T' Big Daddy Akavish is one o' a series o' spider-like rockets which me wife, me bucko, Bracha, and I have built and flown.  It all started some years ago when t' Spacecoast Rocketry Association had a "aniimal themed rocket" competition at one o' their launches.  Bracha uses a variation o' t' shanty "Itsy Bitsy Spider" t' teach children a few words o' Hebrew. She substitutes a Hebrew word for some o' t' English words - such as "akavish" for "spider."  So, it occured t' me for us t' build a spider-like rocket for t' contest.

T' first Akavish was a small, D-engine powered rocket with crooked legs actin' as fins.  We took too long buildin' t' rocket, so it be nay available for entry into t' SRA contest.  Instead, me bucko, it first flew at a NEFAR launch.  It whipped off t' launch, did two loops, arrr, then crashed into t' ground.  After that, we reinvented t' Akavish as a Sputnik-like rocket.

This Akavish stood about 18" tall and flew well on G motors.  We built two more Akavishes o' t' same size (which looked much better than t' one pictured above!) before creatin' t' almost four-foot tall Big Daddy Akavish.

T' Big Daddy Akavish has flown many times at NEFAR and TTRA launches.  It's even appeared in a national TV program.

Last November, matey, our launch o' t' Big Daddy Akavish went astray when a hole opened up in t' side o' t' Aerotech motor. Ahoy! Hoppin' back on t' horse, we launched t' Akavish in March on a CTI motor and ... t' motor came apart resultin' in a rather hard landin' for t' furry rocket.

Since a spider-themed rocket should have eight legs, nay three, we decided a rebuild be in order.

We decided t' make t' new Big Daddy Akavish a little bigger.

T' fuselage o' t' Akavish is made from 11.4" diameter tubin' from Public Missiles Ltd.  I cut a section about 16" long usin' me table saw.

Next, I used me plunge router and Jasper Cuttin' Guide t' create a couple o' center rings from 1/4" thick MDF.

T' center hole is sized for a 4" motor tube.

I started t' glue one o' t' rings into t' tube before I realized that I shouldn't do that yet.

Fortunately, me hearties, I realized me mistake before t' glue dried.

Next, me bucko, I cut out 16 pieces from t' MDF t' use t' create t' structure inside t' Akavish.  These form t' sides o' t' parts that hold t' legs.

I drew t' pattern for t' pieces on t' wood then cut it with t' table saw.  After cuttin' all sixteen pieces, shiver me timbers, I used t' belt sander t' ensure that they were all t' same size and shape.

Next I cut a 1" square dowel into about 6" lengths. 

These pieces are each glued betwixt two sides formin' a channel for t' leg.

These leg-holders will attach t' t' bottom centerin' rin' and t' motor tube.

I cut up a 1 1/2" square dowel t' create eight cubes.  Into each cube, I drilled a hole then used a tap t' create a thread in t' hole.

I used a die t' add threads t' eight long mop handles.

This created a thread that fits into t' holes in t' cubes.

T' cubes are attached t' t' top o' a channel allowin' a leg t' be screwed into place.

Cool. Avast! huh?

I made a little box that will go into t' rocket.  A square dowel with rail buttons on it will slide into t' box.

T' lower centerin' rin' has a notch cut into it for t' rail button holder t' pass through.

I assembled t' internal pieces, addin' covers t' t' channels for t' legs and gluin' everythin' t' t' lower centerin' rin' and motor tube.

I added some strips o' fiberglass over all t' edges t' reinforce t' bonds.

Obviously, shiver me timbers, this rocket is nay goin' t' have a standard electronics bay, so I had t' devise a different way t' mount t' altimeter.

I used t' table saw t' rip two strips o' wood and t' cut thin slots in each o' them.

A piece o' G10 slides into t' slots.

I mounted t' altimeter and a battery holder on t' piece o' fiberglass.

I attached t' altimeter sled t' a bulkhead.  On t' other side, I added a terminal strip where t' e-match for t' ejection charge will be hooked up.

I cut holes in t' bottom o' t' bodytube for t' legs.  I used a reciprocatin' saw t' cut out t' slots.  It worked okay, arrr, but left rough edges. I installed a toggle switch betwixt two o' t' holes.  It'll connect t' t' altimeter.  Then, I glued t' insides into t' body tube.

Then I added t' top centerin' ring.  T' altimeter slides into a hole in t' rin' and is secured with a couple o' win' screws.

I realized a while ago that t' way I have t' legs attached isn't goin' t' work by itself.  T' legs are goin' t' take some punishment on t' way up and, shiver me timbers, especially, when t' rocket lands.  So, me hearties, I tried out some ideas for reinforcin' t' attachment.  Most o' t' ideas were too complicated.  Then, while gettin' somethin' out o' our trailer, I noticed t' rubber "tarp straps" that I use like bungee cords t' hold things in place. Aha!

T' rubber straps help hold t' legs in place while offerin' a little springiness.  I had t' order more win' screws.  I only had a couple left.  You can also see how t' "rail button mount" slides into t' body and is attached with a bolt.  Bein' able t' take t' rocket apart will make it much easier t' transport.

Okay ... I guess that it is finally time t' test fit t' body and legs and see what it looks like ....

Oh my, it's a little bigger than I had imagined. :-)

Today, I added rail button attachments.  First I marked t' center line on t' rail button holder.  Then, usin' t' drill press, I drilled small holes on t' line.  T' small holes helped ensure that t' larger holes I later drilled were right on t' center line.  I screwed threaded inserts into holes usin' a hex wrench.

T' rail buttons screw into t' threaded inserts and are removable.

I included a rail button attachment on t' top o' t' board so that, matey, when it is installed in t' rocket, I can add a rail button on t' side o' t' body tube.  I'll have t' use a longer screw and add some washers t' make t' rail button align with t' others.

A unique problem for t' Akavish is how t' handle motors o' different lengths.  T' previous Big Daddy Akavish solved t' problem in a simple way.  I just let t' motor hang out t' back o' t' rocket and I wrapped tape around it t' keep it in place.  For t' new Akavish, I'm doin' somethin' a little more elegant.

First, I added a thick centerin' rin' around t' 98mm motor tube on t' bottom o' t' body o' t' rocket.

On t' other end o' t' motor tube, shiver me timbers, I added a thick bulkhead that has a 3/8" screw eye through it.

On t' other side o' t' bulkhead, inside t' tube, me hearties, t' bolt end o' t' screw eye is visible. T' motor will screw onto t' bolt.

For a 98mm motor, I will cut a length o' 98mm tubing.  T' tube will slide over t' motor.  T' motor will be inserted into t' motor mount and t' tube will slide into t' centerin' rin' on t' bottom o' t' rocket.  I'll just screw in t' motor and it'll hold t' tube in place.

For a smaller motor, such as t' 75mm motor I plan t' use, I'll construct an adapter.  I made one for t' CTI 75mm 3-Grain case I have.

T' adapter consists o' a 75mm motor tube and centerin' rings inside a 98mm tube.  At t' top o' t' 98mm tube is a coupler.

T' adapter slides into t' motor tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' motor will be inserted in t' adapter then screwed into t' bolt at t' top o' t' motor tube.

T' head o' t' Akavish is a large foam ball.  It comes in two hollow halves.  T' fit over t' body, we had t' cut a 12" hole through t' ball.

A sat each half ball on t' floor then placed a section o' t' 12" tubin' on t' top o' t' half ball.

I used a level t' make sure t' tube was centered then used a pen t' draw a circle where t' tube met t' ball.

Bracha used a drywall saw t' cut t' ball halves on t' lines.

T' two halves o' t' ball were glued together and then glued onto t' body tube.

For t' nose cone, we used one o' t' pieces cut out o' t' foam ball.  I started with a couple o' center rings that I had in me big box o' rings.  I added a lip around t' larger rin' by cuttin' a thin piece o' t' body tube and gluin' it in place.  I added a screw eye (actually an eye nut) into a smaller centerin' rin' which I clued on t' back o' t' larger ring.

On top o' t' rings, I glued t' foam piece.

In place, it looks pretty good.

Next, we had t' make room for t' launch rail.

Bracha cut a slot in t' side o' t' foam.

I'll clean up t' edges a little before we cover t' foam with fiberglass.

Lookin' at t' size o' t' new Akavish's head, I think t' rocket won't look right if it's 6 1/2 feet tall.  Our previous Big Daddy was a little less than 4' tall with a 12" diameter head.  This one has a 16" diameter head, so it probably should be about 5 t' 6' tall.  We'll wait until t' last minute, though, me bucko, t' decide if we're goin' t' cut t' legs shorter.

We covered t' foam parts with a couple layers o' fiberglass.  We used light fiberglass cloth cut into small strips and applied it like paper mache.  I didn't take any photos because it was rather messy. Aye aye! Since everythin' will be covered with paint and fur, arrr, we didn't go overboard tryin' t' be neat.

We bought 10 "uncoated foam balls" t' use as feet.  These are similar t' t' balls we used as feet on t' previous Big Daddy Akavish.  But, at 8" in diameter, they are bigger and they are made o' a different kind o' foam.

I used t' drill press t' carefully cut a hole in each ball.

We finally made t' big decision and cut 9" off o' each leg.  This will brin' t' overall height o' t' rocket t' about 6 feet.

After cuttin' t' legs, ya bilge rat, we sanded t' end t' help t' glue adhere. Avast! Then we glued a ball t' t' end o' each leg.  Bracha then filled t' gaps at t' tops o' t' holes with glue and left-over foam pieces.

We now have nine legs (eight and a spare) ready for paint and fur!

Although Bracha keeps remindin' me that real spiders don't have big Muppet eyes, all o' our Akavishes have.  And, this one is no different.

Then we glued two half foam balls into t' newly formed eye sockets.

Finally, we covered most o' t' rocket with black paint.

And ...

It's still taller than me!

or ... A Bridge Too Fur ... no? ... Well, blow me down! T' Hunger Games: Catchin' Fur?

Anyway ... here's an update on our progress buildin' t' Big Daddy Akavish Mark II.

Bracha and I spent some time in fabric stores and lookin' online t' find t' perfect faux fur t' cover t' new Big Daddy Akavish.  We were happy t' find some black fur with silver tinsel that looked like t' fake fur we had originally used on t' first Big Daddy Akavish.  We really liked it because it sparkled in t' sun and glowed red as it reflected t' flame from t' rocket motor.

We ordered two yards o' t' fake fur and, me bucko, once it arrived, our dog, Oscar Pendragon, examined it.

With Oscar's approval, Bracha began t' cover t' Akavish's head with t' fake fur. Ahoy! Blimey! She came up with a cool idea for fittin' t' flat fabric t' t' curved surface o' t' Akavish.  She turned t' fake fur over, fabric side up, and layed it over t' sphere o' t' Akavish's head.  She pinched t' fabric into pleats so that it fit t' curves. Ahoy! Blimey! She pinned t' pleats together and removed t' fur.  She sewed t' fabric along t' pleats then turned t' fur inside out.  It then fit t' Akavish's head just right!

We used spray adhesive t' attach t' fur t' t' head and ... with t' addition o' a couple o' giant googly deadlights ... we have an Akavish head!

T' top rail button screws in after t' square dowel "rail button holder" is inserted into t' rocket.  It needs a stand-off t' line up with t' other rail buttons.  I created t' stand-off usin' a nut and a few washers.

With t' top rail button in place, shiver me timbers, I tested t' alignment usin' a 1515 rail.

T' fit is perfect.  T' rail slides smoothly up and down on t' rail buttons.

Bracha finished coverin' t' legs with fur.

Bracha sewed t' fur into tubes - inside-out t' hide t' seam.  We turned t' tubes right-side out then slid them onto t' legs. Ya scallywag! We used multiple tubes per leg because it's almost impossible t' turn one right-side out if it's length is longer than about 24".

T' fit o' each tube on t' leg is tight enough that no adhesive is needed.

We're gettin' close t' t' first launch.  Bunnell Blast 2013 is less than two weeks away.  We're finishin' up just a few things.

I realized that t' square dowel that holds t' rail buttons is closer t' t' nozzle o' t' motor than I had thought it would be.  So, I cut a peice o' aluminum and screwed it onto t' dowel t' protect it from t' heat and flame o' t' motor.

Then we assembled t' rocket for t' first time since coverin' it with fur.

With most o' it finished, I weighed t' rocket. Avast! It's 28 pounds (without t' motor, motor tube, rail button dowel, me hearties, parachute, matey, and shock cords).  Less t' motor, t' lift-off weight should be under 35 pounds.  That's less than I thought it would be as we started t' project, but still a lot heavier than t' original Big Daddy Akavish.

Bracha's doin' some work on t' parachute and shock cords.  I'm goin' t' do a quick test o' t' altimeter.  And, this weekend, we plan t' do a ground test t' check out how well t' recovery system deploys.

After that, it's off t' Bunnell and ... Arrr! 3 ... 2 ... Begad! 1 ....

Bracha crafted a beautiful parachute deployment bag out o' a Top Flight Parachute protector and some tubular nylon.

T' bag is tubular in shape because it wraps around t' motor tube inside t' body tube.  We tested it by stuffin' t' parachute in carefully. Blimey! Then Bracha held onto t' parachute's shroud lines while I gently tugged on t' cord attached t' t' deployment bag.  T' bag pulled easily away from t' parachute. Aye aye! T' parachute ended up layin' on t' ground perfectly.

We attached t' deployment bag's cord t' t' screw eye in t' top o' t' Akavish. Well, blow me down! A 30" Top Flight parachute is also attached via a short shock cord.  We made t' shock cords from 9/16" tubular nylon.  I actually sewed some o' t' loops on t' ends, me bucko, but, o' course, Bracha reviewed me work.

I loaded three grams o' powder into an ejection charge holder. Well, blow me down! I ran t' wire under t' electronics bay bulkhead and out a screw hole on t' bottom o' t' Akavish's head.  I spliced another length o' shooters wire on t' end.  Then I loaded t' deployment bag (with t' parachute in it) on top o' t' ejection charge. Begad! I laid t' shroud lines and t' smaller drogue 'chute on top. Ahoy! Then I put t' top o' t' Akavish's head in place.  Steppin' back, I counted down from three and touched t' ends o' t' wires t' a 9V battery's terminals.

T' ejection seemed a bit anemic, so we tried again with 4.5 grams o' powder.  We also added a parachute protector on top o' t' ejection charge t' keep t' soot off Bracha's beautiful parachute bag.  I forgot t' start t' video, shiver me timbers, but this time t' top went a little higher and t' small parachute came out.