I am Stephen Corban, 14 years o' age, me hearties, and have been seriously involved with rockets for about a year. Arrr! (I flew 1 or 2 E2X rockets in Sprin' 2002).

My rocket is called T' Entertainer (A Gift from t' Tree Eatin' Rocket Gods). Avast! Avast! T' entertainer consists o' a body tube o' an Estes Army rocket that was retrieved out o' a tree after bein' thar for half a year, shiver me timbers, T' spare set of fins that comes with t' Estes Heatseaker, and an E2X transition. Begad! Arrr!

I originally wanted t' create a new rocket out o' this, one that ejected a parachute and floated back down. I determined this be impossible when I found how much t' tube be swelled. So, me bucko, matey, me hearties, I at first took t' nosecone o' me Estes Flash, shiver me timbers, and shoved it in there. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' E2X nosecones fit, ya bilge rat, but they don't go in or some out without a fight. Avast, me proud beauty!

A while later I got an Estes Heatseaker and built it. Avast, me proud beauty! For some reason beyond me knowledge this kit comes with t' fins for t' rocket, and another simple trapezoidal set. Avast, me proud beauty! So this rocket was sittin' in t' basement, and was cryin' for these fins. Ahoy!

When I had got t' rocket back out o' t' tree, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, only one fin remained so I hacked that one off, arrr, and cut down t' pit o' plastic on one that had apparently cracked off. Well, matey, blow me down! I then CAed t' new fins t' t' tube, matey, shiver me timbers, and they hold great. This is by far t' strongest CA application I have ever had. Begad!

Then I went ahead and applied CA t' t' whole body tube because it be very weak after bein' rained on for 6 months. Begad! This did t' trick, matey, as t' tube then became as solid as a rock. Avast! Then it sat. Ya scallywag!

One day I went over t' me bucko William's house, matey, matey, who is a fellow rocketeer. We were doin' all kinds o' stuff we decided t' go test fly our birthday hat rocket. Well, blow me down! This was a windy day, me bucko, with rain and thunder in the distant, and we had opted nay t' go t' our local Tripoli launch. Blimey! Well, blow me down! So we got a few other people and went over t' a friends yard and shot them. Ahoy! Begad! Right before the launch I had t' rip out t' engine hook t' keep from interferin' with the launch rod. Aye aye! I shot t' Entertainer with t' flash nosecone for t' first time for a successful lawndart. This be flown on a B6-4. Begad!

One problem with t' flight, arrr, it kicked t' motor. Blimey! I do nay like kicking motors, me hearties, because I usually shoot in corn or bean fields with a bunch o' nice dry flammable stuff layin' around.

So that night I drilled a bunch o' holes in t' tube t' let t' exhaust from the ejection charge out. Well, blow me down!

I also packed some dog barf below t' nosecone.

I flew this one more time, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and it did a kind o' horizontal slide recover, rotatin' at a super high speed on it's axis. Aye aye! This time, with no motor retention, t' motor stayed. Blimey! Blimey! We were in business. Begad!

Well, t' Flash nosecone went back t' t' Flash, and for t' longest time the Entertainer sat without a nose. Aye aye! One day I had t' order some parts for the Heatseaker (what a coincidence). Aye aye! When I got t' nosecone for t' Heatseaker it had t' payload section coupler on it. Begad! I saw t' part, put it on t' rocket, took it out into t' field behind our house, ya bilge rat, loaded it with an A8-3 and watched a 100% successful flight. This one had t' horizontal spin recovery. Aye aye!

I call this t' Entertainer because it will do a funky looking slide/rotation recovery without noseweight, and with nose weight it makes a spectacular lawndart. Begad! Avast! T' best part is that it comes back with a bent body tube, shiver me timbers, or popped fin EVERY time!

I decided nay t' finish this bird. Ya scallywag! T' old US ARMY body tube gives it a signature look that is recognized at every single launch o' our local group. Ya scallywag! Arrr!