Construction

I downloaded plans for t' Estes Maxi Brute Pershin' from t' JimZ website.  My model is nay an exact clone or exact scale copy but t' plans gave me a good place t' start. Well, blow me down! Begad!  To begin, me hearties, I stripped off t' metal ends from t' four peanut cans and removed t' inner foil linning. Arrr! Well, blow me down!  I glued all t' cans together, reinforcin' t' seams with paper on t' inside. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!  I then sanded t' outside o' t' cans t' remove t' printed paper, and filled t' seams with Elmer's wood filler. Avast, me proud beauty!  Once t' tube was ready I cut it down t' 21.75" in length.  You could o' course avoid all this by just buyin' a new tube. Begad!  For t' engine mount I decided t' use a 24 mm double cluster. Well, blow me down!  I used two old tubes from me collection o' junk and reduced their diameter and length t' fit an Estes "E" engine.  I made engine retainers by clippin' and bendin' a metal coat hanger t' length.  I made thrust rings by cuttin' them from a used 24 mm engine casing, I glued these in t' ends o' t' engine tubes above t' end o' t' retainers in t' usual fashion. Well, blow me down!  I then glued t' two engine tubes together, and then glued this assembly t' a stuffer tube made from a paper towel tube which be about 9" long. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!  Openings betwixt t' engine tubes and stuffer tube were sealed and reinforced with glue. Well, blow me down!  Centerin' rings just under 4" in diameter were glued t' each end o' this assembly and t' engine mount was done. Begad! Avast!  Once dry this was glued into t' body tube. Avast! Avast!  

T' nose cone be made by rollin' a piece o' typin' paper into a cone and sealin' it with super glue. Ahoy! Aye aye!  T' cone was then glued onto t' pointed end o' a styrofoam cone from Michael's, ya bilge rat, which had a base diamter o' 4".  On t' wide end I glued a shoulder made from t' remains o' a peanut can, reduced in diameter t' fit inside t' body tube.  I sealed up t' styrofoam under a layer o' Elmer's wood filler. Ya scallywag!  I glued an old shoe lace t' t' inside o' t' shoulder t' serve as a shock cord t' attach t' parachute to.  T' cone was sanded and primed several times t' smooth it out. Avast, me proud beauty!  I later ended up cuttin' t' cone at about 4" from t' tip so that I could add 3 oz. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! o' fishin' sinkers glued in with super glue. Begad! Ahoy!  This be done t' balance t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty!  T' cone ended up about 1" too short and does nay have t' reduction at t' tip, matey, ya bilge rat, but after final paintin' it does have t' Pershin' look. Avast, me proud beauty!   

To make t' fins I outlined t' shapes on a cardboard file folder, matey, shiver me timbers, cut them out and folded them t' shape. Arrr!  I created fin frames from scrap balsa then glued t' paper shapes over t' frames. Begad!  T' fins were all sealed with super glue t' strengthen them. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey!  I made t' fin pads from scraps o' 1/8" balsa, matey, 2 layers thick. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey!  T' pads are actually way too thick for scale but look like I recall t' Estes ones did. Well, blow me down!  I have since seen a real Pershin' and pads 1/8" or less would be more realistic. Begad! Blimey!  I sanded t' bottoms o' t' pads over a BT-80 t' induce a curve on t' bottom. Well, blow me down!  T' pads were glued t' t' body tube in t' appropriate locations and then t' fins were glued t' t' pads. Begad! Blimey!  I made 1/4" launch lugs from rolled paper sealed with super glue. Well, blow me down!  T' lugs were glued t' balsa standoffs. Begad! Avast! Blimey!  Two conduits were made from scrap 1/8" balsa and glued t' t' main tube as in t' JimZ plans.  I glued another old shoe lace t' t' inside o' t' body tube in t' Estes fashion as a shock cord t' which t' parachute would be attached.

T' model ended up just over 40" tall and 1 lb. 1.5 oz.