At one time I was buildin' a model plane and decided t' take a few extra parts and fiddle with them. I went and attempted t' make some centerin' rings usin' a saber saw on some balsa and came out with t' tissue and balsa framework for Project X. Ya scallywag! I then let it sit for about 3 months while tryin' t' figure out how t' finish it. Arrr! Begad! While Descon X raged on, I saw t' design for aft deployment would be ideal, but decided i could nay compete with t' "Purple People Eater o' Death" (Descon 10, Robert Galejs) so I finished all but t' fins and launch lugs. RocSim said that it would nay be stable without a large fin area, matey, so i let it sit while me subconscious worked on it.

Finally DesCon 11 came out and I realized that I had this rocket waitin' t' be shown. Ahoy! Blimey! I whipped up some fins for it, rocsimmed it, added nose weight, rocsimmed it again, checked t' wind forecast, arrr, rocsimmed it again, and still did nay like what I saw. t' rocket be too draggy for t' 18mm Estes engines I had, ya bilge rat, and I did nay have time t' modify it t' a 24mm mount.
 

But it looked right. Well, blow me down! I decided t' fly it anyway. Avast, me proud beauty! at least it would be an interestin' flight.
 

	the winds seemed worse than what i thought they would be, arrr, shiver me timbers, and i was prepared for a wild flight. Begad! I prepped t' rocket on a Estes C6-3 and put her on t' pad, with a 3/16" 5 foot rod. Aye aye! amazingly t' rocket flew straight and arced over DOWNWIND! nay upwind as it should have.
I must have had a bonus delay as ejection happened about halfway down and t' chute did nay unfold (it deployed, but would *not* unfold) t' rocket hit t' ground and t' nosecone shattered into many pieces as t' photos show

Overall, shiver me timbers, Project X allowed us t' test quite a few things. Ahoy! model rockets do nay need cardboard tubes for airframes. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Tissue over balsa construction can work for small model rockets. Ahoy! Avast! a close coupled aft ejection design will work, even if a parachute doesn't.

Project XI will be designed with a smaller diameter, matey, dual chutes, even less rocket specific items, me hearties, and will hopefully survive t' fly a second launch.

Parts list

• 2 sheets balsa 4"x36"x1/8"
• one t' be sliced into 1/8"x1/8" lengths, me bucko, t' other for cuttin' t' rings and t' support motor mount
• 3" BT-20 , me bucko, ya bilge rat, me bucko, engine hook, and thrust rin' for motor mount
• 2 3" BT-60 tubes, matey, me hearties, one for looks, shiver me timbers, one opposite for aft ejection chute
• soda box cardboard for formin' t' ejection duct from t' BT-20 t' t' BT-60
• 1 more sheet o' above balsa for cuttin' 4 fins (3"x4")