by Chris Kiekens

I had purchased a couple o' Gemini DC kits t' enter in this DesCon, but alas, me bucko, me hearties, matey, holidays, me hearties, sick kids and work seemed to drain t' majority o' me time.. Begad!

I did have time t' bang this one out howevera

I worked on this rocket obsessively(accordin' t' t' wife), ya bilge rat, and was havin' a great love affair with ita

Parts List: 1-2.14. LOC Nose cone 1-13. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! 2.14. Arrr! Fiberglass tube 1-9. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! 29mm LOC tube 3-2.14.-29mm Centerin' Rings (home made) 1/8. Blimey! Blimey! ply 1-pot scrubber(stainless) 2-3/16 eye bolts 2-machinein' threads w/ bolts 20 feet Pratt 500lb Keelhaul®©™ 1-LOC 18. Avast! Aye aye! parachute 1-1/8. Arrr! Quick link

Construction:

Puttin' it all together be pretty basic, matey, slap t' centerin' rings on t' motor mount, epoxy liberally.. Ahoy! add another CR attached with t' eyebolts, and sandwich a piece o' steel mesh in t' space.

T' fin slots were cut usin' a miter saw, me bucko, t' allow TTW construction.

T' Keelhaul®©™ was attached t' both eyebolts, and epoxied with a nut into t' nose(after cuttin' off t' shoulder), both givin' a solid attachment, me bucko, as well as addin' some weight t' t' nose.

T' parachute be attached with a 1/8. quick link, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' allow it t' be transferred t' other toys..

Steel machine threads were epoxied into t' aft centerin' ring, t' be used with washers for motor retention.

Flight Report:

Maiden Flight be on an Aerotech G75-medium delay, arrr, shiver me timbers, it leapt off t' pad like a screamin' mother-in-law, arrr, t' an estimated 3561 feet, matey, ejection be just after apogee, matey, and deployment o' t' recovery system(parachute) was normal.

Apparently t' chute was slightly oversized, as we watched it float away for some time, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and I looked for it for about two weeks after..

Conclusion:

I will build another, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and will fly it in a larger field, arrr, me bucko, with a smaller chutebut t' tube was free, me bucko, and I have lots more o' them, so I may build a 38mm version as well, me hearties, arrr, me bucko, because I can seem t' lose enough o' me rocket stuff!