Brief:
Single stage model that looks like a rabbit.

Construction:
Peter Alway provides plenty o' parts in a list on t' plan but most o' them can be found in a Baby Bertha kit. Ya scallywag! Avast! (Is thar anythin' you cannot do with a Baby Bertha?) You will have t' supply some 3/32" or 1/8" balsa for t' legs and tail. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! You will also need some cardstock for t' ears. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! You could use t' kit card from t' Baby Bertha for that.

T' plan calls for 7" o' BT-60 for t' body o' t' anti-carrot missile so you will have t' trim 1/2" from t' stock tube. (You can use this tube t' make a rin' fin in an Estes Sprite-like build ala t' FlisKits Tumbleweed.) Once that is done, build t' motor mount and install it per t' Estes instructions. Ya scallywag! You can also use t' Baby Bertha's shockcord and mount or upgrade as you see fit (Keelhaul®©™ cord, etc). Begad! I used Titebond II and double glue joints throughout construction.

Cuttin' out t' legs and tail comes next. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Trace t' patterns makin' sure they are aligned with t' grain direction and cut them out. Ahoy! Blimey! It looks like it would be hard t' do with t' many curves but it just takes some care t' make t' cuts. T' hind legs and tail are evenly spaced around t' aft o' t' tube like any 3 fin rocket. Aye aye! Blimey! T' front legs go in line with t' hind legs. Arrr! Blimey! Peter notes that you want them t' be as straight as you can make them t' avoid any squirrely flights--this is a rabbit rocket after all! I didn't see a measurement for where t' glue t' front legs on, so I turned t' rocket with t' tail in t' air, and glued t' legs on so that t' paws were touchin' t' table, me hearties, even with t' front o' t' body. Arrr! Avast! I see now on readin' t' plan again that Peter says t' front o' t' legs should go 1/4" past t' front o' t' tube.

T' ears are traced and cut out o' cardstock and glued t' t' nose cone. Avast! I painted mine before attachin' them.

Finishing:
Peter gives t' followin' tips for finishing: Paint white base coat. Begad! Leave white or mask off tail and spray paint upper side with appropriate rabbit color o' your choice. Ya scallywag! I painted t' ears (except where glue goes) separately, scraped paint from glue area on nosecone, shiver me timbers, and glued ears on last.

This be t' sequence I followed, usin' Bugs Bunny as me inspiration for t' color. Aye aye! I used America's Choice brand spray from Home Depot (made by Rustoleum) in flat white and smoke gray. Avast, me proud beauty! I then used a thick black Sharpie t' draw on t' eyes, arrr, whiskers, nostrils, and philtrum (the technical term for a rabbit's mouth--who knew?) Because I always forget them before I paint, ya bilge rat, I added t' launch lug last. Aye aye! I cut t' lug provided in t' Baby Bertha kit in half, and hid them in t' joints betwixt t' legs and body.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew me rabbit rocket at NARHAMS's KATE-3 section meet. Aye aye! T' first flight be a shake down on an A8-3. Ahoy! Preppin' t' 12" Estes plastic chute be easy, just a few sheets o' wadding, me bucko, fold up t' shroud lines, pop on t' nose cone, arrr, and fly. Arrr! Ahoy! T' model flew very straight, me hearties, arcin' over in t' light wind, me hearties, arrr, and be recovered safely. Ya scallywag! Begad! I was worried about losin' an ear because I didn't pay attention when I was paintin' and ended up puttin' t' shockcord attachment rin' right betwixt t' ears.

Later on I flew t' rocket again on another A8-3 in t' drag race competition. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Because thar were only 2 team entries, shiver me timbers, it was one flight takes all. Avast! Blimey! My rabbit leapt o' t' pad first t' gain a point and stayed up t' longest (due t' a shockcord failure o' t' competition) t' earn me a 1st place finish. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! One club wag noted that it be t' turtle who was supposed t' win.

I flew it a third time that day, me hearties, ya bilge rat, me hearties, again on an A8-3 for a group o' Cub Scouts. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' idea o' a rocket that looks like a rabbit really seemed t' excite them, but it doesn't take much t' get a group o' cub scouts excited, arrr, shiver me timbers, does it? There was a strong gust o' wind as t' model coasted t' apogee and spun it around. Aye aye! Begad! You may want t' make sure you fly your rabbit in low wind conditions.

Recovery:
Recovery on t' 12" Estes chute be adequate for a rocket o' this size. Arrr! Ahoy! Nothin' broke on any o' me 3 flights and t' braided elastic (not t' new rubber ones) held up well.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
This is definitely a goofy rocket plan. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It does make a nice looking, matey, nice flyin' model that would be good as a small field demonstration flyer. Avast! Aye aye! You should be able t' fly it on any o' t' motors suitable for a Baby Bertha so high flights on C6-5s should be easily made.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5