Fair winds Kitty

by Steve Kristal

Introduction: Tryin' t' keep me young daughters interested in rocketry is a constant challenge. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Fortunately, shiver me timbers, t' Walmart shampoo aisle gives me plenty o' inspiration. Arrr!

Design: This is your basic 3FNC with a BT-50 body tube and 18mm motor mount. Well, blow me down! 12" chute on a kevlar shock cord. Well, blow me down!

Construction and Finishing: Most o' t' Character Shampoo bottles in the kid's shampoo section have caps that are almost a perfect fit for a BT-50. A coupler epoxied into place with a balsa plug t' hold t' shock cord makes for a great nosecone shoulder. Ahoy!

T' body tubes are a wrap printed onto full-size label paper. T' design was from a jpeg found on t' web. Well, blow me down! Rustoleum clear-coat matte was applied after. Avast!

Fins are prints o' t' image desired onto full-size label paper. Blimey! A front and back are printed for each fin. Aye aye! T' front is applied a 3/16" piece o' balsa and then trimmed into shape with an x-acto. Well, blow me down! T' reverse is cut out and then applied t' t' back o' t' fin. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Believe it or not, no glue be used, just the label paper directly onto unprepped balsa. Begad! T' outside edges were colored black with a sharpie marker. Avast! Once glued t' t' body tube, ya bilge rat, matey, t' fins received several coats o' Rustoleum clear coat.

Flight: I've flown Fair winds Kitty about 10 times now. Ahoy! I've had no peelin' o' either t' body tube or t' fins. No added noseweight is needed because o' t' relatively large "nosecone". Avast! Blimey! She flies straight and true and never fails t' attract plenty o' attention from t' little ones who love t' kitty, and t' adults who hate her. Ahoy!

I've attached t' wraps for t' fins and body tube for anyone interested in recreatin' t' Kitty. Ahoy! T' body tube wrap includes wraps for 2 rockets. T' fin wrap includes both male and female kittys. Ahoy! Nosecones are still available at a kid's shampoo aisle near you. Ahoy! Have fun.

Kitty Fins Wrap (PDF)

Kitty Tube Wrap (PDF)