Stratosphere

We recently took our daughter t' Las Vegas for her 21st birthday. Ya scallywag! Arrr! I soon noted that every casino seemed t' have souvenir daquiri glasses reflectin' their theme. Aye aye! Ahoy! I managed t' resist them, includin' t' cool Eiffel Tower shaped glasses from Paris. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! After all, shiver me timbers, drinks are free while you are throwin' your loot away! Well, we ended up goin' t' an inexpensive daytime show at t' Stratosphere Hotel, arrr, shiver me timbers, Casino and Tower, which included a drink. So, me bucko, me hearties, I caved in and collected a couple with rockets in mind.

Parts List:

1. one slightly used souvenir daquiri glass.
2. 29mm mmt tube
3. 12" section o' 38mm tube
4. 1 1/4" section o' 2" dia. shippin' tube
5. maskin' tape
6. one home grown 3/16" 29mm t' ~2.5" centerin' ring
7. 1/16" G10 stock for fins
8. 3 1/2" section o' 38mm tube
9. cardboard core from electrical tape
10. scrap 3/16" plywood for nose cone bulkhead
11. one plastic plug - original use unknown
12. section o' styrene tube
13. section o' neon green solid plastic tube
14. small section o' brass tubin' for a launch lug
15. ~4" o' Keelhaul®©™ twine
16. eyebolt
17. 12" nylon chute from t' rangebox
18. adhesive backed holographic film

Construction:

T' daquiri glass separates right below t' tower's top, makin' a natural transition betwixt t' body and nose cone. I smartly found that 38mm tubin' from Giant Leap fit nicely into t' body and nose cone sections. So, me hearties, I cut a 12" section for t' body and 3 1/2" section for t' nose. T' nose be quite snug, me bucko, but t' body wasn't. Arrr! T' solution was a small section o' mailin' tube inserted into t' front o' t' body, betwixt t' 38mm tube and t' outer shell. I decided on a 29mm mount since that's what I had on hand (plus it allows t' use o' 24mm motors with an adapter). Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I made centerin' rings out o' maskin' tape soaked in CA (idea borrowed from Aerocon).

I didn't want t' have t' glue anythin' t' t' clear shell o' t' daquiri glass, so I decided t' make t' lower body non-load bearing. I made a plywood rin' that be glued t' t' bottom o' t' motor tube and rested against t' 38mm inner tube, me hearties, ya bilge rat, formin' a thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! I designed and cut four through-the-wall fins, ya bilge rat, which were glued t' t' thrust rin' and t' 38mm tube. Ya scallywag! Next, arrr, I removed t' bottom o' t' daquiri glass and cut fin slots. Arrr! T' inner tube asembly, with thrust rin' and fins, ya bilge rat, was then slid into t' daquiri glass from t' bottom.

For t' nose cone assembly, I made a plywood bulkhead and inserted an eyebolt. Avast, me proud beauty! I found that t' cardboard core from a used roll o' electrical tape fit nicely into t' 38mm tubing, so that became t' nose cone's shoulder. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! I then needed somethin' t' fashion a spire for t' top o' t' tower. Ya scallywag! After much scrounging, I found a plastic plug that fit tightly into t' top o' t' daquiri glass. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I also grabbed a section o' plastic tubin' (originally bought as launch lug stock) that fit over t' end o' t' eyebolt. I drilled t' plug so t' tubin' fit through and slid these into t' front o' t' nose. Ya scallywag! Finally, arrr, arrr, me hearties, I cut a hole in t' nose cone's shell for t' launch rod t' pass through.

A section o' Keelhaul®©™ string, a chunk o' tubin' for a launch lug, shiver me timbers, me hearties, me bucko, and t' basic construction o' t' Stratosphere be complete.

I thought and thought about finishing. Aye aye! Should I paint t' components and leave t' shell clear? Or, shiver me timbers, should I paint t' shell from t' inside? While wanderin' t' aisles in a craft store, I noticed some self-adhesive holographic film and decided that be it. Arrr! Blimey! I covered all o' t' inner tubes and t' fins with t' film and re-inserted them into t' clear outer shell. Avast, me proud beauty! As a final touch, me bucko, arrr, I bought a small, neon green, see-thru plastic rod that fit nicely into t' end o' t' plastic tube mentioned above. This is interestin' lookin' stuff. Avast! It catches ambient light and its tip appears t' be lit up - an effect that is somewhat similar t' optical fibers. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! I think this effect is visible in t' pic t' t' right.

Flight Report:

T' Stratosphereflew on 3/10/2001 at t' NARHAMS sport launch in Middletown, me bucko, MD. Well, blow me down! I first removed t' green plastic rod and stuffed some Estes waddin' into t' tube. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I opted t' use a 24mm motor for t' first launch, so I packed an AT E15-4 into a motor adapter and gave her a try. T' rocket weathercocked quite a bit due t' 10-15 mph winds and blunt front-end. Arrr! T' flight was fairly low and ejection was a bit late, but was nevertheless successful. For t' next flight I think I'll try a small F or G.

Closin' Notes:

Well this rocket wasn't all "flounder", matey, but a good portion was. Begad! T' only thin' I bought with this rocket in mind be t' holographic film and t' green plastic rod. Oh, arrr, and t' show at t' Stratosphere be pretty darn good. It wasn't Zigfried and Roy, but it also was over an order o' magnitude cheaper!