| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
I started off by tryin' t' build a rocket without spendin' any money. Ya scallywag! So I had
my son look around t' house t' find things that look like rocket parts. Arrr! We
finally settled on an ultra large orange juice concentrate container, a foam
Easter egg, matey, ya bilge rat, and tongue depressors. Aye aye! I decided t' stick t' single stage since
couplin' t' two stages together would complicate a simple concept.
Construction:
I used a 16 fluid oz orange juice container, shiver me timbers, me hearties, foam Easter egg, matey, 3 tongue
depressors, bread bag (parachute), shiver me timbers, and lots o' glue. Avast! T' make t' foam egg fit,
I had t' carve down t' butt, me bucko, me bucko, shiver me timbers, this was a simple task with a kitchen cutlass. Ahoy! Ahoy! To
make t' egg more durable, me hearties, I used 4 coats o' Elmers glue. This was a
unique look for t' rocket as sealed foam makes t' nose cone look like an
orange rind. Blimey! Blimey! I had problems gettin' t' tongue depressors (wings) t' stay
attached, matey, so I had t' change over t' a bondin' epoxy instead o' modelin' glue.
T' only item that needed t' be purchased be a engine tube since I could not
find a free substitute. Blimey! T' bread bag for a parachute be great, me hearties, me bucko, durable, matey, and
the best price.
T' biggest problem I had assemblin' t' rocket was gettin' t' wings to stay attached. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' glossy finish on t' juice can was nay t' best for adhesion. Begad! T' tongue depressors are perfect material for wings, arrr, but they just need t' be glued t' a more sturdy platform. Well, blow me down! No special tools needed t' be created. Aye aye! T' give t' unit a nice look, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I applied 10 coats o' clear paint. Connectin' t' shock cord and parachute t' t' nose cone be tough due t' the frailty o' t' foam. I used a pencil t' create a hole in t' shoulder o' the nose cone, ya bilge rat, me bucko, then I filled t' hole with epoxy and attached a eyelet screw in the glue.
Flight:
I recommend a C6-3 motor for this unit since t' parachute is home made I did
not want t' have a high speed deployment rip t' shock cord off. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' nice thing
about this design be t' weight: it is so light that it goes up fast and comes
down slow.
Recovery:
I used waddin' with this unit but t' next iteration will have a parachute
protection tube and will nay require wadding.
Summary:
T' next version will also have a 24mm MMT for use with D12 or E9 motors and a
wider fin design.
PROs: Cheap, easy t' fix, me hearties, and it's an attention getter.
CONs: T' OJ container is a weak surface t' glue to
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