by Jody Dorsett
Mammoth Missle Works
QM-I8U Planetary Attack
Bomber coming off the line.
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Excerpt from Compton's Interstellar Encyclopedia
2325.
In the year 2215 George Gomez Bush desired
to eat a simple taco. However, due to the recent case of Hartsock v.
McWendy's, fast food vendors were carefull not only to disclose the health
risks, but to indemnify themselves against the medical problems, that fast food
created. So they gave him a 20 page contract for him to sign.
George Gomez Bush...or "Gomes" to his friends had had enough.
Shortly thereafter he launched his bid for the World Presidency on the platform
of "If you can't understand the law, and your friends can't understand the
law, then the law needs to be changed."
The World Bar Assocition noted with horror the efforts of the laymen to intrude
on their territory, their livelihood. They spent billions to try and
bring down the contender for the Presidency of the Earth. All to no avail...the
people had clearly had enough as well.And in November of 2215 GGB was elected
President.
At what was to be the last official meeting of the World Bar Association in
2216 they decided upon a drastic course of action. They would form an
action front to stop the reform movement.That fateful decision would spell
their doom. Several radical members of the WBAAC formed a splinter group
that called themselves "The Sharks". The Sharks were dedicated
to the destruction of President-Elect Bush by any means possible.
On the morning of the Inauguration a small group of Sharks met on the outskirts
of the Capitol to initiate their dastardly plan. However, while they were
skilled word-benders, their talents at making functioning explosive devices
were lacking. The premature detontation of the device ended their attempt
and infuriated the people. Around the world lawyers were hunted down and
jailed...or worse.
In justifiable fear for their lives the remaining lawyers fled to the stars
where they soon took over several of the young colonies.
Thus began Law Wars..............
Orbital
Photo of a DuMarine Anti-Matter Mark IV Planet Buster entering the crust of the
Law Colony Blackstone
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Excerpt from Janes "All the Galaxy's Space
Craft"
The QM-I8U Planetary Attack Bomber
Manufacturer: Mammoth Missile Works
Length: 180 M
Diameter: 9.6 M
Drive: Allison-Izuzu Starburst. Warp 11 capable
Weapons:
Beam: Eight Ion pulse cannon mounted on fin tips for convergence aiming.
Boost: Two DuMarine Anti-Matter Mark IV Planet Buster.
Editors Comment: When JAGSC asked the designer about the neccessity for
two planet busters, Mammoth Missle Works Chief Designer J. Dorsett replied
"We are talking about a planet full of lawyers here...So as
Saint Ripley says 'It's the only way to be sure' "
Building the QM-I8U
Essential Modifications
BT: Cut off the end which is slotted, this will become the front of the model.
Fins: Cut off the slot tabs.
Mounting the fins.
Center two of the fin mounting lines on the center of the vent hole. Then
glue and fillet the fins in place. The edge of the fin which was the
trailing edge in the orginal kit is now the root edge. Harden with CA
Motor Mount. Build as per usual, glue in place with a 1/4" reveal.
Glue the main nose cone in place and glue in vent tubes.
Side pods.
Cut discs out of the card stock to make a rear bulkhead. The rear of the
pod is the shorter side past the vent hole. Glue the shock cord to the
center of the discs, then glue in place. Pour in a quantity of epoxy to
strengthen and seal. Then glue the pod in place.
Glue the launch lug on
Glue a piece of Kevlar®
thread into the top of the nose cone. Attach this to the shock
cord.
Cut eight 1" lengths of Dowel and round off the tips...these are your
pulse cannons:) Glue them to either side of the fin tip.
Finish as you like. I suggest Black. As in "Black as a Lawyers
Heart".
Flying the QM-I8U
After three weekends of rain,and a
mysteriously canceled launch, I took the QM-I8U model out to a local school
yard. I had thought the modelwould be best flown on a C6-5.
However, the small size of the field made that impractical. Rummaging
through my range box I found a B6-4.
Which turned out to be a perfect choice. The model boosted relitively
straight with only a slight weathercocking into the slight wind. Shortly
after apogee, the ejection charge kicked off. Since the gasses were
turning a corner, I did not use wadding, and the chutes did not suffer for it.
One parachute completely deployed, the other hung up. It was still a safe
recovery, with only two Ion Cannons broken off. They will be repaired
shortly at the Mammoth Dry Dock.
I repacked the chutes and found the reason why only one chute fully
deployed. The nose cone of the pod that had the hung chute was slightly
sticky! I later sanded the inside a little, but it was too dark to see if
this would correct the sitution.
I hope to fly the model againsoon, and I will see if this changes the picture.