by Chris Kiekens

I had purchased a couple o' Gemini DC kits t' enter in this DesCon, matey, but alas, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, holidays, sick kids and work seemed to drain t' majority o' me time.. Ahoy! Avast!

I did have time t' bang this one out howevera

I worked on this rocket obsessively(accordin' t' t' wife), shiver me timbers, and was havin' a great love affair with ita

Parts List: 1-2.14. Arrr! LOC Nose cone 1-13. Aye aye! Aye aye! 2.14. Fiberglass tube 1-9. Well, blow me down! Avast! 29mm LOC tube 3-2.14.-29mm Centerin' Rings (home made) 1/8. Begad! ply 1-pot scrubber(stainless) 2-3/16 eye bolts 2-machinein' threads w/ bolts 20 feet Pratt 500lb Keelhaul®©™ 1-LOC 18. Avast, me proud beauty! parachute 1-1/8. Begad! Quick link

Construction:

Puttin' it all together be pretty basic, slap t' centerin' rings on t' motor mount, epoxy liberally.. Arrr! add another CR attached with t' eyebolts, me hearties, me bucko, and sandwich a piece o' steel mesh in t' space.

T' fin slots were cut usin' a miter saw, me bucko, t' allow TTW construction.

T' Keelhaul®©™ was attached t' both eyebolts, and epoxied with a nut into t' nose(after cuttin' off t' shoulder), both givin' a solid attachment, me hearties, shiver me timbers, as well as addin' some weight t' t' nose.

T' parachute be attached with a 1/8. quick link, t' allow it t' be transferred t' other toys..

Steel machine threads were epoxied into t' aft centerin' ring, arrr, t' be used with washers for motor retention.

Flight Report:

Maiden Flight be on an Aerotech G75-medium delay, shiver me timbers, it leapt off t' pad like a screamin' mother-in-law, arrr, matey, t' an estimated 3561 feet, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ejection was just after apogee, and deployment o' t' recovery system(parachute) was normal.

Apparently t' chute be slightly oversized, me bucko, me bucko, as we watched it float away for some time, ya bilge rat, and I looked for it for about two weeks after..

Conclusion:

I will build another, me bucko, and will fly it in a larger field, me hearties, with a smaller chutebut t' tube be free, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and I have lots more o' them, so I may build a 38mm version as well, because I can seem t' lose enough o' me rocket stuff!