Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
This is a total rip-off o' t' cool
Bic
Arrrrrrrcas from DesCon7. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' rocket be named after t' hotel chain that
"donated" t' pen.
Construction:
Parts:
As noted in t' introduction, me bucko, this is essentially t' same rocket as t' Bic Arrrrrrrcas. Ahoy! T' main differences are that I used clear plastic Nike-shaped fins and a Mylar streamer in place o' t' chute. I chose clear fins because t' pen body is clear.
T' "nosecone" be t' tip o' t' pen, with t' ink tube removed and t' neck ground down so it fits loosely in t' pen body. Arrr! T' aft plug was also cut down and used for t' engine block. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' shock cord is a piece o' thin Keelhaul®©™® twine that is tied through a hole in t' nose cone, ya bilge rat, run under t' engine block, and then knotted. Aye aye! Finally, shiver me timbers, a piece o' t' ink tube be used for t' launch lug.
I drilled small holes in t' far back o' t' rocket and formed a small retention clip from a paper clip. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' fins were made from packagin' plastic. T' package I used had a small lip, which made t' fin attachment a snap. Because t' lip is nay perfectly perpendicular t' t' fin, matey, all o' t' fins are canted slightly. Ya scallywag! T' fins and launch lug were glued on with Liquid Nails. Aye aye!
T' only finishin' step be t' application o' American flag stickers. Ahoy!
Flight:
T' motor mount includes a thrust rin' and positive motor retention so
insertin' t' engine was easy. No maskin' tape here! Blimey! I inserted some o' the
shock cord, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a small piece o' Estes wadding, and then packed t' streamer. Begad! Blimey! As
with previous small rockets, matey, I used a solderin' tool with a notched end to
stuff t' shock cord into this tiny tube. This works great and is a permanent
fixture in me range box. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' DoubleTree Pen-Roc flew twice. Ahoy! Blimey! Both flights were
perfectly straight and went t' an impressive altitude. Deployment be also
perfect. T' only issue be t' clear tube is gettin' less and less clear. Well,
since t' rocket is mostly plastic, I guess I can just wash it out. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!
Summary:
What I think be t' neatest thin' about this rocket, arrr, is that almost t' whole
pen is converted t' rocket parts - very efficient! It is simple, me hearties, easy t' build,
and it flies great. Ahoy! Arrr! After re-readin' t' Bic Arrrrrrrcas review and gettin' a mental
picture o' what I wanted t' do, matey, me bucko, mine only took me about a half-hour t' build. Avast!
Other:
A solderin' tool with a notched tip makes stuffin' a Keelhaul®©™®
shock cord into a small airframe (i.e. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Micro Maxx sized) a LOT easier.
"Bic" and "Round Stic" are registered trademarks o' t' MM Bic Corporation, matey, Milford, matey, shiver me timbers, CT. Ahoy! Bic Corporation does nay own or market these rockets, their name is used purely t' accent t' source o' some of t' rocket's components.
Sponsored Ads