A little history before we start building the M31.
The Honest John M31 was originally developed and deployed in the early 1950's as a tactical nuclear weapon (sometimes called a 'battlefield nuke'). Originally conceived during the early years of the Korean War, it was first deployed in West Germany as a counter to the massive number of Warsaw Pact troops huddled along the western borders of the most eastern European countries. The M31 came in three pieces and could easily be assembled by a three man crew and ready to fly in 15 minutes or less. It had a range varying from 6 to 25 miles -- just enough distance to hurl a few kilotons at those pesky Red Army forces (remember the Cold War??). It was later replaced by the M50, which was shorter, lighter and had better gas milage.
The original M31 design was developed from off-the-shelf components inside of two years. The first version used a stock Aerojet JATO motor, which had enough impulse to propel 1,500 pounds around 15-20,000 yards.
Here's a link to an excellent declassified document (called a 'monograph') about the history of the Honest John program, as well as a great write-up describing the mindset of the time, and the motivations behind the tactical nuclear weapons program.
It was also a rocket from my childhood, growing up in the late 60's, about an hour away from Werner Von Braun's American home in Huntsville, Alabama (it was first built at Redstone Arsenal). My father and I must've built three or four of these things (my earliest cato was an Este's Honest John M31 at age 6. Back then, a cato got you a free rocket from the engine manufacturer. That *and* Apollo at the same time?! Wow, what a great time to be a kid.)
Now, let's get back to the kit.
The motor tube in the Polecat kit is simple to construct. Pretty much like every other motor tube assembly you've ever constructed. I used 30 minute epoxy, though 5 minute would work just fine on these kits. Again, I'll mention the lack of a third centering ring on the motor tube. It would give the fins extra needed support. The 5.5" Nike Smoke has this third ring, and was probably instrumental in helping to save the airframe on my version's last 'landing'. Since I plan on this being more 'eye candy' (flying I's to K's) than an engine hog, we won't worry about it.
Installing the motor tube assembly into the airframe is a simple matter. Nothing complicated here. Everything fits snugly, as it should, and the epoxy bonds well, leaving a very solid, confidence-inspiring airframe, even without the extra ring.
Assemblage of the fin can area is easy. The thick, freshly cut fins definitely need some sanding time. This is not a construction article, but I'm a relative newcomer to HPR. So if you are as new as I am (and maybe in the same boat), I'll make my plug (again) for this handy device:
It's a $40 circular hand sander. I hear you guys with nice workshops snickering from behind your drill presses, but for a guy who has never really had a good set of power tools, discoveries like this are lifesavers.
Anyway, I whipped through the fins in five minutes. The only problem I had was that I switched to 30 minute epoxy and still kept my five minute habit. I did two opposing fins, taped them, then noticed 15 minutes later that all of the epoxy was running down the fins, and one had popped out a bit. A few 'adjustments' later (including using a Big Gulp straw with the spoon end to pick up what little wet epoxy I could) and it was back together. I still managed to leave a mess of epoxy on the fin, but managed to maintain its integrity with a good bond.
The Honest John M31 has a distinctive nose, to say the least. And with the Polecat kit, that is exactly what you get. It's over three feet long, very sturdy (fiberglass) and has a nice, smooth finish. There are seams from the molding that you will have to sand down, as with most cones. However, I discovered that this particular nosecone was too large for its bulkhead, which slipped right through. It was also too large to fit into the electronics bay coupler section, even after I sanded the cone. I have contacted Andy, but it is the weekend, and this is 'near real time', so I'll probably hear back from him on Monday.
Next time, I'll cover the electronics bay (the dual deploy option), rail mounts, and miscellaneous information about the kit.
Merry Christmas
-r
No comments:
Post a Comment