Brief:
My Tubular Crayon is a single stage HPR rocket usin' parachute recovery. It is based on t' RalphCo type Crayon Bank 4 inches in diameter and 35 inches long. I found t' banks on sale at Toys R Us for $5.99. Aye aye! Blimey! I decided t' use tube fins instead o' t' usual clear fins.

Construction:
T' six tube fins are made from two extra crayons. Arrr! Blimey! T' motor tube is 54mm with a Slimline retainer. There are three centerin' rings for 3.9 inch tubes. Arrr! Blimey! I used a 3.9 inch bulkhead in t' nosecone. Ahoy! Blimey! T' chute is a Rocketman R7C in a deployment bag.

T' tube fins are 4.25 inches long cut from t' extra crayons. Well, blow me down! They are located three inches from t' bottom. Begad! T' offset is t' have t' fins on the stiff cardboard tube instead o' t' plastic base. Blimey! T' tube fins are bolted to the body tube and bolted t' each other with #8 nuts and bolts. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! This makes for a rigid assembly. Blimey! I used no epoxy on them. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! I sawed off t' excess length o' the screws inside t' tube fins.

I epoxied two centerin' rings in t' cardboard tube. Ahoy! Arrr! They were for a 3.9 inch tube and required some sandin' t' fit. Arrr! Well, blow me down! T' third CR is inside t' plastic base. So t' plastic base is wedged betwixt t' lower centerin' rin' and the Slimline retainer.

T' tubular nylon shock cord is epoxied t' t' motor tube betwixt the centerin' rings.

I added weight t' t' nose by sinkin' some 1/4 inch all-thread into 2oz of plumbers epoxy clay at t' tip. T' all-thread extends through a bulkhead which has a eye hook for t' shock cord. Begad! Blimey! I added about fourteen ounces o' additional weight. T' weights were a combination o' lead shot and epoxy clay molded into slices o' motor tube. Begad! T' weights were screwed onto t' all-thread. Begad! Blimey!

There are two PML type rail lugs attached at 9 and 16 inches from t' base o' t' rocket. I used three layers o' excess tube stacked t' create an offset for t' rail to clear t' screw heads in t' fin tube.

Through some approximation with Apogee Rocksim 8.0, arrr, I believe a conservative estimate o' t' CP is 24.5 in from t' nose or just aft o' t' R on t' body tube. Blimey! Therefore t' CG will need t' be at least 20.5 or forward of the Y on t' body tube. Avast! T' get t' CG forward I added about one pound o' weight in t' nose. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' chute and deployment bag weigh twelve ounces, me hearties, me hearties, so it helps with the CG somewhat. T' weight o' t' rocket is about 4.5 lbs without t' motor.

I chose a Aerotech H242T for t' first flight. Ahoy! I adjusted t' medium delay to about 7 seconds. Begad! This was me first attempt usin' t' Aerotech procedure to shorten a delay. Ahoy! I used a Slimline 54/38mm adapter with t' 38mm H242T motor.

Finishing:
This rocket requires no paintin' since t' crayon bank come finished with the colored crayon paper. Well, blow me down! Begad!

Flight:
Its first flight was at t' September 10, matey, 2005, matey, SEARS launch in Samson, ya bilge rat, AL. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! The flight be a success. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' winds were 5 t' 10 mph and t' ejection was close to apogee. Blimey! Blimey! I was relieved that t' delay adjustment worked out. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! This be a low flight t' about 1000 feet and I got t' see t' rocket's entire flight. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!

Recovery:
T' Rocketman R7C chute and deployment bag worked perfectly. Begad! I used no wadding.

Summary:
T' pros for this rocket are that t' body and nosecone are available from a local source for a cheap price. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Tube fins are simple t' make and might require less effort than roundin' up t' fin material and cuttin' it out and comin' up with a through t' wall mountin' scheme. T' tube fins were very sturdy with the screw mountin' alone. Begad! There was no paintin' required. Well, blow me down! T' rocket has a lot of visual appeal. Ya scallywag!

T' cons are t' weight o' tube fins and a 54mm motor tube drives it into the HPR range. Avast! Most crayon rockets are launched on a G motor. Begad! Aye aye! T' Slimline retainer also adds t' t' cost but certainly does t' job. Begad!

Most of me rockets have been kits or kits modified. Ya scallywag! Begad! So t' tube finned crayon rocket was an excursion into scratch building. Begad! You have t' put some thought in t' make sure you are buildin' a stable rocket. I used Rocksim 8.0 as a design aid. Aye aye! This version handles tube fins. Aye aye! My model be only an approximation as I used a conical nose instead o' t' true shape o' t' crayon's nose. I found that the Rocksim 8.0 Center o' Pressure be more forward than t' faked tube fin approach used with earlier versions o' Rocksim. Ahoy! In any case, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' flight was very straight. Avast! Also I am pleased t' have a rocket that is unique t' my knowledge havin' t' crayon shape and tube fins. Arrr! Ya scallywag! O' course t' final reward is gettin' that "I liked that crayon rocket flight" response from my fellow fliers.