Scratch U.F.P.O. (Unidentified Flying Paper Object) Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - U.F.P.O. (Unidentified Flying Paper Object) {Scratch}

Contributed by Joe Policy

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Joe Policy - 11/20/05) (Scratch) UFPO

Brief:
My first paper rocket design--and it actually worked t' first time!

Construction:
All that's needed is one 8 1/2" X 11" Sheet o' 120# cardstock and white glue.

I started by takin' a CD-ROM and usin' it as a template for t' upper portion o' t' saucer. Blimey! Blimey! I traced both t' outside o' t' CD as well as the spindle hole in t' center. Ahoy! Blimey! After cuttin' out t' both circles, ya bilge rat, I slit the circle from t' edge t' t' center hole. Begad! Blimey! I then made a cone by overlappin' the cut edges by 1". Blimey! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I used a hole punch t' make a small hole for t' launch rod t' pass through. Arrr! Blimey! I then cut out another circle that was 3.75" wide with a 14mm hole in t' center. Arrr! Blimey! This part will attach under t' cone t' give it support. Another small hole was punched for t' launch rod.

(Scratch) UFPO Next was t' motor mount. I rolled it around a spent 13mm motor and applied glue t' hold it together. Arrr! Once dry, arrr, arrr, shiver me timbers, I assembled t' three pieces. Blimey! I first glued t' motor mount so that it was centered over t' hole in t' upper cone, ya bilge rat, bein' careful t' keep it vertical. Ahoy! Once this assembly had dried, I put glue around t' outer edge of the lower support circle, placed it over t' motor mount, and pressed it into the place. Aye aye! Ahoy! You must be careful t' line up t' launch lug holes durin' assembly.

While t' main assembly be drying, matey, I cut out t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! T' make t' fins easier t' fold in half, I lightly scored them lengthwise with me hobby knife. Once they were folded, I folded them in half lengthwise, ya bilge rat, makin' a V shape. Begad! I measured 1/2" from t' crease and cut out notches half way through the fins. I notched t' fins so that t' crease would be facin' upwards. Avast, me proud beauty! When you place t' fins on top o' each other, me bucko, they resemble an X. Avast, me proud beauty! I put glue on the seams where t' notches meet up.

(Scratch) UFPO Once t' fin assembly had dried, me hearties, I mounted them t' t' upper assembly. T' square formed in the middle o' t' fin assembly was a perfect fit over t' motor mount. Well, blow me down! I added more glue in and around t' areas where t' fins touched t' upper assembly.

Finishing:
I used a yellow highlighter for t' cone and a pink one for t' fins. Nay my favorite color combination, matey, me hearties, but they were t' only colors that I had.

Flight:
Launch day was definitely cold but fortunately, t' winds were fairly light. There was no preppin' needed for this saucer. My first motor selection was an A10-PT. My little saucer really took off fast, so I never be able t' get a picture--only smoke. Begad! Flight was a bit wobbly but it really got up there.

I figured that since this rocket was so light, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I could use a much smaller motor and still get respectable altitude. Second flight was on 1/2A3-4T. Arrr! Still fast off t' pad, ya bilge rat, matey, but it barely got any height. Begad! In fact, t' rocket landed engine up while t' trackin' smoke was still burning. Avast, me proud beauty! T' pop from t' ejection charge flipped t' saucer back upright. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Aside from residue from t' ejection on the cone, thar was no damage.

(Scratch) UFPO Last flight was back t' t' A10-PT and it was another great one. Ya scallywag! A gust o' wind did take the rocket downrange a bit, but with tumble recovery, you never had t' walk far!

Summary:
This is a very simple design that surprised me with its performance. Avast, me proud beauty! And based on t' success o' this design, I am now encouraged t' see what else I can come up with.

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