Parts List:
(Note: a Fat Boy kit could be used for t' stock parts o' this rocket. T' parts listed are what I had on hand t' use, matey, arrr, but t' Fat Boy parts look like they'd work. Blimey! Begad! I didn't want t' break up t' kit I had.)

Found parts: Large plastic soft drink cup with narrow bottom. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! (from Blimpie's)  4 small wire nuts Spent Apogee 10.5mm engine casings, 4 pieces cut t' æ" long. Spent Estes 13mm "T" engine casings, matey, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 4 pieces 1 pin' pong ball 1 daily wear contact lens "blister" packaging  click images t' enlarge

Stock parts: Estes PNC-80B (?) nose cone from Fat Boy kit Estes BT-80 or equivalent body tube 8" long.  Estes BT-50 or equivalent motor mount tube 3" long. Totally Tubular CR50-80 matte board or equivalent centerin' rings, 2 pc.  Estes standard engine hook Totally Tubular CR50-20 or equivalent centerin' rin' for engine block. º" Balsa-Ply centerin' rin' cut t' fit BT80 and cup. *" lg. Ya scallywag! Blimey! scrap BT50 or equivalent. 1" lg. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! scrap BT-80 or equivalent. 3/16" launch lug tube x 6 æ" long. 1/32" Keelhaul®©™ cord 8" long. 3/16" wide flat elastic 24" long. Parachute 18 t' 24" size. 3/16" basswood for fin/legs 1/8" x 3/8" basswood strip, leg "tracks" 3/16" x 3/16" balsa strip for track fill-ins 1/8" x 1/8" x 6 *" lg. Begad! Basswood strip for launch lug stand off. 3/8" wide trailin' edge balsa stock for aft detail strips. 1/8" x 1/8" strip styrene for door detail Thin styrene scrap for door detail Center punch outs from Estes 20-50 size paper centerin' rings for pod foot pads.

Dependin' on t' cup used some dimensions or construction details may bhave t' be altered.

Fit t' BT80 over t' bottom end o' t' cup and mark where t' tube seats on one o' t' molded "rings". Begad! Cut off cup end at this point and test fit t' body tube through t' cup end. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Save t' cut off bottom cup t' use later on. Cut a centerin' rin' from t' º" Balsa-Ply t' fit up inside the large end o' t' cup. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' cup I used had a shoulder about *" at the mouth and I cut t' rin' t' seat on this shoulder. Begad! T' rin' is approximately 4 1/8" O.D.

Mark t' cup outside for 4 fin slots. Avast! Ya scallywag! I started t' bottom o' t' slot at t' shoulder in t' mouth o' t' cup just above t' º" Balsa-Ply ring.. T' slots are 3/16" wide x approximately 1 æ" long. Mark a spot midway betwixt two fin slots and cut out a notch in t' lower shoulder o' t' cup for t' launch lug t' slip through. (refer t' photo) Cut a notch in t' Balsa-Ply rin' for t' launch lug t' fit through. Avast, me proud beauty! Glue the 1/8" x 1/8" basswood strip t' t' body tube with t' lower end about 3/8" up from t' aft o' t' tube. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Glue t' launch lug on top o' t' strip. Cut t' forward end o' t' LL at an angle.

Glue t' Balsa-Ply rin' onto t' body tube by positionin' t' ring in t' cup then fittin' t' tube into t' ring. T' tube will be aligned by t' cup at one end and t' hole in t' cup at t' other. Avast! Make sure the notches for t' LL line up. After t' glue sets you can glue t' whole tube/rin' assembly into t' cup. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! I used epoxy for t' balsa t' cup joints and Tite-Bond for t' paper, arrr, basswood and balsa joints.

T' fin/legs were cut from 3/16" basswood. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' edges were rounded over slightly. Legs were glued onto t' body tube with epoxy. Avast! Blimey! Medium CA was used betwixt t' legs and t' edges o' t' slots. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' 1/8" x 3/8" strips were cut t' length, ends at an angle. Avast! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! These were attached t' each side of t' legs with medium CA. Begad! Blimey! T' gap betwixt each leg "track" was filled with t' 3/16" x 3/16" balsa strip cut t' fit.

T' clay nozzles o' both t' 13mm Estes and 10.5mm Apogee engine casings were drilled out. Ya scallywag! T' 10.5mm æ" long casin' sections are glued into one end o' each 13mm casin' º" deep usin' Tite-Bond. Epoxy was used for t' wire nuts. T' 20-50 paper rin' centers were glued up in pairs with Tite-Bond then glued t' t' ends o' t' spent casings. Each pod was glued t' t' leg end with 5 minute epoxy and held in place with a couple of drops o' medium CA. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! They were aligned by eye-ball.

T' bulges on either side o' t' body are pin' pong ball sections attached with medium CA. I used about a 1/3 section for each bulge. T' Door detail was made up from t' 1/8"x 1/8" styrene strip and t' thin styrene sheet. T' "window" on t' door section is cut from a daily use contact lens "blister"" package. Blimey! T' strips on t' opposite side o' t' body are sections o' scrap 3/8" wide trailin' edge balsa stock.

Detail along t' top exposed section o' body tube was done usin' a *" long section o' scrap BT80 cut into 5/8" long sections. Begad! These are glued to t' top exposed section o' t' body tube equally spaced around t' outside.

T' engine hook is reinforced by a scrap chunk o' BT50 split length-wise and epoxied over t' hook betwixt t' centerin' rings. Avast! Begad! Position the rear rin' *" from t' aft end o' t' motor mount tube. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! Position the whole mount in t' aft o' t' BT80 so t' back face o' t' rin' is *" up inside t' tube. Avast! T' 8" long Keelhaul®©™ is tied t' t' forward centering rin' and looped at t' free end for mountin' t' elastic shock cord.

T' aft o' t' motor mount area is capped off with t' bottom section of cup cut off earlier. Avast! Begad! T' remainin' bit o' scarp BT80 be cut at *" long, cut length wise and rolled in t' fit inside t' aft end o' t' body tube. Cut out t' center o' t' cup bottom.. This was cut at a part o' t' cup bottom that already had a step molded into it. Aye aye! Blimey! Epoxy t' cup bottom onto the end o' t' motor mount tube. T' cut section o' body tube acts like a tube coupler.

Attach t' shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™ mount, me hearties, attached t' chute, matey, shiver me timbers, well you know t' rest o' t' drill.

I haven't done any finishin' on this yet. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! It hasn't flown yet either, but I hope t' get out in t' next few weeks and test fly it. Ahoy! I suspect it will need a good bit o' nose weight, me hearties, arrr, matey, which I haven't added yet. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I plan on usin' a D12-3 for t' first flight.

"Lander" flight report 3-18-2001.

Light northwest breeze, me hearties, me bucko, shiver me timbers, sunny, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, temps in t' upper 40's. Avast! I had added two castin' "tear drop" type sinkers t' t' tip o' t' nose cone and hot glued them in place. Arrr! Nay sure o' t' total amount o' weight. Avast, me proud beauty! I will have to get a weight on t' nose and t' whole rocket later.

T' balance point with D12-3 is approximately 3 5/8 inch from t' back edge o' t' cup. Ahoy! Note: precision CG findin' equipment consists o' two fingers held upright with rocket rockin' back and forth on finger tips :-)

First flight be accomplished on an Estes D12-3. Boost was rock solid stable with only slight weather-cocking. I estimate it reached an altitude of around 250 feet, maybe a little higher. Blimey! Ejection occured just after apogee. Ya scallywag! Recovery was on an 18 inch nylon chute. Avast! Rocket be recovered intact with t' only damage bein' one o' t' micro-motors on one leg pod was knocked loose, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but did nay come off. Ahoy! A 24 inch chute may be a better choice if flyin' over hard ground or in calm conditions.

Now I need t' come up with a better name than "Lander". Spooge Prospector maybe?

Kelo "why do I hafta name me rockets anyway can't I just call it the blue one or t' red one or whatever and be done with it" Waivio