Brief:
My original Goblin clone (BT-55 based) be one o' t' first I built after really gettin' back into t' hobby. Well, blow me down!

My 1.7X upscale was finished late last year. Well, blow me down! Arrr! And four months ago, matey, ya bilge rat, t' "baby" was born. It's a MMX powered, me bucko, me hearties, shiver me timbers, carded model. Avast, me proud beauty! It has a hand rolled ½" diameter body tube and triple laminated fins. Arrr! Ya scallywag! All in total, three Goblins. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Finished, flown and ready for family portraits.

For two extra points (2009 EMRR Challenge), ya bilge rat, I needed t' add another member o' t' Goblin Family by t' October first deadline.

Construction:
This year, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, loot is tight. Arrr! Arrr! I set a goal o' buildin' another model usin' just t' materials I had on hand. Ahoy! No ordering parts!

I had a ThunderGoon ready for final paint. Blimey! Blimey! It's been sittin' for months. Ahoy! I just wasn't moved t' finish it. Well, blow me down! Nice model but just nay for me. Avast! Begad! I decided t' cut off t' fins and body tube, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, salvagin' t' engine mount and nose cone. Arrr! Ya scallywag! The engine hook be made from that metal strip from a windshield wiper blade. Aye aye! I remember t' look me youngest daughter gave me when I pulled it from t' trash can at an auto supply store. Ya scallywag!

I found scrap BT-60 and cut it t' 8-½". Ahoy! Avast! T' ThunderGoon's nose cone was taller than a Mini Bertha's. It didn't matter, matey, it'll still capture t' original feel.

I pulled some scrap 1/8" balsa and upscaled t' fins slightly from t' BT-55 dimensions. Avast, me proud beauty! I cut two o' the fins and realized I didn't have quite enough for other two. Avast! I didn't want t' cut into another full sheet o' balsa.

I started piecin' together scraps makin' sure t' grain was parallel. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I glued t' seams with CA, matey, then cut the remainin' two fins. Begad! This is when I started thinkin' o' t' "Frankenstein Goblin" moniker.

T' Keelhaul®©™® was already attached t' t' engine mount from t' Thundergoon. Begad! Avast! I pulled an 18" length o' elastic out o' me first attempt at a paper rocket. Begad! Avast! I've never flown that paper model or doubt I ever would. There was too many mistakes learnin' t' new paper cardin' techniques. Ahoy!

T' 12" parachute be pulled from an old Groove Tube, me hearties, me hearties, a homemade garbage bag type. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! For this rocket, shiver me timbers, what else? I found a screw eye in me parts box. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! This eye is way too large but seemed t' fit t' theme and t' extra nose weight can't hurt.

There be nothin' unusual about t' build. Well, blow me down! It was a little different buildin' a new model from pieces and parts pulled from other models. Blimey! Ahoy! If you include leftover balsa scraps, I estimate t' Franken Goblin was built with parts from six different models. Begad! Blimey!

Finishing:
Originally, arrr, I was goin' t' use some Goblin decals from Excelsior. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! They were leftovers from me original BT-55 based clone. Begad! Phred always seems t' add extra images on t' master sheet. Begad!

I thought I would have some fun. Arrr! I scanned t' Goblin decal sheet, matey, me hearties, enlarged it slightly then cleaned it up in Corel Draw. Arrr! T' more I drew, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' stranger it got. Well, blow me down! I drew t' word "Franken" tryin' t' emulate t' original hand drawn font. Avast! I added Frankenstein "stitches" and neck bolts t' t' Goblin character. Avast! Avast! T' Goblin even got a bad nose job. Aye aye! Sure, me hearties, t' humor is a little inside, but still fun. Blimey!

T' original plans show a decal "3" flipped on it's back, centered on both sides o' one fin. Blimey! I decided to use a "6" instead. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's only two sixes, almost three--almost evil. Blimey!

O' course, I had t' go with a "Frankenstine" green and black motif. Ahoy! Ahoy! Normally I use t' Walmart (cheap) spray paint for most primary colors but they didn't have a green I liked. Ya scallywag! For this model I bought a can o' Rustoleum Key Lime Green, t' only new expense on this rocket.

I shot t' model with Grey primer and sanded smooth. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I then followed with a white undercoat. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! I was pleasantly surprised by how well t' green Rustoleum spray paint covered. Begad! It's t' old line o' "You get what you pay for." T' Rustoleum went on smartly with far fewer coats than t' Walmart brand usually requires.

T' decal sheets required 3 light coats o' clear acrylic. Ahoy! I had never made decals before and be prepared for the worst. Well, blow me down! I tested t' printed decal sheet usin' Microscale Liquid Decal Film applied with a foam brush. Avast, me proud beauty!

When I tried t' transfer t' Microscale treated decals, they didn't seem thick enough. Begad! Some o' t' black ink dissolved. Ya scallywag! Begad! I had much better luck with t' clear acrylic sprayed decals. Begad! T' decals instructions did recommend spraying with clear acrylic.

While me homemade decal's "skin" is a little thicker than a decal that would come with a kit, I was still very happy with t' results.

While placin' t' decals I noticed a mistake in construction. Blimey! When building, I glued a salvaged one piece launch lug at t' center o' gravity with a C6-5 engine installed. Aye aye! Arrr! T' lug is now in t' way o' t' thick black decal band above t' fins. I had t' pre-cut a "notch" in t' decal wrap t' fit around t' bottom o' t' lug. Arrr! Another "Frankenstin" puzzle piece, arrr, cut and joined together. Avast! T' original Goblin instructions had you cut t' lug in two. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Half at t' top, me bucko, half at t' bottom o' t' body tube.

Flight and Recovery:
I flew t' Franken Goblin three times on March 7, 2009, arrr, at t' monthly R.O.C.K. section launch.

T' first flight was with an A8-3. Ahoy! I called for a heads-up. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Sometimes "Gooney-fying" a classic leads to questionable stability. It flew straight and true. Arrr! Nay high but stable. Begad! T' 12" chute ejected fine.

T' next two flights were with B6-4s. Ahoy! T' wind was comin' up so I cut a spill hole in t' 12" parachute. This seems t' be t' ideal engine for this model, shiver me timbers, me bucko, providin' good performance and altitude. On t' third flight it was loaded on t' rack, side by side with it's smallest sibling, shiver me timbers, me MMX carded Goblin.

After three flights, thar were two small body tube dings in t' nose cone. Ahoy! Both were nay very deep. Ahoy!

I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Some of t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

Summary:
PROS: I know this model will be a regular flier in me fleet. Ahoy! Blimey! It's stubby (I like stubby models) and personalized. Some o' t' older fliers remembered t' Goblin and liked t' variation on t' original theme.

CONS: None really.