| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
Mid power rocket made with free Priority mail boxes, shiver me timbers, me bucko, parachute recovery.
Construction:
To build this rocket, ya bilge rat, you will need two triangle priority mail tubes, packing
tape, wood glue, and a hobby knife.
T' first step is t' make t' body. Avast! Cut t' end flaps off o' one o' the tubes (picture below-left). Aye aye!
Peel t' self stick tape off o' t' side flap and seal t' box. Ya scallywag! Set this aside for now (picture below-right). Arrr!
T' next step is t' make t' nose cone. Begad! Well, blow me down! Cut about 9 inches off t' end of one o' t' boxes. Well, blow me down! Use t' end that has t' flaps. Avast! Aye aye! Now cut t' self stick flap from t' side. This be t' trickiest part o' t' build. Begad! Well, blow me down! You will need t' trim the sides and "work" t' fold in t' middle t' make it fit into the other box. Aye aye! T' fit has t' be good t' ensure that t' pressure doesn't leak out and fails t' blow off t' nose cone. When you get a good fit, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, use packin' tape to close t' end and side. Ahoy!

Now you can
make t' motor mount. Begad! I used an 11" x 17" sheet o' paper wrapped
around a couple o' E engines and secured it with some packin' tape. Soak the
paper liberally with CA t' stiffen it up. I did this t' keep it a free paper
rocket, matey, me hearties, but you can use a MMT if you wish. Well, blow me down!
Now make two centerin' "rings" (centerin' triangles really) out of the leftover tube. Begad! Begad! You can use your motor tube t' draw circles t' cut the holes. Avast! You will need t' cut a hole for t' tube now in t' box you made for the body tube. Aye aye! Begad! Glue t' motor tube assembly in t' rocket as you would with any other rocket.
Cut three
fins out o' t' remainin' box. Begad! Well, blow me down! I chose t' glue them t' t' sides but you can
arrange them any way you wish. Avast! Well, blow me down! Launch lugs were made from a discarded Aerotech
igniter tube. Arrr! Recovery can be installed usin' any system you wish.
T' finished weight without recovery be 15.6 oz.
Finishing:
I chose nay t' finish mine. Begad! Begad! If you wish t' finish yours, I would recommend two
coats o' primer t' seal t' cardboard before painting. Avast! Aye aye! Another idea would be to
just seal it with a clear coat t' prevent t' cardboard from soakin' up
moisture.
Flight:
T' first flight was on an E16-4W. Ya scallywag! It looked like it went t' about 500 feet.
T' delay be good but t' flight was underpowered. Blimey! Avast! This is an F powered
rocket.
Recovery:
I used a 24" paper parachute for this flight. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' recovery was good, but
it landed in a stream. Arrr! By t' time I got t' it, it be soaked beyond repair.
Summary:
This was a fun rocket t' build. Arrr! Ya scallywag! T' price be right and its nice t' do
somethin' unusual.
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