Brief:
I have really been diggin' Art's saucers and now Art is branchin' out t' other designs. Well, blow me down! As t' name indicates, this rocket is a simple cone that flies on 24mm motors. This seems t' be t' next logical step after t' Delta saucer design, me bucko, which is sort o' a hybrid betwixt a classical saucer and a cone.

Construction:
Materials:

• Two sheets o' cardstock for t' shrouds
• One piece o' foamboard for t' nosecone base and bottom plate
• One 2.75in 24mm motor mount
• One 3in 29mm motor tube (this was a beta-test version, t' 29mm tube has been replaced with Totally Tubular T-24+, matey, which telescopes over t' 24mm motor mount)
• A 36in thin tubular elastic shock cord

Tools and supplies required:

• Scissors
• X-Acto knife
• White glue (I used carpenters glue)
• 5-minute epoxy (brand is nay important as on t' 29mm and 38mm saucers)
• 150 grit sandpaper

T' materials and assembly techniques are all similar t' Art's saucers. Arrr! T' instructions are detailed with lots o' photos.

You start by cuttin' out t' cardstock nosecone shroud. Aye aye! This is double layered and you have t' cut two launch rod holes with an X-Acto knife. Begad! T' main issue here is you have t' make sure these holes are aligned. Ahoy! Durin' assembly, I slipped t' end o' a disposable chopstick through t' holes until t' glue began t' set. Aye aye! T' base o' t' nosecone is a foamboard disc. Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! As with t' Delta saucers, t' edge is beveled so it mates nicely with t' paper cone. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' center o' t' disc is removed t' accommodate t' upper body tube along with a launch rod slot. T' cone, ya bilge rat, disc, tube, and one end o' t' shock cord are then dry fit. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! T' strengthen t' cone and add some nose weight, you next fill t' tip o' t' cone with 5-minute epoxy and mix it in-situ. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Some is spread thinly over t' inside o' t' cone and on t' beveled edge o' t' foam disc. These components are all slipped together and set aside t' dry. (Did I mention t' launch rod holes must be aligned?)

T' bottom disc is cut, me hearties, beveled, arrr, and slotted just like t' bottom o' t' nose cone. Begad! T' center hole on this component holds t' 24mm motor mount, which you glue in with white or carpenter's glue. Ahoy! I used t' plastic bag that held t' kit as a work surface, t' make sure t' tube was flush with t' bottom disc and keep stray glue off t' wife's table.

T' shell o' me saucer was on a second sheet o' cardstock that in me case was mirror gold. A small seam strip is glued onto one end o' t' shroud. Make sure you measure its position properly and have t' pointed edge inward. Begad! Aye aye! T' shroud is then wrapped onto t' other half o' t' seam strip. Ya scallywag! I found this step a bit difficult, shiver me timbers, but I am all thumbs. Begad! T' epoxy-reinforced nosecone was a great help in formin' this outer shroud. There are two reinforcin' strips on t' same sheet o' colored cardstock and these are glued t' t' bottom inside o' t' shell.

At this point t' nosecone is glued into t' shell. And as before, matey, make sure t' launch rod slots all line up. Ya scallywag! I'd give this a yadda, yadda, yadda, ya bilge rat, but, this potentially t' biggest D'OH in t' assembly o' t' kit. Avast! Ya scallywag! BTW this warnin' strategically located in bold throughout t' instructions.

T' final step is attachin' t' other end o' t' shock cord t' t' bottom assembly with a 3-fold paper mount. T' shock cord is slipped betwixt t' two sections, and t' bottom is slipped into t' nose cone section, matey, which is now basically t' entire shroud.

Finishing:
No finishin' is required on t' mirror gold saucers, matey, me bucko, but t' printed ones should have at least 2 - 3 coats o' clear enamel t' protect them from moisture. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Since we are in an outdoor hobby, thar be a good chance it will drizzle on your saucer. Avast, me proud beauty! Been thar done that.

Some observations on t' mirror gold cardstock: First, it really does look great. Aye aye! It is also forgivin' with glue smudges, as you can wash it off with a moist paper towel. This is good because I got a lot o' glue around t' seam. However, I found it harder t' form into a cone than plain cardstock, shiver me timbers, me bucko, probably because o' its stiffness.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors include t' C11-3, me bucko, D12-3, arrr, ya bilge rat, E9-4, and any Aerotech 24mm SU or RMS. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' motor is held in with maskin' tape and t' rest o' t' prep is slidin' it together with t' shock cord out o' t' way o' t' launch rod holes. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! No waddin' is needed.

I flew me cone rocket on a D12-5 and then on an E9-4. Begad! T' D12 flight was quick and straight in light gusty winds. Ahoy! Ahoy! Ejection was very late, but this wasn't an issue. Blimey! Aye aye! T' E9 flight was long, high, arrr, and smoky, with some weathercocking. Begad! This is a great motor for this small cone.

Recovery:
After ejection, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' saucer falls nose section first with t' motor tube end followin' behind. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This plate danglin' behind t' cone does a good job makin' up for t' somewhat heavy epoxy-filled tip. Well, blow me down! Blimey! There was no damage on either flight, shiver me timbers, with t' nose stickin' in t' soft, ya bilge rat, moist dirt. Begad! Blimey! I didn't have t' recommended stand-off distance (6in) from t' pad, so me foamboard had a few small holes burned into it. I merely filled them with blobs o' white glue. Ya scallywag! Blimey! More importantly though, ya bilge rat, matey, t' thin elastic cord has started t' break through and will have t' be replaced. Begad! Blimey! T' ejection charges on t' SU motors were quite energetic for t' short tube and in both cases, t' motors were spit out. If this is a concern on your field, make sure you use plenty o' tape t' hold it in very tightly (this may also save your RMS casing).

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is another winner for Art. Blimey! T' cone is an easy build, me hearties, flies great and is a lot o' fun! I love that mirror gold paper too. T' one negative I found be t' thin elastic shock cord. Ahoy! I will most likely replace it with a piece o' Pratt Hobbies' new Keelhaul®©™® micro braid.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5