Brief:
A few years back I was put in charge o' findin' entertainers for t' new Key West area at Sea World in Orlando, shiver me timbers, Florida. Aye aye! Avast! When t' word got out, matey, I was gettin' calls from (too) many entertainers wantin' work. One street entertainer drove all t' way from Key West for a one-on-one audition. Avast! Blimey! He introduced himself as "Mr. 21." His entire act was based on numerology found on a one dollar bill. Ya scallywag! He went on and on about how many twenty-ones you could find on a dollar--I couldn't shut t' guy up! It was t' worst act I've ever auditioned, and it became t' inspiration behind me Elevate 11 design.

How many Elevens could I possibly incorporate into a model rocket?

I didn't start with a pencil, paper and ruler t' design this project. Avast, me proud beauty! Initially, shiver me timbers, I came up with a few obvious "11" ideas. But, I let things stew for a while and kept track o' (maybe too many) workable "11" themes.

Construction:
There are 33 "Elevate 11 features":

1. Rocket built usin' an specially designed 11" long ruler, all inches divisible by 11.
2. Every rocket component (except for screw eye) Incorporates t' number 11, in measurement or markings.
3. All rocket construction dimensions divisible by 11.
4. 11 sided parachute.
5. 11 inches in diameter.
6. 11 shroud lines.
7. Each shroud line is 11 inches long.
8. Tape "disks" were cut from white adhesive backed paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! All pieces were cut t' 1.1" x 4/11" long.
9. Add 11 streamers down shock cord.
10. Each Streamer is 1" x 11" long.
11. Each streamer is attached t' t' shock cord by an maskin' tape tab that is 1 1/11" square.
12. T' main body is made up o' two Series 11 tubes.
13. Both tubes are 11 inches long.
14. T' tube coupler is 1 3/11" long
15. Two launch lugs, both 1.1" long.
16. 11 fins.
17. All 11 fins are different sizes
18. Fins made from 11 ply cardstock and paper overlays.
19. All fins are numbered "countdown" style with decals, 11 t' 1 goin' towards engine end. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Fins glued in a spiral pattern.
20. 11 Different Fonts, one font style on each fin.
21. Engine mount Centerin' "Ring" is 11/11" long.
22. Engine Block is 2/11" wide.
23. Engine sticks out back o' model by 3/11".
24. 11 inches o' Keelhaul®©™ tied to.
25. 44 inches o' shock cord (four pieces o' 11-inch elastic tied together.
26. Rocket trim color is light green. Avast! On a standard Color Wheel, t' color at t' 11 O'Clock position is light green.
27. Decal stripes beneath Nose Cone joint is actually an eleven applied on it's side.
28. Another 11 is included in t' EMRR Elevate 11 decal.
29. Launch with C11-5 Estes engine.
30. Launched on May 2, 2009 at 11:11:11am.
31. Count down from eleven.
32. Launch button pressed by an eleven year old little lass named Emily. (R.O.C.K. Begad! section family member.)
33. All rocket features--33 in all--are divisible by 11!

(Gawd, do I need a life!)

I ordered one 18" length o' t' ST-11 tubin' from Semroc. Begad! Originally t' main body o' t' model be goin' t' be 18" long. Ahoy! Avast! I decided t' order another ST-11 t' make t' main tube from two 11" sections o' tubing. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' outside diameter o' t' ST-11 tubin' is 1.1".

11 ply fins were started. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' interior, ya bilge rat, center-most ply is cereal box cardboard. I cut a straight edge on all sides.

I folded 20lb copy paper down t' middle and laid that fold tightly over both sides o' t' cereal box board. Aye aye! Blimey! A thin coat o' white glue was applied on one side then smoothed with t' back edge o' a razor blade. Arrr! Blimey! I laid down that side and smoothed out t' surface with an expended engine casing.

I turned it over and repeated with t' other side. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! All were set betwixt waxed paper and left t' dry under heavy books.

By t' time I got t' t' seventh and ninth layers, thar be some air bubbles and a little creasin' on t' smooth surfaces. Arrr! I plugged in an iron at high heat and I dry pressed t' flat sides o' t' fin material. Avast, me proud beauty! It helped re-seal t' glue layers and get rid o' t' imperfections.

T' fin shape will be cut from t' finished 11 layer ply fins. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! From t' middle out:

• Center Layer 1 = Cereal box cardboard
• Layers 2 & 3 = 20lb copy paper folded over leadin' edge
• Layers 4 & 5 = 20lb copy paper folded over leadin' edge
• Layers 6 & 7 = 20lb copy paper folded over leadin' edge
• Layers 8 & 9 = 20lb copy paper folded over leadin' edge
• Layers 10 & 11 = 110lb cardstock folded over leadin' edge

T' 11" ruler (each inch divided into elevenths) be printed on cardstock and glued over a standard wood ruler. Begad! Well, blow me down! All measurements and construction will be based on t' "Elevenths Ruler".

While workin' on income taxes, I started t' engine mount. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I cut a scrap BT-50 t' 3" long. I cut a notch for a standard engine hook 2-5/11" from t' aft o' t' tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! With t' engine hook in this position, t' engine will extend 3/11" out t' back o' t' engine mount.

T' 2050 centerin' rin' was sanded down t' a 2/11" width for t' engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! Keelhaul®©™ be tied around t' end o' t' engine hook with a tight loop. Aye aye! Begad! T' knot was set with a drop o' glue. Ya scallywag! After placin' t' engine hook in it's slot, t' 2050 rin' be slid into t' engine tube from t' front. Ya scallywag! Begad! I laid a heavy fillet around t' top o' t' 2050 rin' gluin' it in place.

Because t' ST-11 tube isn't a standard size, no centerin' rings are available for it. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I decided t' wrap cardstock around t' tube (and engine hook) until I achieved a slide fit into t' ST-11 tubing.

A cardstock strip 1-2/11" wide was cut. Aye aye! Blimey! T' wrap was started at t' side o' t' engine hook and 9/11" back from t' front o' t' engine tube. After t' wraps were in place and dry, I used a dry, hot iron over t' wrapped cardstock t' smooth and seal t' "centerin' ring".

There isn't much clearance t' pull aside t' engine hook out and slide in an engine. Avast! Well, blow me down! I'll glue t' engine tube so 4/11" o' t' tube is out side o' t' main body. Arrr! Begad! On be made from t' remainin' ST-11 tubing. Aye aye! Aye aye! I cut a piece 1-3/11" long. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' tube be split and slid into t' main tube and marked t' overlap. I cut off t' difference o' 3/22" for a slip-fit coupler.

When measured with t' eleventh ruler, t' BC-1135 nose cone total length (with shoulder) is 4-4/11" long.

T' fin ply stock be dry and ready t' be cut. I decided on a simple design with each one gettin' smaller as t' eleven fins spiral up t' body tube.

T' decal design be another story. Blimey! Ya scallywag! 11 different type fonts were chosen, me hearties, one style font for each numbered fin. Ya scallywag! Every font has a different weight or "boldness". It took some sizin' t' get all t' different styles and numbers visually big enough and balanced on t' fin templates.

I'll incorporate a small EMRR Elevate 11 logo copied from t' website. Avast! T' large Elevate 11 name will be set in large capitals runnin' vertically down t' length o' t' body.

A fin spacin' template be made in Corel Draw t' fit t' ST–11 tubin' for fins. Arrr! T' uppermost fin will be numbered 11 on top, shiver me timbers, countin' down t' number one 1 at t' engine.

T' fins were cut out--11 layer fins were hard t' cut out. T' edges were squared with a sandin' block. T' leadin' edges were already rounded from foldin' and layin' t' overlays over t' leadin' edge. 11 layer fins are almost 1/11" thick and very strong.

T' fins got their first coats o' gray primer. Arrr! Ahoy! There is plenty o' fuzz t' sand off t' paper surfaces.

White undercoats were started and work progressed on t' decal sheet. Ya scallywag! Avast! I added stripes t' t' decal sheet art for extra trim, me hearties, arrr, just t' be sure. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Two o' t' stripes are actually t' elevens from t' Elevate 11 font set t' run down t' body o' t' rocket.

All eleven streamers were cut. Blimey! Ya scallywag! I cut eleven 11" x 1-1/11" crepe paper streamers. Ya scallywag! With t' single parachute, ya bilge rat, all will be placed side by side down t' elastic shock cord.

I be havin' some problem findin' t' C11-5 engines. Avast! Orlando's biggest hobby store didn't have any in stock. Well, blow me down! Begad! I didn't know that Estes had quit makin' them. Ya scallywag! I guess I'm too old school, ya bilge rat, I fly C6 engines and t' next power is a D12. Begad! T' C11 engines don't come immediately t' mind.

I did a few web searches and finally found C11s at t' Rocket Garden website in their Estes OOP page. Avast! I ordered C11s and a package o' B6-6 engines for a staged model in t' EMRR Challenge.

Another 11" Keelhaul®©™ cord was tied t' t' screw eye in t' nose cone. Arrr! T' 44" (total length) shock cord was tied t' t' upper Keelhaul®©™ attached t' t' nose cone. Blimey! Since this is a mid-body separation, t' nose cone is glued into t' upper 11" body tube. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! T' nose cone/body tube joint will be filled and sanded for a smooth seam.

T' fins are sprayed with gray primer and sanded smooth. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! White undercoats followed and then Rustoleum Key Lime Green on all. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! (Key Lime Green is almost t' color at t' 11 o'clock position on a standard color wheel.) T' fins are painted and decals will be applied before gluin' t' t' body.

Two 1-1/11" launch lugs were glued t' t' body. Well, blow me down! One at t' aft o' t' lower tube betwixt two fin positions. Avast! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' upper lug is glued at t' base o' t' upper tube separation.

T' main tube and nose cone be sprayed with gray primer and sanded.

Decals were printed. Avast! Four coats o' clear sealer were applied throughout t' day.

Gloss white coats have been applied t' t' main body. Ya scallywag! I continued t' sand t' rough spots on t' nose cone before usin' t' green on t' top o' t' rocket.

T' 11" parachute be finished and tied t' a snap swivel.

T' body was masked for t' green nose cone. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I lowered t' maskin' line below t' nose cone/body tube seam (at 5-2/11" from t' nose cone tip) t' give t' illusion o' a longer nose cone.

Decals were applied t' t' body tube and fins. Arrr! Blimey! T' long Elevate 11 decal be applied in one piece and then cut at t' mid-point separation.

Markin' t' body tube took a little more plannin' than usual. Avast! I wanted t' fins t' spiral up t' body tube.

T' main body tube was already finished in white gloss. Begad! I marked t' body tube for t' fins. Blimey! Ahoy! Usin' each fin's root edge for a measurin' guide, arrr, me bucko, I scraped off a line where t' fin would be glued.

T' first fin (decaled #1) be glued even with t' end o' t' body tube. Begad! Well, blow me down! I skipped every other alignment line for t' rest o' t' fins. Fin #2 be glued 2/11" up from t' aft o' t' tube. Aye aye! Fin #3 is glued 4/11" from t' aft and so on.

There won't be any room t' make fillets. Arrr! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Initially I tacked t' fins in place with white glue. Blimey! Blimey! A bead o' CA was run down t' joint in place o' a fillet.

T' assembly drawings were finished. Blimey! Clear coat was applied over t' decal surfaces. Ya scallywag! All that is left is t' attach t' parachute and 11 streamers. Avast! Launch is scheduled for May 2.

[Click on t' followin' links t' download PDFs o' t' rocket, fins, and ruler.]

Flight:
Launch was coordinated with t' local Orlando R.O.C.K. NARRRRR section #622 on May 2, ya bilge rat, 2009. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' model be set on t' pad 15 minutes early. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! We would cut into regular launches if necessary, tryin' t' launch at 11:11:11am.

I asked Emily, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' only 11 year old at t' launch, me hearties, t' press t' launch button.

Countdown from eleven was started at 11:10:59am. I instructed Emily t' press t' button at t' word "Launch", nay at "one". This would guarantee t' ignition would be at 11:11:11am.

I be surprised by t' rotation o' t' rocket body durin' boost. This had t' be from t' spiral pattern o' t' 11 fins.

Boost be straight and ejection was at apogee. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' 11" chute opened, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but t' eleven side-by-side streamers were rolled around t' shock cord a bit. No damage on landing.

Summary:
PROs: It was fun comin' up with all t' Eleven tie-ins. Arrr! Avast! Some may think I went overboard, shiver me timbers, but wasn't that t' idea?

CONs: 11-ply fins are tough t' get smooth. Avast! There is just too many thin layers. Begad! Thin copy paper wrinkles when usin' white glue. Arrr! Ahoy! I haven't had this problem with 110lb cardstock fins. Begad! 20lb copy paper is harder t' work with.

Lookin' back, I should have done a standard nose blow parachute recovery. Bein' t' body is so long, arrr, t' recovery system will want t' slide inside t' main body at launch. Aye aye! This could change t' CG/CP relationship. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It's hard t' load a 11" parachute and 11 streamers in t' upper section.