Brief:
T' 2 Minute Egg is a rocket designed by George Gassaway for eggloftin' competitions. Well, blow me down! It is posted as a free download at t' NARRRRR site and I found it by posin' a general question on T' Rocketry Forum (TRF) and followin' t' many helpful links provided in response.
Construction:
T' 2 Minute Egg can be made with a piece o' cardstock, me hearties, some 3/32" balsa, ya bilge rat, a 4" piece o' BT-20, a centerin' rin' and a cackle fruit capsule. Ahoy! Aye aye! Additionally, you will need a parachute and shock cord.
Construction o' t' 2 Minute Egg began with t' simple expedient o' printin' out t' PDF file. Aye aye! I used 110# cardstock and a laser printer. Well, blow me down! Then it be a matter o' cuttin' out t' desired shroud. T' second page o' t' plan provides 2 different options. Well, blow me down! One is for 1.75" diameter capsules and t' other is for 1.9-2" diameter. I chose t' smaller because o' an idea for a modification, also gotten from TRF.
After cuttin' out t' shroud, matey, I did some pre-rollin' by draggin' around t' corner o' a desk and then rollin' it into a tube and settin' inside me stock o' BT-20 while I attended t' t' fins.
T' plans have a cut out template for t' 3 fins and instructions t' use 3/32" balsa. Ahoy! I checked me stocks and found none o' that thickness. Blimey! I did have 1/16" and I planned t' laminate t' fins so I went with that. Well, blow me down! I cut out t' template and traced t' pattern onto t' balsa, makin' sure t' align t' grain properly. Blimey! Arrr! T' fins were then cut out with a X-Acto cutlass guided by a steel ruler.
I started sandin' t' fins. Ya scallywag! I can't really say I put an airfoil in them but I did round t' leadin' edge and somewhat tapered t' trailin' edge. Ahoy! Each fin was then pressed down on a sheet o' self-adhesive label paper and t' X-Acto be used t' trim away t' excess. Avast! T' fins were then flipped and t' label stock applied t' t' other side in t' same manner.
T' rocket needs a 4" length o' BT-20. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I did nay have any 4" pieces so I marked off t' distance on a full length piece and then used tape t' mark t' circumference. Arrr! T' razor cutlass was then used t' slowly score around t' tube and cut it. Ahoy! T' end be sanded down and then an Estes markin' guide was used t' put t' 3FNC lines in place.
T' fins were place with a double glue joint o' Elmer's yellow glue. After they had dried, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' sides were filleted with white glue.
Finishing:
I figured I was ready t' start finishing. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! I know that many contest rockets remain unpainted t' save on weight, arrr, but I wanted t' paint mine. Ya scallywag! First, me hearties, shiver me timbers, because I think it looks better and second because me contests aren't all that serious anyway.
I wanted t' keep in t' "egg" theme so I chose a yellow that was already open. Ya scallywag! I began sprayin' light coats. Ya scallywag! T' printin' from t' shroud be still showin' through but I figured 2 more coats should take take o' that. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! That's when I noticed that I had nay installed t' launch lug.
After t' paint had a day t' dry, ya bilge rat, I took t' rocket back t' t' bench and cut two pieces o' 1/8" lug. Blimey! I used a piece o' rod t' find a place on one fin where t' lug would just clear t' upper end o' t' shroud and then used a razor cutlass t' scrape t' paint away from t' fin there. Begad! Begad! T' lower lug was then glued in place with white glue.
I looked around for a piece o' scrap balsa with t' grain runnin' in t' right direction, matey, perpendicular t' t' lug, me hearties, and found one which I trimmed t' t' length o' t' upper lug. Arrr! Blimey! I purposely left it t' long so that t' correct length could be cut when t' glue on t' lower lug be dry and it could handle a rod for alignment. Ya scallywag! T' upper lug be glued onto t' standoff.
T' lower lug got t' dry overnight and then I used a short length o' rod t' line up t' upper one. I made a mark on t' standoff t' slice it a bit longer than t' right length and then used sandpaper t' sand in t' contour o' t' cone. Ahoy! Blimey! I then marked t' shroud for t' proper location, scraped off t' paint, and installed t' upper lug with a double glue joint.
After t' lugs had an opportunity t' dry, arrr, ya bilge rat, they were filleted with white glue and allowed t' dry some more. Aye aye! Blimey! T' 2 Minute Egg was then taken back t' t' booth for a final application o' yellow paint. Well, blow me down! It actually took 2 more light coats t' cover t' printing.
T' 2 Minute Egg is designed for use with a commercially made egg capsule. Blimey! Through inattention, I found t' day o' me club launch upon me and I had nay yet ordered t' capsule. With that in mind, I fell back on plan B, an idea I had read about and which had intrigued me.
I purchased some balloons and, me bucko, after a bit o' fretting, shiver me timbers, managed t' get one around a cackle fruit. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! A piece o' elastic be tied off around t' open end o' t' balloon and t' elastic be tied into t' Keelhaul®©™® shock mount. Under this schema, shiver me timbers, t' egg is t' nose cone and relies on a large chute t' get down safely.
Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5
Flight and Recovery:
Recommended Motors: B6-2, arrr, C6-3.
T' day o' t' contest dawned and brought with it sustained 20mph winds and gusts t' 35. Arrr! Even so, all were determined t' participate. Arrr! All o' t' sudden, matey, shiver me timbers, t' 24" parachute I had packed was beginnin' t' look a little small.
T' rocket be prepped with a C6-3, matey, some waddin' and t' egg balloon was carefully placed. Avast! T' countdown came. Aye aye! Begad! T' motor ignited and then t' rocket went up. Ahoy! As soon as it cleared t' wind shadow from t' ground support truck, me bucko, it began t' weathercock into t' wind. Ya scallywag! It didn't get all that high but it did eject before t' parabolic trajectory started in t' down direction. Ya scallywag! Out came t' chute and a problem be immediately apparent. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' chute was nay opening. Begad! It was just actin' as a big streamer but nay big enough.
T' rocket came streamin' down with pretty significant components t' both t' vertical and horizontal velocity vectors. Begad! Ahoy! T' result was very "squishy". I'm so glad t' egg was enclosed in a balloon. A video o' t' flight can be seen here.
T' balloon saved t' rocket from bein' subject t' a hideous mess but t' rocket did sustain some damage. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! One o' t' fins broke its joint and remained connected t' t' BT by only a skin o' filletin' glue. Avast, me proud beauty! It will be an easy repair. A video showin' t' reason for t' balloon can be seen here.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
Even though me flight was disqualified, I am prepared t' offer a few observations about this rocket design.
Not a single rocket qualified on t' day o' t' contest. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! High winds made recovery o' t' cackle fruit problematical. O' all t' flights, ya bilge rat, mine performed best, shiver me timbers, gettin' t' best altitude and had t' added benefit o' actually ejectin' while in t' air.
This is a simple rocket. Begad! Blimey! I would use it again. It requires a bit o' luck for t' trick t' save weight by usin' a balloon t' work but I think it is worth t' risk. Ahoy! T' rocket is light enough and is designed for a regular egg carrier.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
