At one time I was buildin' a model plane and decided t' take a few extra parts and fiddle with them. Arrr! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I then let it sit for about 3 months while tryin' t' figure out how t' finish it. Begad! While Descon X raged on, matey, arrr, 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. Ya scallywag! RocSim said that it would nay be stable without a large fin area, 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. Aye aye! I whipped up some fins for it, me hearties, rocsimmed it, me hearties, shiver me timbers, added nose weight, me hearties, arrr, rocsimmed it again, checked t' wind forecast, rocsimmed it again, and still did nay like what I saw. Avast! t' rocket was too draggy for t' 18mm Estes engines I had, and I did nay have time t' modify it t' a 24mm mount.
 

But it looked right. I decided t' fly it anyway. Ya scallywag! at least it would be an interestin' flight.
 

	the winds seemed worse than what i thought they would be, and i be prepared for a wild flight. I prepped t' rocket on a Estes C6-3 and put her on t' pad, with a 3/16" 5 foot rod. Well, blow me down! 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, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but would *not* unfold) t' rocket hit t' ground and t' nosecone shattered into many pieces as t' photos show

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

Project XI will be designed with a smaller diameter, matey, dual chutes, me bucko, even less rocket specific items, ya bilge rat, 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, t' other for cuttin' t' rings and t' support motor mount
• 3" BT-20 , engine hook, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and thrust rin' for motor mount
• 2 3" BT-60 tubes, one for looks, 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")