I am Stephen Corban, 14 years o' age, matey, ya bilge rat, and have been seriously involved with rockets for about a year. Avast! Begad! (I flew 1 or 2 E2X rockets in Sprin' 2002).

My rocket is called T' Entertainer (A Gift from t' Tree Eatin' Rocket Gods). Begad! Blimey! T' entertainer consists o' a body tube o' an Estes Army rocket that was retrieved out o' a tree after bein' thar for half a year, T' spare set of fins that comes with t' Estes Heatseaker, shiver me timbers, and an E2X transition. Begad! Blimey!

I originally wanted t' create a new rocket out o' this, shiver me timbers, one that ejected a parachute and floated back down. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I determined this be impossible when I found how much t' tube was swelled. So, matey, arrr, I at first took t' nosecone o' me Estes Flash, and shoved it in there. Ahoy! T' E2X nosecones fit, arrr, but they don't go in or some out without a fight.

A while later I got an Estes Heatseaker and built it. Aye aye! For some reason beyond me knowledge this kit comes with t' fins for t' rocket, and another simple trapezoidal set. So this rocket be sittin' in t' basement, shiver me timbers, and was cryin' for these fins.

When I had got t' rocket back out o' t' tree, only one fin remained so I hacked that one off, ya bilge rat, and cut down t' pit o' plastic on one that had apparently cracked off. Arrr! Blimey! I then CAed t' new fins t' t' tube, and they hold great. Ya scallywag! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is by far t' strongest CA application I have ever had. Begad! Blimey!

Then I went ahead and applied CA t' t' whole body tube because it be very weak after bein' rained on for 6 months. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! This did t' trick, as t' tube then became as solid as a rock. Avast! Blimey! Then it sat. Aye aye! Blimey!

One day I went over t' me bucko William's house, who is a fellow rocketeer. Blimey! We were doin' all kinds o' stuff we decided t' go test fly our birthday hat rocket. Ahoy! This be a windy day, matey, with rain and thunder in the distant, arrr, and we had opted nay t' go t' our local Tripoli launch. Avast! Avast! So we got a few other people and went over t' a friends yard and shot them. Ya scallywag! Right before the launch I had t' rip out t' engine hook t' keep from interferin' with the launch rod. Aye aye! I shot t' Entertainer with t' flash nosecone for t' first time for a successful lawndart. Begad! This was flown on a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty!

One problem with t' flight, ya bilge rat, it kicked t' motor. Avast! I do nay like kicking motors, me hearties, because I usually shoot in corn or bean fields with a bunch o' nice dry flammable stuff layin' around.

So that night I drilled a bunch o' holes in t' tube t' let t' exhaust from the ejection charge out.

I also packed some dog barf below t' nosecone. Ya scallywag!

I flew this one more time, and it did a kind o' horizontal slide recover, rotatin' at a super high speed on it's axis. Aye aye! This time, ya bilge rat, with no motor retention, t' motor stayed. Avast, me proud beauty! We were in business.

Well, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' Flash nosecone went back t' t' Flash, and for t' longest time the Entertainer sat without a nose. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Blimey! One day I had t' order some parts for the Heatseaker (what a coincidence). Ahoy! Blimey! When I got t' nosecone for t' Heatseaker it had t' payload section coupler on it. Ahoy! I saw t' part, put it on t' rocket, took it out into t' field behind our house, loaded it with an A8-3 and watched a 100% successful flight. Avast, me proud beauty! This one had t' horizontal spin recovery. Well, blow me down! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Blimey!

I call this t' Entertainer because it will do a funky looking slide/rotation recovery without noseweight, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and with nose weight it makes a spectacular lawndart. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' best part is that it comes back with a bent body tube, me hearties, or popped fin EVERY time!

I decided nay t' finish this bird. T' old US ARMY body tube gives it a signature look that is recognized at every single launch o' our local group. Begad!