Last year the Calgary Rocketry Association had a club launch with a "novelty' rocket theme. Arrr! I'd kept a couple o' MM Christmas ornaments me son received t' previous Christmas, thinkin' that I should be able t' somethin' with them, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and that was the perfect opportunity t' build a rocket with one o' them. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! For those that don't have a clue what I am talkin' about, I'll attempt t' describe what these things look like. Avast, me proud beauty! Actually, t' photograph o' t' finished rocket pretty well shows what they look like, ya bilge rat, me bucko, as t' fins were t' only things added t' the ornament.

T' ornament is a 7" long, 1.25" diameter, me bucko, cardboard tube filled with MM's. Well, blow me down! T' tube is decorated in a Christmas theme with t' little MM characters from t' TV commercials and topped with a 3" tall plastic figurine o' one o' t' characters. Aye aye!

Conversion t' a flyin' rocket be pretty straightforward. Avast! T' figurine was kept as t' nosecone and all that was done t' it was t' addition o' an "eye hook" for t' shockcord and recovery device attachment. Well, blow me down! The plastic cap at t' bottom o' t' tube was removed, ya bilge rat, and a standard 18mm motor mount was installed, with centerin' rings and a motor hook. T' 1/8" diameter launch lug required a stand-off made o' 1/8" balsa in order for a launch rod t' clear t' various parts o' t' figurine nose cone. T' shockcord mount was a typical "Estes-style" mount with approximately 2' of 1/8" elastic shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! A 12" Estes parachute was attached t' the nosecone with a snap swivel and a short (6") section o' shock cord. Begad!

T' fins were a marvellous feat o' design and simulation. Blimey! In other words I drew out a couple o' templates and picked t' one that "looked" like it would work! In keepin' with t' Christmas theme o' t' main components of the rocket, me hearties, I cut t' fins with t' look o' a Christmas tree. Begad! I covered the fins with some scraps o' wrappin' paper. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! This was just a variation o' the technique I use t' cover all me balsa fins - I hate fillin' fins, shiver me timbers, so I've been coverin' them with paper for a long time. In this case, matey, t' wrappin' paper was glued on with a glue stick, ya bilge rat, such as a Ross or UHU glue stick. Ahoy! Avast! T' unfinished edges o' t' balsa were taken care o' with a couple o' passes with a green magic marker. Avast!

Flight Report

T' rocket has flown a number o' times, and makes its appearance at any launch I attend. Kids and adults get a kick out o' it. It's been flown on A8-3's, B6-4's, me bucko, and C6-5's. Begad! Fights are very stable. Avast! T' oversize fins were a perfect match for t' rather heavy nosecone. Arrr!