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

Construction:
This is really a minimalist rocket. Aye aye! Arrr! I decided t' make t' core out o' a solid piece o' 2" pink foam. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I started by tracin' t' outline o' t' hat and roughin' out a chunk with a sharp cutlass. I did just a tad o' trimmin' t' make sure it was oval, shiver me timbers, and then found t' center point. Next, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, 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. Begad! Begad! T' motor mount includes a 3.25" section o' phenolic tubing, ya bilge rat, me hearties, a similar length o' 1/4" launch lug, and a 29mm-76mm centerin' ring. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' centerin' rin' was mounted so that t' motor tube be flush with t' top o' t' foam. Arrr! It serves t' distribute t' thrust t' t' foam core, shiver me timbers, arrr, and helps ensure that t' motor tube is perpendicular t' t' foam's surface. Aye aye! Begad! This assembly was then epoxied into t' foam block. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I added a circle o' scrap plywood t' plug t' front o' t' tube, makin' sure that all openings were sealed with epoxy. Begad! Begad! Blimey! T' final step be t' find t' point where t' rod would pass through t' hat itself, and cut a small 'X' with an X-acto knife. Like I said, nay much t' it. 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. Blimey! After t' unsuccessful flight o' another odd-roc, t' RSO must have pretty much given up, and me flight card got stamped. Aye aye! Since I did nay treat t' foam surface t' protect it from t' motor exhaust, I made sure it was about 12" from t' deflector. Aye aye! T' hat flew great, matey, 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. Well, blow me down! This was me first wearable rocket - I wore t' hat t' t' RSO table, ya bilge rat, t' t' pad, and back again after recovery. Avast! Begad! If anyone else has flown a hat (and someone probably has), shiver me timbers, arrr, shiver me timbers, I didn't find anyone who had heard o' it.

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