Brief:
My Tubular Crayon is a single stage HPR rocket usin' parachute recovery. Arrr! 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. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! I decided t' use tube fins instead o' t' usual clear fins.

Construction:
T' six tube fins are made from two extra crayons. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' motor tube is 54mm with a Slimline retainer. Avast, me proud beauty! There are three centerin' rings for 3.9 inch tubes. I used a 3.9 inch bulkhead in t' nosecone. Begad! T' chute is a Rocketman R7C in a deployment bag.

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

I epoxied two centerin' rings in t' cardboard tube. Aye aye! Blimey! They were for a 3.9 inch tube and required some sandin' t' fit. Blimey! Blimey! T' third CR is inside t' plastic base. Arrr! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! 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. Ya scallywag! I added about fourteen ounces o' additional weight. Ahoy! T' weights were a combination o' lead shot and epoxy clay molded into slices o' motor tube. Ahoy! T' weights were screwed onto t' all-thread. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

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, 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. Therefore t' CG will need t' be at least 20.5 or forward of the Y on t' body tube. T' get t' CG forward I added about one pound o' weight in t' nose. Avast! T' chute and deployment bag weigh twelve ounces, so it helps with the CG somewhat. Arrr! T' weight o' t' rocket is about 4.5 lbs without t' motor.

I chose a Aerotech H242T for t' first flight. Avast! I adjusted t' medium delay to about 7 seconds. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This was me first attempt usin' t' Aerotech procedure to shorten a delay. Avast! 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. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight:
Its first flight be at t' September 10, 2005, SEARS launch in Samson, AL. Blimey! The flight was a success. Well, blow me down! T' winds were 5 t' 10 mph and t' ejection be close to apogee. Avast! Begad! I was relieved that t' delay adjustment worked out. This be a low flight t' about 1000 feet and I got t' see t' rocket's entire flight. Well, blow me down!

Recovery:
T' Rocketman R7C chute and deployment bag worked perfectly. Avast! 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. Avast! 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. Begad! T' tube fins were very sturdy with the screw mountin' alone. Ahoy! There be no paintin' required. Aye aye! T' rocket has a lot of visual appeal. Avast! Well, blow me down!

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. Ya scallywag! T' Slimline retainer also adds t' t' cost but certainly does t' job. Aye aye! Blimey!

Most of me rockets have been kits or kits modified. So t' tube finned crayon rocket was an excursion into scratch building. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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. This version handles tube fins. My model was 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 was more forward than t' faked tube fin approach used with earlier versions o' Rocksim. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! In any case, t' flight was very straight. Also I am pleased t' have a rocket that is unique t' my knowledge havin' t' crayon shape and tube fins. Begad! O' course t' final reward is gettin' that "I liked that crayon rocket flight" response from my fellow fliers.