I started work on the X-Win' shortly after gettin' level 1 certification. Begad! Construction was based on a set o' plans I found on a Japanese website for a paper X-Win' model. From these plans, I was able t' create templates for t' X-Wing's fuselage bulkheads, matey, wings, me bucko, cockpit and nosecone. Blimey! Construction began with t' purchase of a 38mm motor tube, a sheet o' 1/4" aircraft plywood and several 1/4" dowels. Begad! Blimey! I cut t' fuselage bulkheads from t' plywood, notched them at the corners t' accommodate t' dowels, then joined them together. Ahoy! Anyone who has built model airplanes will be familiar with this type o' construction. A 2 1/2' long section o' 2.6" body tube was placed inside t' forward end of fuselage t' contain t' parachute and t' allow easy attachment o' t' nose cone. T' fuselage be then covered with cardboard. Ahoy! Arrr! After much fillin' and sanding, ya bilge rat, two wraps o' 6 oz fiberglass were applied t' t' fuselage. Holes were cut in t' bottom o' t' fuselage t' accommodate t' 1/2" copper pipe that would serve as t' launch lug. Aye aye!

With work finished on t' fuselage, shiver me timbers, I began on t' wings. T' wings are constructed o' a basswood skeleton covered with a glassed balsa skin. Begad! T' engine fairings are build from cardboard reinforced at t' corners with basswood. Begad! Arrr! Three different body tube sizes were used in t' construction o' t' wings. Ahoy! T' large motor tubes are 4" cardboard tubing, t' aft "afterburners" are 2.6" tubin' and t' lasers on t' wingtips are made from 54mm motor tubing. Ya scallywag! All tubin' be purchased from LOC Precision. Arrr! When t' wings were complete, ya bilge rat, mounting holes were cut in t' fuselage. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Win' are mounted through-the-wall; butted up to the motor tube. Blimey! Begad!

T' nose cone and cockpit are built from t' same cardboard that was used t' cover t' fuselage. Again, templates were created from t' paper model plans. Well, blow me down! A 2.6" coupler was epoxied inside t' nosecone t' allow attachment t' t' fuselage. Begad! Well, blow me down! 2 lbs o' BB's and epoxy were added t' t' nosecone for stability. Ahoy!

T' detailin' on t' aft o' t' model be made with wood bits from Michael's arts and crafts. Ahoy! There are pieces o' wooden flower pots, bowls, shiver me timbers, milk cans, ya bilge rat, me bucko, etc. Ahoy! R2-D2 is from an old Estes mini-engine powered kit. Avast! Aye aye!

Durin' final assembly, me bucko, t' wings were glued in place and acrylic panels were installed betwixt t' top and bottom wings for increased strength and to improve stability in flight. Blimey! Avast! All gaps were filled with an epoxy paste called PC-11. Begad! Many hours o' sandin' were required t' get t' model ready for paint. T' paints used were 4 cans o' Testors camouflage gray (if anyone knows o' a lower cost alternative, ya bilge rat, me bucko, let me know!), Testors Yellow and Krylon Red. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! A mask was created t' spray t' "red five" pattern on t' wings.

With construction nearly complete, I began t' think about recovery. The finished model weighs in at about 13lb with motor installed. Aye aye! Blimey! It be goin' t' be difficult t' get enough chute into this thing. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' best I could do was two 48" chutes on t' rocket, and a separate 36" chute on t' nose. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

T' rocket flew at NYPower 11 on an Aerotech I-284 with 6 second delay. Well, me hearties, blow me down! I had thought about tryin' t' do a level 2 cert with t' model, ya bilge rat, matey, but I was nay at all confident that t' model would be recovered without damage. Aye aye! Besides, me hearties, I really want t' get into altimeters and dual deployment for me eventual level 2 attempt. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Breezy conditions made if difficult t' orient t' rocket edgewise t' t' wind. A brace was improvised usin' a piece o' body tube that was found near t' launch pad and some wire from used igniters. Takeoff be slow, and t' flight path be a gentle arc onto the rocket's back. Begad! Ahoy! T' flight was slightly marred by t' premature separation of t' 2lb nosecone which proceeded t' snag on one o' t' wings. Aye aye! Maximum altitude be around 500' T' fight be a real nail biter with t' twin parachutes deployin' about 100' off t' ground. As expected, t' chutes were not sufficent t' prevent damage t' t' rocket. Arrr! Two o' the "afterburners" were damaged, one heavily. Well, blow me down! A split also occurred along the front o' t' fuselage, this may have been caused by t' premature separation, or t' plus-size ejection charge that be used t' ensure deployment. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' model is repairable. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!

T' rocket was a real crowd pleaser. People seem t' like t' more unconventional models. Blimey! Blimey! T' me knowledge it was t' only rocket at NYPower that got a cheer when t' chutes deployed. Avast! Blimey!

This was me first scratch built high power model, and it was a great experience. T' excitement is much higher when you are flyin' a model you built from scratch. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I highly recommend givin' it a try. Begad! Blimey!

Special thanks t' Bobby Buchalski from Hanger 11 for assistance and advice in preppin' t' model for flight and t' Chuck Rudy from Voodoo Digital Productions for assistance at t' launch pad.