Brief:
This is what happens when you are too bored.

Construction:
Here be t' list o' components that I used:

• 1 7 inch long 18mm tube (body tube)
• 1 2 inch long 13mm tube (ejection cannon)
• 1 dime (to plug t' 18mm tube)
• 1 1/2" by 1" peice o' cardstock (to direct t' parachute away from t' body tube)
• 1 2 foot peice o' Keelhaul®©™®
• 1 wiffle ball
• 1 peice o' 1/4 inch launch lug
• 1 motor block
• UltraKote t' cover t' fins for stability.

T' followin' parts are all K'nex peices:

• 8 long gray straight peices (7 1/2 inches long)
• 4 circuler black connector peices
• 20 short black straight peices (3/4 inches long)
• 3 three gray peices that has only one place t' snap
• 4 short silver strait peices (1 1/4 inches long)
• 1 light blue spacer ring
• 8 green connector peices that has four places t' snap
• 4 beige connector peices that has five places t' snap

One day I decided t' get out me K'nex toys and see what I could make out o' them. I had made a shape that looked like a fin, me hearties, and I got t' sudden urge t' make an oddroc out o' K'nex. Avast, me proud beauty! So I snapped together some stuff till I got somethin' that resembled a rocket. Aye aye! Begad! I am nay goin' t' go through all o' t' steps o' building, because that would take forever. If you want t' build one then you can basically build it from t' pictures. Blimey! Begad! I will highlight some o' t' interesting things that I did. Avast! I stuck a wiffle ball in t' top part o' t' rocket so the strait K'nex peices curved a little bit. Begad! T' Keelhaul®©™® cord actually goes through t' wiffle ball's holes and through t' top peice of the rocket. Ahoy! T' Keelhaul®©™® is epoxied t' a dime in t' top o' t' 18mm body tube. Well, blow me down! Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™® comes out o' t' top o' t' rocket then hangs down t' t' parachute which is in its own little parachute cannon. Blimey! T' parachute cannon is a 13mm tube that has a hole in t' side o' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' 18mm tube has two holes in it: one t' connect to the 13mm tube with a 1/4 inch launch lug and t' other as a breather tube so the ejection gasses won't be so strong on t' ejection cannon. For two o' the black circuler connector peices, I had t' hollow them out with a Dremel until they were very thin. Begad! Begad! I broke 2 o' these before I got one right. Begad! They get extremely thin in order t' fit t' 18mm tube through it. Begad! Begad! For two o' t' launch lugs (gray peices with only one place t' snap) I had t' cut them off because the body tube was in t' way. Begad! Aye aye! T' third was snapped on above t' body tube. Begad! For the fins, you have t' add clear UltraKote and iron them on with a hobby iron. Otherwise, me bucko, shiver me timbers, this will be very unstable.

Confusing? Yes, matey, I know. Just look at t' pictures and you'll get it.

Finishing:
Other than t' Ultrakot on t' fins, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me bucko, thar was no finishin' for this bird.

Flight:
All flights have been made on Estes C6-3 motors.

Flight one through four did nay have t' clear UltraKote on t' fins. Well, blow me down! My dad and I kept flyin' it anyway because it was so much fun but it was not stable. Ya scallywag! Begad! I then finally went t' t' hobby store and purchased some clear UltraKote and a hobby iron. Arrr! This did t' trick. Begad! T' next four flights were perfect with a straight boost t' around 200 feet (it's really heavy) and eject the parachute. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Flight eight came around at Southern Thunder 2005. Aye aye! Nay real sure what happened, me bucko, but it was unstable. Ya scallywag! O' course, me bucko, shiver me timbers, matey, t' time that I'm in front of people that happens. Ahoy! It is still a great flyer.

Recovery:
T' parachute never fails t' come out, ya bilge rat, matey, except when it's unstable. Recovery has been perfect every time and t' rocket sure does get people watching.

Summary:
This is a wonderful rocket that gets people watchin' its slow, majestic take-offs. If you have patience and a lot o' time (and K'nex) then this is a good project.