The Trick or Treaters are now gone, leaving me some leftover candy. I start to snack on some of this candy as I try to complete the Mars Lander nose cone. The tackle box was scavenged and two five ounce pyramid fish weights were discovered. A normal propane torch was used to heat the fish weights until the melting lead dripped into the hole that was drilled into the nose cone. This allowed the lead ballast to be far forward as possible. West System epoxy was used to lock in the lead and fill in the rest of the hole. The forward bulkhead and closure were then epoxied in place.

The nose cone was sanded with 400-grit paper before three coats of Krylon gloss white was applied. It was sanded once again and the final two coats carefully applied. The absorbing balsa nose cone made me long for a plastic or fiberglass nose cone. The nose cone was given a coat of Future Shine once I was satisfied. The recovery hardware was then installed on the nose cone.

All the recovery gear was attached, checked, and packed away. This completed the final construction of the Mars Lander. Steps 41 and 46 were finally checked off. The remaining step is to fly it.

It was back to Rocksim to finalize all the little details. Various motors were simulated and a cheat sheet printed out. The cheat sheet will accompany the Mars Lander to the field and be referenced for the various optimal delay times for the most likely motors that it will fly on. My Pappa Tango 2X Mars Lander Rocksim file is available here for those that are interested.

I reflect back on the Mars Lander project. I worked on the project when time permitted and made some mistakes along the way. This was my first Mars Lander and the experience that I gained was invaluable should I ever choose to build another. The project itself was not all that difficult, despite all the pieces that initially intimated me when the kit was first opened. It was an enjoyable experience.

I am beginning to feel initial nervousness as I do on any maiden flight of any new rocket. The only medicine is to get the Mars Lander up into the air with a successfull recovery. I will need a calm day for this maiden flight. This might be the hardest step of the Mars Lander project as the breezes are beginning to blow in the mid-Atlantic region this time of the year. Be patient and stay tune for the Mars Lander flight report.