Clone Battlestar Galactica Laser Torpedo Clone
Clone - Estes Battlestar Galactica Laser Torpedo {Scratch}
Contributed by Bill Eichelberger
| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2012-03-01 |
| Manufacturer: | Clone |
Brief
The Laser Torpedo was essentially a shortened Photon Disruptor with different decals and a Wolverine nose. Envisioning a fleet of Wolverines, I had bought several of the cones at NARCON from BMS, then found that the Wolverine didn't fly well enough to make a fleet. Checking John Brohm's Estes nose cone reference, I found that I had the option of building a Teros or the Laser Torpedo with the orphaned cone, and since the Teros utilized white decals and chrome stickers, the choice of the Laser Torpedo was a pretty simple one.
Components
- 6.5" BT-20D engine tube
- 7.75" BT-50H main body tube
- BNC-50BC nose cone (BMS)
- 2 AR-2050 centering rings (Semroc)
- 3/32" basswood fin stock (Hobby Lobby)
- 24" length Kevlar shock cord
- 24" length 1/8" sewing elastic shock cord (Wal Mart sewing department)
- small screw eye (Lowes)
- medium snap swivel (Wal Mart fishing department)
- LL-2B launch lug (Semroc)
- 12" parachute (Estes)
- decal (Bel Inkjet Decal Paper)
- EB-520 engine block
Construction
Part of the attraction with this project was the quickness with which it built. I had the parts cut out on a Sunday morning and had it together by that night. After dealing with the tube spirals and basswood grain, it was primed and ready for paint by dinner on Monday, painted, decaled and flight ready by Tuesday night. I never liked the external engine mount for kits like this, finding it ugly and obtrusive. I opted instead to make the Laser Torpedo a friction fit bird, but I could have just as easily gone with a mini engine mount. Without the engine hook and Mylar band to contend with, I cut the fins without the cutaway for the Mylar band and put them together before attaching them to the rocket. I glued in a CR-520 centering ring as the engine block, but first tied a length of Kevlar around it to act as a shock cord. The nose cone was a two piece one from BMS which required gluing the tip into the center of the flat area. (Think of it as a regular nose cone that's had 1/2" or so cut out near the tip, then has the tip glued back on.)
Finishing
I used Elmer's Fill & Finish to eliminate the tube spirals and minimal basswood grain, sanded it, then sprayed it with two coats of Valspar Primer, sanding after each coat. The main body tube was sprayed with Valspar Gloss White, while the nose cone, engine tube and fins were sprayed with Rustoleum Flourescent Orange. I made the decals myself using Bel Decal paper and a cheap clearcoat that I won't deal with again. The rocket looks okay from ten feet, which is as close as I plan to let anyone get to it.
Flight
To date I've only flown the Laser Torpedo one time, and the flight wasn't anywhere near as memorable as the flight right before it. Chan Stevens had flown his Roachworks Little Joe, a truly beautiful bird that had one of the ugliest flights I've ever seen. Only four of the five motors lit, causing it to leave the pad at an angle less than 45 degrees. It crossed the field on an almost horizontal flight path with the ejection coming just before it hit the ground. Damage was pretty bad, but rebuildable according to Chan. The Little Joe flight shook me up so bad that I completely forgot to get a picture of the Laser Torpedo flight. The B6-4 flight was as expected, of decent height and arrow straight with nominal recovery. The decals I made with the cheap clearcoat didn't hold up to the flight, with one tearing off completely and another loosening. What came to mind when watching the flight was "upscale", something I'm going to have to talk with Carl about. Recovery came courtesy of a heavily reefed 12" Estes parachute, which did me the ultimate courtesy of keeping the rocket from landing on the access road.
Summary
Pros: Great design, impressive performance, ease of build.
Cons: Ugly decals, external motor hook, overall feeling of smallness. ;-)
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Jay Goemmer (November 16, 2016)
I found the BSG Laser Torpedo decals that "Krusty" from Melbourne, Australia redrew over on The Rocketry Forum:
http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?46799-Estes-(Battlestar-Galactica)-Laser-Torpedo-(-1311)-Gallery&highlight=laser+torpedo
I'm looking at upscaling them and finishing my BT-55 1.36X upscale, as well as an identically-sized Estes Wolverine. (big evil grin)
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Jay Goemmer (April 13, 2012)
As I was reading your review, I *also* thought "upscale." I even did the math for you just now! BT-20 --> BT-50 = 1.33X, BT-50 --> BT-55 = 1.36X. That way you could throw an 18mm BT-20 mount in with an engine hook.
If we upscaled the nose cone, then I'd have a BNC-55BC for my 1.36X Estes Wolverine upscale. ;-D Hmm...
But if you wanted to go even BIGGER... *Well.* (sly look)
This one apparently flies on an E9-4. (I'm not sure which of our rocketry brethren is "Vumblebee.") http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9iskh8Jy_w
--The Man Known As "Tau Zero"