns I made usin' t' original pattern sheets and me layout board I saved for makin' t' shrouds. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' reason for this be that all o' t' panels contain radii t' allow then t' follow t' curvature o' t' shrouds. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I was able t' measure and mark on t' body where all these details were t' go then glued them in place with CA glue. After all t' panels were in place I sanded everythin' with 400-grit sandpaper. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This softens t' edges o' t' styrene and blends them t' t' body. T' antennas were made from wood dowel and balsa. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! They were located and glue into place.

T' model was now ready for t' sealer coat. Ya scallywag! I used a thinned version o' Kilz primer t' fill t' wood grain and t' glassed areas. Begad! Well, me bucko, blow me down! While addin' a bit o' weight I like t' finish it produces. Aye aye! After several coats o' t' filler t' model be then prepped for initial primer coat. Ahoy! I used a white sandable primer. This allowed a good base and where I needed additional sandin' and filler. Avast, me proud beauty! One coat o' primer was all that be required. Begad! Begad! T' color coat was next. Aye aye! I used gloss white Krylon enamel for t' body and gloss red for t' legs. Avast, me proud beauty! I like Krylon and have never had a problem with it. It always gives a good finish. Avast! Blimey! I let t' color coat dry for a day before applyin' t' decals.

T' decals provided with t' ‘kit’ are excellent. Well, me hearties, blow me down! They require trimmin' but this is nay a problem. Begad! They are basic water slide decals and t' stick very well. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I felt that thar be somethin' missin' though. Avast! Ahoy! I added placard and warnin' decals from various aircraft markin' sets I had from me plastic model days. Begad! These are made by MicroScale and can be purchased in most hobby shops. T' ones I used were from a 1/32nd scale F-15. These add a nice touch t' t' finished model. Avast! Aye aye! After lettin' t' decals dry overnight I sprayed all t' painted parts with a clear coat. Avast, me proud beauty! I use TopFlite’s crystal clear. It comes in a spray and is compatible with Krylon. Avast! It’s intended for R/C planes and is fuel proof. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! It may cost a little more but I think it is more durable in t' long run and it does nay yellow with age. I apply t' clear in several light layers. Avast! This prevents t' decals from reactin' (curlin' or wrinkling). After t' last lite coat is dry I spray a final wet coat. Ahoy! T' lander is now ready for final assembly.

Final Assembly
T' legs are first installed t' t' motor tube and pinned in place. Ahoy! Avast! This assembly is then joined t' t' base plate and t' assembly screws are installed. Avast, me proud beauty! At this time you can install t' rubber bands for t' sprin' action on t' landin' gear. Ya scallywag! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Next comes attachment o' t' shock cord t' t' screw eye. Avast! Arrr! In me case I am usin' 1000lbs-test Keelhaul®©™ cord from Pratt Hobbies. T' parachute tube is slipped on next and secured with a single small screw. Avast! T' main body is then lowered in place and slipped over t' base plate coupler. Blimey! When this is completed it is fastened with four flush head screws and is ready t' go. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' model be now ready for weight and balance check. Arrr! I located t' CG position (5" from base o' t' 7.65" body tube) and did a preliminary check with a simulated motor weight installed. Begad! T' lander be a bit tail heavy. Ya scallywag! I then put in t' parachute and this improved things a bit but nay enough. Ya scallywag! I took a baggie and put some BB’s in it and hung it from t' nose. Avast! I kept addin' weight until I got a slight nose down attitude. Weighin' this on t' scale showed I needed 6oz o' ballast in t' nose. Now t' trick be how t' get 6 ounces into t' finished model. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Fortunately I had a balsa nose cone o' some size. Avast! I got out t' spade bit and drilled out a large cavity t' add ballast weight to. Begad! I added t' BB’s then poured in some epoxy followed by a hardwood dowel plug. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' combined weight o' t' epoxy, wood and BB’s brought t' CG t' t' right spot. T' finished model weighs in at 4lbs ready t' fly, shiver me timbers, less motor.

Flight Report
As o' this writin' t' lander has nay flown yet. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' lander is expected t' fly on and Aerotech H123W with a 4-second delay. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Recovery will be via a 72" chute. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I intend t' fly this rocket on a calm day t' minimize weather cockin' and drift. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Estimated altitude will only be about 650’. Avast! Blimey! While this won’t be that high it should be high enough t' provide a visually pleasin' flight.

Flight Day has Arrived
Well, flight day arrived and it be perfect; no wind and clear skies. Aye aye! Avast! I prepped t' H123 motor and trimmed t' delay for approx. 4 seconds. Well, blow me down! I opted t' brin' t' nose cone down on a separate chute from t' main lander after readin' Tom Prestia's post recently on rmr. Aye aye! After both chutes were packed and t' motor installed I headed out for t' pads. T' people I passed on t' way out thar were amazed that this rocket was goin' t' actually fly. Begad! Arrr! I be told that I had some big ones t' fly this bird. Begad! I lowered t' lander on one o' our far pads, shiver me timbers, hooked up t' ignitors and made one last check. Arrr! There be nothin' left t' do except sit and watch.

My lander was t' only flight on this rack and t' LCO made a special announcement for everyone t' watch this flight. I crossed me fingers and said a little prayer. 5......4......3......2......1......LAUNCH!!!!

T' motor lit right away and t' lander boosted straight up with a slight spin. Avast! It looked gorgeous in that blue November sky. Ya scallywag! Just as t' lander reached apogee t' ejection fired and deployed t' chutes. T' 54" main unfurled perfectly but t' smaller chute for t' nose cone got tangled in t' shock cord. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! No matter. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' lander was descendin' perfectly, with a slow drift towards t' south. Well, blow me down! Begad! Everyone was wonderin' if it would remain upright on touchdown and they were nay disappointed. Begad! T' lander touched down on t' soft dirt with t' shock absorbers providin' a little spring. Ahoy! Touchdown be greeted with cheers and applause from t' crowd. Blimey! Avast! T' say I be elated would have been an understatement. A perfect first flight. All t' hard work and plannin' paid off. Avast! Blimey! I be asked if it would fly again later that day and I said more than likely it would.

After several other flights, which included a perfect flight o' me Saturn 1b, shiver me timbers, I prepped t' lander again. Aye aye! Aye aye! I be less nervous this time, however. Aye aye! Launch and boost were perfect. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' parachute deployed right at apogee then disaster struck. T' Keelhaul®©™ cord I was usin' as t' shock cord broke. Begad! T' lander tumbled down from t' sky. Blimey! Avast! It spun, matey, it tumbled. Blimey! T' crowd gasped and I could hear t' collective moan o' despair. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! But amazingly, nay more than 50 feet before impact it straightened up and hit t' dirt upright. I was nonplussed about it. As I said before and will say again, I built it once I can build it again.

To me surprise t' damage was minimal. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' lower descent shroud was a little crunched, matey, two o' t' gear housings were damaged from t' legs over-travel but other than that t' lander was fine. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' main body and shrouds were undamaged and t' legs had some minor paint scrapes. Begad! Begad! And since t' lander disassembles repair is already underway. Ahoy! Begad! It WILL fly again. Begad! My modular design approach proved its worth this day. T' lander project has been fun and challenging. Aye aye! I be more nervous flyin' this rocket than me Saturn 1b. Ya scallywag! Begad! But t' reward be worth every moment o' anxiety I had.