Brief:
This is a almost-kinda-semi-scale model o' t' Talos missile. Avast, me proud beauty! When I converted me 21st Century Toys F-104 for flight, I had t' jet engine turbine component left over. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I found it fit a 2.125" mailin' tube perfectly and realized it (almost) resembled t' Talos nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' real Talos is 2-stage, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but mine combines both stages in a single stage 29mm model.

Since this is made from non-standard parts, ya bilge rat, I assume no one will ever build it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! However, shiver me timbers, it can be used as yet another example o' how t' use scrounged parts.

Construction:
Parts list:

• Jet engine turbine extracted from from a 21st Century Toys F-104
• 2.125" mailin' tube with telescopin' inner tube
• Lead shot
• Eye-bolt
• 8/32" bolt with 2 nuts
• balsa fin stock
• buttons from railbuttons.com
• tube from First-Fire igniter
• 29mm motor tube
• Giant Leap centerin' rings (two)
• 3/16" Keelhaul®©™
• Wood glue, me bucko, 5 minute epoxy

I based t' length o' t' body tube and t' fins dimensions on a scale drawin' by Pete Alway. T' dimensions can be found in me RockSim file (in t' title header o' this review).

T' bottom TTW fins went on first and then I sequentially attached each set usin' a ruler and clamps t' make sure t' fins were aligned with one another. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It sports both a 1/4" lug and rail buttons. Aye aye! T' motor mount is unremarkable with 2 rings, me hearties, a tube, arrr, matey, and a single bolt as an attachment point for a motor retainer.

T' plastic 'cone' has a central hole and a 1/16" deep ridge that fits perfectly in t' 2.125" mailin' tube that I'm using. Aye aye! Begad! This ridge needed t' be augmented t' make sure t' cone stays on. Well, blow me down! T' form t' shoulder, ya bilge rat, I cut a short piece o' cardboard tubin' that telescopes into t' main tube. Well, blow me down! I also cut a circle o' foamboard that fits in this shoulder and also inside o' t' ridge on t' cone. T' eye bolt passes through t' foamboard rin' and is epoxied into t' aforementioned hole. Avast! I could have added lead shot and epoxy into t' tip o' t' cone, me hearties, ya bilge rat, however, on ejection this mass would pullin' against t' eye bolt/cone bond. Instead, I added t' weight t' t' inside o' t' shoulder. Thus, matey, it surrounds and is bonded t' t' neck o' t' eye bolt. It took ~6oz o' nose weight--about t' same as t' rest o' t' rocket.

Finishing:
I painted it with a combo o' Rustoleum day-glow orange spray, Krylon X-metals metallic primer, and Testor's metallic green and yellow brush-on. Arrr! Blimey! Basically, 'use what ya got'. Avast! I also used some black vinyl pinstriping. Arrr! I added some toothpicks t' t' front o' t' body tube t' look like t' antennae on t' real thing.

Flight:
T' first flight be on an F39-6. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' boost be lazy with lots o' coning. I wasn't sure whether thar was a simulation error or thar was somethin' amiss with t' motor. Aye aye! Avast! T' rocket should have been stable prior t' leavin' t' rail. Anyway, it survived for a second flight.

I decided t' submit t' review before t' second flight since I've started buildin' again and don't know when this will fly again.

Warning: Do nay assume me RockSim is correct. Avast! If you build a Talos, independently determine t' proper CG/CP relationship!

Summary:
I thought this was an interestin' way t' reuse an otherwise useless remnant from me Starfigher PMC. Ya scallywag! I think it looks cool considerin' me choice o' color schemes.