Thursday, April 20, 2017

BAR Rocket Fleet #109 Mini-Maggot 3


An Old Favorite




The original Mini-Maggot in 1975
The Mini Maggot 3 is a BAR era re-build of a pair of custom designed boost gliders built in

1975-1977 for competition in the ¼ A and ½ A engine classes.  

The original old-fleet Mini-Maggot proved to be a good performing model, turning in several flights.  The model’s best performance occurred on 20 February, 1977.  Boosted by a 1/4A engine, the glider transitioned well and promptly flew into a thermal.  It posted a very respectable time of 64 seconds.

The model was later sold along with most of the model collection in 1985 as part of my exit from model rocketry.



 Another version of the Mini Maggot was built in 1977, which utilized styrofoam wings.  Flown in parasite configuration on a standard booster rocket, the glider did not survive its maiden flight.

The Mini-Maggot 2 in 1977.  Flown as a parasite on a
standard rocket, the tandem pranged. 
That's me n' my old 1957 Dodge Coronet in the
background in the photo at left.
 










The Mini-Maggot 3 is built nearly identically to its 42-year predecessor.  Dimensions were taken from the above photograph of the original model.


The glider’s wings and tail section are made from 1/16 C-grain balsa, and the fuselage is basswood.  The pod hook enclosure is made from 1/32 thick plywood.

Finish on the glider consists of one coat of white Dupli-Color primer, well sanded.  The color coats and markings are rendered with Sharpie markers.  


The pop-pod is of standard BT-5 construction finished with primer, Testor’s International Orange enamel, and ‘gloss sauce’.

This model is probably the closest to any kind of a contest-grade model rocket anticipated to be built during the BAR era.