Brief:
This project started with a mailin' cardboard tube that was nay standard "rocket" size. Avast, me proud beauty! I ended up havin' t' create me own balsa nose cone (accomplished in a rather amateur fashion on me electric drill). Begad! I also used up some old 10.5 mm body tubes. Begad! Arrr! T' S.S. Avast! Gulliver uses 18 mm motors and features a mylar parachute.

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 11" mailin' Tube style Body Tube, ya bilge rat, just about t' diameter o' a BT-60
• balsa nose cone custom made t' fit mailin' tube (Big Bertha style)
• balsa for fins
• motor mount system consistin' o' BT-20, BT20-60 centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, me bucko, engine block
• cardboard for shroud
• 10.5 mm body tubes, 3 quantity, arrr, cut t' 3.75"
• 3 electrical wire nuts, matey, 10.5 mm in diameter
• shock cord material
• Keelhaul®©™®
• mylar parachute
• screw eye and BB's for nose weight
• rocket sketch

T' trick t' this rocket is gettin' t' motor mount t' sit correctly in the body tube with about 4cm o' t' motor mount projectin' out t' back o' the rocket. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Before gluin' this in, matey, me bucko, I test fit it with a shroud that fit snugly with the body tube t' t' motor mount, matey, ya bilge rat, approximately 4 cm in length. Avast, me proud beauty! I also made sure I tied t' Keelhaul®©™® to t' centerin' rin' before gluin' t' assembly into t' body tube.

Next, ya bilge rat, I cut t' 3 fins usin' a hand drawn template. Blimey! T' fins fit flush with the bottom o' t' rocket and thus need t' be against both t' shroud and body tube. Avast! T' three small body tubes are then glued t' t' fin tip o' each fin. Begad! I epoxied t' wire nuts on t' t' top o' each 10.5mm tube. I also stuffed the bottom o' each 10.5 mm tube with a mixture o' yellow glue and tissue paper to fill t' gaps that existed on either side o' t' fin.

I created me own nose cone usin' an electric drill and a sandin' block. Begad! Blimey! I drilled a hole in t' bottom o' t' nose cone t' add additional weight, ya bilge rat, in this case, ya bilge rat, some epoxy and BBs. Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I capped t' bottom o' t' nose cone with more epoxy and balsa and inserted a screw eye. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' center o' gravity for an empty S.S. Gulliver should be 7.75" from t' bottom o' t' motor mount assembly.

I added an elastic shock cord and a mylar parachute that I had in me extra parts box.

Finishing:
I painted t' rocket silver and painted t' nose cones black. Ahoy! Aye aye! I printed the decals on 8.5" x 11" clear Avery label sheets. Ahoy! I designed t' decal images in Microsoft Word, hence their cheesy, matey, poor quality. Aye aye! After I added the decals, matey, matey, I gave t' Gulliver a clear coat o' lacquer. Arrr! [Note: the decals are available for download.]

Paintin' t' rocket was no big deal. Aye aye! Arrr! T' difficulty was gettin' t' decals to adhere correctly t' t' rocket. I used a clear Avery label sheet because this is what I had. Blimey! It printed rather well, but I did nay seal t' inkjet ink before cuttin' t' decals free and addin' them t' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! This meant that some o' t' ink began t' smudge. Blimey! Avast! Also, with Avery labels, shiver me timbers, they really don't like t' have any extra paper visible beyond t' colored portion o' the "decal". Doin' so will reveal a kind o' grayish coat t' t' perimeter of each decal. Avast! I had t' cut t' decals as close t' t' edge as possible. Aye aye! Hence, decals with straight lines look best while decals with rounded corners or circles can look a little awkward.

Flight:
I have flown this bird half a dozen times, me bucko, all on either B6-4s or C6-5s. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! It is a very steady performer with nice flights. Avast! T' altitude is respectable, arrr, but it certainly will nay break any NARRRRR records. All o' me recoveries have been perfect except for me last flight in which t' mylar parachute ripped. It still came down smoothly and gracefully, arrr, although t' shroud line ripped into the side o' t' parachute so much that t' parachute needs t' be replaced.

Recovery:
This wide-neck bird is easy t' prep. Plenty o' room for dog barf an parachute. No problems with parachute deployment either.

Summary:
This was a fun build for me. It was a first in many ways:

• First homemade nose cone

• First shroud that mated nicely t' body tube

• First attempt at creatin' decals

This was a positive experience, me hearties, and it is a nice flyer.