Brief:
A single-stage flyin' HOT DOG!

Construction:
T' initial drawings were done in late May 2008. I decided t' use t' "Centuri" ST style tubin' with thicker body tube walls. A parts list was made, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, then an order be placed (online) t' Semroc on June 13, 2008. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I received t' parts by mail on June 16, me bucko, 2008. Very fast delivery and great customer service, as usual.

Parts list: 

• 2 "Bun" Nose Cones, arrr, me hearties, BNC2025
• 1 "Hot Dog" Nose Cone, matey, arrr, BC-837 from Squire kit
• "Hot Dog" Body Tube, ST890, 8 Series
• "Bun" Body Tube, ST2060, me bucko, 20 Series
• 3 fins o' 1/16" balsa covered with condiment package wrappers
• 8 Series motor mount from a Semroc Squire kit
• LARGE Screw Eye (for extra nose weight)
• 12" Red and Yellow Parachute
• 12" Keelhaul®©™ attached t' 18" o' 3/16" elastic shock cord
• 1 1/2" standard launch lug

Initially I was goin' t' use a 7 series nose cone and body tube. Blimey! Aye aye! After seein' it "in t' bun" it looked too thin. Begad! I switched t' wider 8 series parts from a extra Semroc Squire kit I had. Arrr! I also used t' Squire's engine mount, nose cone and Keelhaul®©™. All other parts were standard: 1/8" launch lug, a big screw eye, me bucko, 3/16" x 18" elastic shock cord, ya bilge rat, and 12" parachute.

As I work away from home, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I didn't have much time t' build t' model for t' EMRR contest. This would be a rush job! I be returnin' on July 5 and would have one week t' get t' model built, arrr, photographed, me bucko, flown, documented and entered! I be also tryin' t' get me Golden Scout built and flown for a July 10 Orlando area launch.

To get t' "Bun" end contour, I cut off 1 1/8" off both o' t' Semroc BNC-2025 nose cones. I rounded t' cut ends with 100 grit sandpaper on a block. T' get t' "Hot Dog" contour I cut off t' tip o' t' Semroc BC-837 nose cone and rounded t' end with 100 grit sandpaper on a block.

An actual hot dog is 6" long. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It seems a little short, matey, I wanted this rocket t' fly stable. Aye aye! Blimey! T' "Dog's" body tube length is 9". Arrr! Blimey! T' "Dog's" overall length with nose cone and motor mount (extension) in place be now 10 1/4".

After fillin' t' nose cone, I used t' back o' a razor blade t' press in wrinkle lines like those on a hot dog end. Well, blow me down! T' wrinkles radiate out from t' center o' t' nose cone tip.

I am tryin' t' capture t' look o' foot-long hotdog with it's ends stickin' out o' t' bun. Begad! Begad! I cut t' "bun" tube length at 5 ½". Aye aye! With t' two split nose cones in place, t' overall "bun" length is 8 5/8".

It'd be easier t' fill t' tube spirals and balsa grain before cuttin' t' bun tube in half and splittin' t' bun nose cones.

I marked t' Bun body tube down its entire length and extended t' line up t' two end nose cones. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I extended t' pencil lines over t' top o' t' cones, arrr, completely around under t' shoulder. Begad! T' make a shipshape split, ya bilge rat, arrr, arrr, I used a straight edge razor blade t' cut 1/4" into t' cone. Ahoy! Ahoy! This should insure a shipshape outside edge. Ahoy! I switched over t' a #11 X-Acto after t' razor blade t' deepen t' cut. I broke apart t' cones. Arrr! Ahoy! I be happy with t' results. Blimey! T' edges were shipshape and t' inside "flat" areas o' t' cones would only require some Fill 'n' Finish t' smooth them out.

I sanded square t' (rounded) nose cone shoulder ends. Begad! I left ½" o' t' shoulder. Begad! I'll make two flat inside wall pieces, ya bilge rat, glued inside and flush with t' body tube walls and nose cone ends.

After fillin' t' seams, I only cut through one side o' t' bun body tube. Ahoy! T' opposite side was scored with a straight edge and (dull) butter cutlass only creasin' t' line. Blimey! This let t' tube open like an real hot dog bun.

T' engine mount be taken from Semroc Squire kit. Keelhaul®©™ cord be tied t' t' engine hook. A 3/16" X 18" elastic shock cord is tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! I picked a 12" red and yellow Semroc chute t' match t' Mustard and Ketchup condiment motif.

With both bun nose cones in place thar be a rectangular open area inside. Aye aye! I cut 1/16" balsa "planks" t' fit t' void. Blimey! Blimey! I cut them a little oversize and sanded them t' fit. Begad! T' final size was 2" wide x 4 7/16" long. Blimey! It would be difficult t' fill and sand t' interior balsa so it covered them with paper.

This is where it got interesting. I needed fins that would fit t' hot dog theme. Ahoy! Blimey! I thought o' plastic knife, fork and spoons for fins, but another entry had already incorporated sporks into their design. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! My youngest daughter suggested ketchup, shiver me timbers, mustard, and relish packets should be used somewhere in t' design. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Why nay t' fins? We picked some packets up at a local fast grub restaurant. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I cut off t' back o' t' packets, emptied, then washed and dried t' plastic sleeves. Arrr! Blimey! T' empty packets were contact cemented onto 1/16" balsa. Arrr! Blimey! Simple, arrr, me hearties, me bucko, fast, and in t' theme o' t' model.

Slots were cut into t' bun's tail end and t' fins were pressed into place. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Super glue fillets followed. T' Bun shape didn't allow for 120 degree spacin' o' t' fins. Begad! While they aren't symmetrical, they are on straight. Begad! Aye aye! I made sure t' fins trailed away from t' rocket body, shiver me timbers, once again t' improve stability.

I glued a 1 ½" long launch lug t' t' backside o' t' hot dog body. Begad! T' lug be centered out o' sight, inside t' bun. Avast! T' hot dog was set in t' bun and a line o' super glue was run down t' seams.

T' Keelhaul®©™ line was pulled through t' front o' t' dog tube and tied on a 3/16" x 18" elastic cord.

I found t' biggest, me bucko, heavy screw eye I had. Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! Any additional nose weight could help this model fly straight. I attached t' shock cord and parachute snap swivel t' t' screw eye.

Finishing:
When buyin' spray paint at WalMart, shiver me timbers, I walked through t' paint department with real hot dogs and buns in hand. Avast! I wanted match t' colors as closely as possible. T' Bun is actually two different colors. Ya scallywag! T' inside o' t' bun is much lighter than t' outside. Begad! Ahoy! I sprayed two coats o' grey primer, sandin' betwixt coats. Ahoy! T' inside o' t' bun was sprayed with Wal-Mart Almond. Well, blow me down! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I set t' bun face down (on t' open wedge cut) then sprayed t' outside with Wal-Mart Red Primer. Avast, me proud beauty! No masking, I wanted t' colors t' blend at t' "buns" cut line.

To replicate t' lighter color o' t' bun at t' wedge cut (through t' body), me bucko, I sprayed more Almond color on a kitchen sponge. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! I dabbed some o' t' Almond paint onto t' bun opening. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! This gave it t' same rough color separation like on a real hot dog bun.

Flight:
T' Orlando NARRRRR section, R.O.C.K., matey, had a scheduled launch on July 10. Well, blow me down! Arrr! In addition t' t' regular members, thar be t' be a school group thar with many first time fliers. Avast! Many o' t' kids hadn't seen an odd-roc before, and one even asked if I had another hot dog he could have for lunch. Ya scallywag! I prepped t' (S)Hot Dog with a C6-3 with standard Estes wadding. Blimey! Motor retention be an Estes style metal hook. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I usually have great confidence in me rockets as I usually build proven designs, however, I be a little nervous as t' RSO called for a heads up.

T' first flight was vertical but t' model made a 10 foot spiral goin' up. Begad! I wanted better stability and needed more nose weight. Avast, me proud beauty! Recovery was nominal with no damage. T' length o' t' Keelhaul®©™/elastic combination worked well. Ya scallywag! There was no zipperin' or nose cone dents. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Now, ya bilge rat, for t' nose weight.

Bob, ya bilge rat, a fellow R.O.C.K. Avast! member, offered up a quick link. Ahoy! Aye aye! I attached it t' t' large screw eye. Begad! As well, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, another R.O.C.K. Ahoy! member had some modelin' clay. Ya scallywag! I rolled two thin "worms" o' clay and pressed them into t' hot dog/bun seam. Arrr! I prepped again usin' another C6-3.

This time it was a slow, straight, me hearties, vertical boost t' a altitude o' approximately 225 feet. Begad! Deployment be at apogee. There was no damage, shiver me timbers, burning, matey, or charrin' on recovery. Blimey! T' model is now retired.

Summary:
This be a great experience. Arrr! It was fun t' construct a different scratch build again. Arrr! Blimey! T' kids (first timers) at t' launch got quite a kick out o' t' design.

PROs: T' reactions o' t' first time fliers at t' local launch. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I found a few new techniques: "press mounting" fins in slots cut into t' balsa "bun" ends. Ahoy! When t' fins were in place, I simply ran super glue fillets. T' joints were very strong. Lastly, pressin' "wrinkles" into a finished nose cone end usin' t' backside o' a single edge razor blade gave t' hot dog a certain realism.

CONs: Just tough t' fill balsa and body tube seams. I had three different fillin' sessions. T' nose cone and body tube splits were t' most difficult part o' construction. Avast, me proud beauty! I had t' fill t' spirals before cuttin' and splittin' and then fill again after gluin' t' bun nose cones into t' body tubes. Begad! This project had a few o' those "Wakin' up in t' middle o' t' night" moments when realizin' different construction and material techniques.