Brief:
This is a 29mm UFO-type rocket made from an old hat. Ya scallywag! T' hat is removable in case I forget a ball cap - wouldn't want t' sunburn t' top o' me head, ya' know.

Construction:
This is really a minimalist rocket. Arrr! I decided t' make t' core out o' a solid piece o' 2" pink foam. Avast! Arrr! I started by tracin' t' outline o' t' hat and roughin' out a chunk with a sharp knife. I did just a tad o' trimmin' t' make sure it was oval, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me bucko, and then found t' center point. Begad! Next, ya bilge rat, I drew a circle and slowly bored a hole for t' motor mount. Avast, me proud beauty! I also cut a slot on one side t' accommodate a 1/4" lug. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' motor mount includes a 3.25" section o' phenolic tubing, ya bilge rat, a similar length o' 1/4" launch lug, matey, and a 29mm-76mm centerin' ring. Ahoy! T' centerin' rin' was mounted so that t' motor tube was flush with t' top o' t' foam. Begad! It serves t' distribute t' thrust t' t' foam core, matey, shiver me timbers, and helps ensure that t' motor tube is perpendicular t' t' foam's surface. Blimey! Ya scallywag! This assembly was then epoxied into t' foam block. Aye aye! Aye aye! I added a circle o' scrap plywood t' plug t' front o' t' tube, makin' sure that all openings were sealed with epoxy. T' final step was t' find t' point where t' rod would pass through t' hat itself, matey, and cut a small 'X' with an X-acto knife. Aye aye! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! Like I said, nay much t' it. Arrr! Blimey! Slip t' hat over t' finished core and I be ready t' fly.

Flight:
I flew t' hat on a G35 with t' ejection charge removed. Avast, me proud beauty! After t' unsuccessful flight o' another odd-roc, t' RSO must have pretty much given up, and me flight card got stamped. Avast, me proud beauty! Since I did nay treat t' foam surface t' protect it from t' motor exhaust, me bucko, I made sure it be about 12" from t' deflector. T' hat flew great, me hearties, arrr, seemin' t' fly faster and higher than me similarly sized 29mm saucers. Begad! It fell slowly t' t' ground without even gettin' dirty(er).

Summary:
I find myself likin' UFO style rockets more and more and couldn't resist tryin' this odd-roc. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! This was me first wearable rocket - I wore t' hat t' t' RSO table, t' t' pad, arrr, and back again after recovery. Begad! If anyone else has flown a hat (and someone probably has), I didn't find anyone who had heard o' it.

Other:
T' Story Behind t' Name In t' late '90's, I was t' project manager for a telemetry, matey, command, shiver me timbers, and antenna control system. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! My team and I traveled t' Clifton, arrr, me hearties, shiver me timbers, Texas t' run some preliminary tests with t' antennas. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Unfortunately, they weren't quite ready and since springtime in Texas is a tad warmer than in Maryland, shiver me timbers, we weren't happy campers. Begad! Arrr! With t' prospects o' spendin' a fair amount o' time walkin' betwixt t' buildin' and t' antenna pads in t' hot sun, me bucko, matey, one o' me guys ran t' Wal-Mart for hats. Begad! This hat became our team's unofficial uniform, ya bilge rat, and mine came back fairly stained. Ahoy! Avast! I was finally about t' chunk it when I got an idea!