Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
My first paper rocket design--and it actually worked t' first time!
Construction:
All that's needed is one 8 1/2" X 11" Sheet o' 120# cardstock and
white glue.
I started by takin' a CD-ROM and usin' it as a template for t' upper portion o' t' saucer. Arrr! I traced both t' outside o' t' CD as well as the spindle hole in t' center. Begad! After cuttin' out t' both circles, arrr, I slit the circle from t' edge t' t' center hole. Ahoy! I then made a cone by overlappin' the cut edges by 1". Arrr! I used a hole punch t' make a small hole for t' launch rod t' pass through. Arrr! I then cut out another circle that be 3.75" wide with a 14mm hole in t' center. This part will attach under t' cone t' give it support. Another small hole be punched for t' launch rod.
Next was t' motor mount. I rolled it around a spent 13mm motor and applied glue t' hold it together. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Once dry, me hearties, I assembled t' three pieces. Arrr! I first glued t' motor mount so that it was centered over t' hole in t' upper cone, ya bilge rat, bein' careful t' keep it vertical. Once this assembly had dried, ya bilge rat, I put glue around t' outer edge of the lower support circle, placed it over t' motor mount, shiver me timbers, and pressed it into the place. Avast! Ahoy! You must be careful t' line up t' launch lug holes durin' assembly.
While t' main assembly was drying, me bucko, arrr, I cut out t' fins. T' make t' fins easier t' fold in half, I lightly scored them lengthwise with me hobby knife. Once they were folded, ya bilge rat, I folded them in half lengthwise, me hearties, matey, makin' a V shape. I measured 1/2" from t' crease and cut out notches half way through the fins. Avast! Blimey! I notched t' fins so that t' crease would be facin' upwards. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! When you place t' fins on top o' each other, ya bilge rat, they resemble an X. Begad! Blimey! I put glue on the seams where t' notches meet up.
Once t' fin assembly had dried, I mounted them t' t' upper assembly. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' square formed in the middle o' t' fin assembly was a perfect fit over t' motor mount. I added more glue in and around t' areas where t' fins touched t' upper assembly.
Finishing:
I used a yellow highlighter for t' cone and a pink one for t' fins. Arrr! Nay my
favorite color combination, ya bilge rat, but they were t' only colors that I had.
Flight:
Launch day was definitely cold but fortunately, t' winds were fairly light.
There was no preppin' needed for this saucer. Ya scallywag! My first motor selection be an
A10-PT. My little saucer really took off fast, so I never be able t' get a
picture--only smoke. Flight was a bit wobbly but it really got up there.
I figured that since this rocket was so light, I could use a much smaller motor and still get respectable altitude. Ahoy! Second flight was on 1/2A3-4T. Still fast off t' pad, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but it barely got any height. Begad! Ya scallywag! In fact, ya bilge rat, t' rocket landed engine up while t' trackin' smoke was still burning. Begad! T' pop from t' ejection charge flipped t' saucer back upright. Begad! Aside from residue from t' ejection on the cone, me bucko, thar was no damage.
Last flight was back t' t' A10-PT and it was another great one. Arrr! Blimey! A gust o' wind did take the rocket downrange a bit, me hearties, me hearties, matey, but with tumble recovery, you never had t' walk far!
Summary:
This is a very simple design that surprised me with its performance. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! And based
on t' success o' this design, me bucko, me bucko, I am now encouraged t' see what else I can come
up with.