I get a big kick out o' t' challenge o' makin' rockets from "found objects". Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I tend t' walk through stores in a kind o' a daze sometimes, wonderin' what sort o' adapter or how much thrust it will take t' "fly" certain objects on t' store shelves. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This is one o' me recent attempts. Everythin' is found or made from scratch except t' engine mount tube, centerin' ring, and thrust rin' in t' "nose cone" (launch lug was hand-rolled).

This be t' completed rocket next t' an 18mm engine casing

A shot with t' nose cone off...

Showin' t' streamer...

And with t' streamer folded and packed into place.

T' egg gives interestin' and fun flights from 200-300 feet. Ahoy! Aye aye! T' streamer recovery can brin' t' rocket down a bit fast, me hearties, shiver me timbers, matey, esp. Ya scallywag! if it lands on concrete, me bucko, so t' construction needs t' be robust (either that or you need t' take a big bottle o' CA glue t' t' range). Short delays work best as this thin' has enough drag that it stops goin' up when t' engine gives out.

Engines I've flown it on: first flight was on an A8-3. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Just wanted t' make sure it would fly. Aye aye! Then followed with B6- and C6-3 engines. Arrr! T' B engines really scoot off t' pad, ya bilge rat, but I think t' egg goes higher on a C. Aye aye! Be sure t' tape t' engine because this is a serious dart if t' engine is spit out rather than t' streamer.

Parts List: Plastic Easter Egg (mine is about 3" long by about 1 3/4 dia.), engine mount tube and thrust ring, paper centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, external couplin' tube, matey, 1/8" plexiglass (fins), launch lug, and streamer. Blimey! T' engine mount, centerin' ring, me hearties, and green external coupler tube came from an Estes parts kit (engine mount kit?). Begad! Fins are 1 1/2" wide at t' root, ya bilge rat, and have a span o' 2" long. I just guessed at t' curve aroung t' egg and sanded until they fit. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! They are swept at about 30 degrees.

Construction note: t' front half o' t' nose cone, matey, arrr, forward o' t' thrust rin' is filled with epoxy (you can see t' rin' left in t' first picture where t' epoxy heated and slightly melted t' nosecone as it cured. This was done for several reasons. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! First t' mount t' green couplin' ring. Since t' area forward o' t' engine was so small, me hearties, I thought that somethin' was needed here t' prevent t' rocket from splittin' rather than seperatin' at t' seam. Blimey! Second, it adds strength in case it lands on t' tip o' t' nose. And third, t' add weight t' move t' CG forward. T' lips where t' two halves snap together need t' be sanded down so they pop apart easily.

any questions or comments? mail to: major@tensor.nssl.noaa.gov