Scratch Aqua-Lander Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Aqua-Lander {Scratch}

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Manufacturer: Scratch

(Scratch) Aqua Lander

Brief:
This is a "lander" style rocket built from an Aquapod water bottle. Aquapods are stubby, shiver me timbers, me hearties, bulbous bottles whose shape is self-described as orbastic. Ya scallywag! T' first known use in rocketry is an incarnation o' t' Holy Hand Grenade o' Antioch. Well, blow me down! When I saw one at a launch, I just had t' get a package o' them (they come in packs o' 8 and are stashed amongst t' large cases o' regular shaped and sized water bottles).

Construction:
T' followin' are t' materials used in t' original construction:

  • T' legs are a conglomeration o' scrap basswood, matey, popsicle sticks, bamboo skewers, and circular pieces o' cardboard (found, nay made)
  • T' center tube is BT-20
  • T' "cone" includes t' cap, shiver me timbers, t' nozzle end o' an 18mm motor, a small bolt t' center these components, and a loop o' elastic. Aye aye!
  • Miscellaneous parts include a cardboard sleeve slipped into t' bottle's neck, a sliver o' a 24mm motor on t' bottom o' t' motor tube, an 18mm motor block, a short piece o' Keelhaul®©™ twine tied around t' block, and a piece o' an AT Copperhead tube as t' launch lug.

I prepped t' bottle by "Dremelling" a BT-20 sized hole in t' base and slottin' t' bottle t' accommodate through t' wall fins. Ahoy! In fact, me hearties, t' fin/motor tube unit just slips in and is removable. Arrr! There are 5 fins mounted betwixt t' protrusions on t' bottom o' t' bottle. Avast! I also ground t' threads off t' neck o' t' bottle. No grindin' be required inside t' neck as t' I happened t' have a cardboard sleeve that fit snugly in t' hole and over t' BT-20. Aye aye! Ahoy! You could improvise with various items includin' a spent 24mm casing.

(Scratch) Aqua Lander I used a piece o' a 24mm case on t' base o' t' motor tube and installed a standard motor block. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' legs are made from scrap basswood. It was so "scrap" that t' legs are actually two pieces just so I could squeak out all 5 legs. Ya scallywag! They are joined with some overlappin' cardstock. Well, blow me down! You should be able t' spot t' popsicle sticks and bamboo skewers in t' photos.

This describes version 1. Ya scallywag! Later you will see why some rework was required. In version 2, me bucko, I added a motor hook and mounted some Keelhaul®©™ twine through t' wall o' t' motor tube. Since this is internal, me bucko, it is hardly visible. Well, blow me down! I also replaced t' lost cap and added a streamer made from yellow caution tape.

Finishing:
I did nay finish this rocket.

Flight and Recovery:
In each o' two flights, me bucko, t' B6-4 motor was friction fit. Arrr! Ahoy! (As it turned out, this didn't work out so well.) I loaded t' end o' t' motor and a couple o' BT diameters with dog barf and used a small (maybe 8") plastic chute left over from me Model Minutes G-200 Carrier. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This was a tight fit but I got it in.

(Scratch) Aqua Lander T' boost on this motor was great. It went perfectly straight and was reasonably quick, ya bilge rat, however, me bucko, on flight one t' chute didn't come out and t' lander lawndarted. It only lost one circular pad, and was ready for...

Flight 2 resulted in a separation and t' nose cap be lost. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I alluded t' t' rebuild above, but t' streamer version has nay flown yet. Begad! Blimey! Hopefully t' motor hook will help also.

Summary:
This is a unique lookin' rocket that gets noticed by t' RSO and spectators alike. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Bein' so stubby, shiver me timbers, it flies well with no added weight. T' one issue is thar isn't much room for a recovery system. A 13mm motor version should also fly well under A10 power.

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