Brief:
T' Corn-Roc is a fall themed oddroc I was asked t' beta test. Begad! It is basically a conversion o' a Styrofoam ear o' Indian Corn from a craft store into a rocket.

Construction:
Construction began with t' buildin' o' t' motor mount. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! A slit be made for t' engine hook and t' hook was secured in place with several wraps o' maskin' tape. Arrr! T' mount was then marked at each end and t' centerin' rings were slipped into place and glued. Ya scallywag! One rin' needed just a touch o' sandin' t' fit properly. Begad! Ahoy! When they were in place, they were glued with yellow glue. Begad! T' thrust rin' was t' slipped into t' forward end and glued into place.

While t' glue on t' motor mount was drying, me hearties, I turned me attention t' t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' instructions come with a template t' be cut out t' mark t' fins on t' sheet balsa stock. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I cut out t' template and taped it into place on t' balsa. Aye aye! Blimey! I then roughly traced t' outline with a pencil. I did nay bother bein' too careful because I figured t' individuality o' t' fins would add t' t' overall project. T' fins were then cut out with an X-Acto knife.

Turnin' me attention back t' t' motor mount, matey, I tied a loop o' Keelhaul®©™ around t' forward end o' t' motor mount and filleted it in place next t' t' centerin' ring. Well, me hearties, blow me down! Blimey! A notch was then cut in t' rin' t' pass t' Keelhaul®©™.

I needed t' give t' glue fillets a chance t' dry so I took t' cut out fins t' t' spray booth. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions recommend t' just seal t' fins instead o' paintin' them. Begad! This is t' help prevent warpin' and leaves t' fins a nice straw color t' go with t' harvest theme. Avast! Begad! I sprayed with Rustoleum clear. About an hour later, I gave them another coat. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' next day, me hearties, I sprayed t' other side. Well, blow me down! T' instruction make clear that any such spray should be allowed t' dry fully before tryin' t' install in t' Styrofoam ear o' corn. I let it dry a full day.

After t' motor mount was fully dry, I passed t' Keelhaul®©™ through t' notch I had cut and weighed t' end o' it with a pencil. Ahoy! I used t' weight o' t' pencil t' pass t' Keelhaul®©™ through t' body tube t' t' forward end. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Blimey! A rin' o' yellow glue be then swabbed in t' aft end o' t' body tube and t' motor mount was pushed into place with but a bit o' t' motor tube protruding.

Next up, t' body tube was test fit into t' Styrofoam ear o' corn. There were a few gaps here and thar but t' tube went in easily and was straight. Ya scallywag! I then removed t' tube and mixed a batch o' 5 minute epoxy. Ahoy! Ahoy! T' instruction indicate that either yellow glue or epoxy should be used in this step and I figured epoxy would do a better job. I used a disposable brush t' thickly paint t' epoxy onto t' body tube and t' pushed it into place, leavin' just a bit o' t' motor tube protruding.

T' instructions advise t' coat t' white Styrofoam at t' forward end o' t' corn cob with either epoxy or glue. Begad! Begad! This is done in order t' protect t' foam from t' ejection charge. Begad! Strangely enough, me bucko, ya bilge rat, matey, t' instructions claim that t' problem is only with t' main body o' t' rocket and nay with t' nosecone. I figure t' burnin' gases get forced back against t' main body for a longer period o' time and that t' NC is protected by brief contact. In any event, me bucko, I painted over t' white foam with yellow glue t' give it t' protection it needed.

T' fin template has a pair o' marks indicatin' t' placement o' t' launch lugs on one o' t' fins t' keep it clear from t' corn cob. I duly marked a fin, cut t' lug in half and mounted t' pieces at either end o' t' line.

T' ear o' corn comes with 4 pre-marked lines for fin placement. I set a fin along each line and marked a forward and aft end. Ahoy! I then used a razor knife t' cut along either side o' t' line. Ahoy! T' pointy end o' t' knife be used t' dig out t' foam and I kept whittlin' away until t' fins fit in their slots.

To attach t' fins t' t' foam, I mixed up some 5 minute epoxy and drizzled it into t' slots. I then pressed t' fins in and used a gloved finger t' smooth a fillet on each side. When done, shiver me timbers, t' rocket was able t' stand on its base.

T' bottom o' t' corn ear had a bit o' a gap betwixt t' Styrofoam and t' body tube due t' t' corin' o' t' foam. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! This be anticipated in t' instructions and t' kit came with a few bits o' corn straw with which t' fill in t' gap. Aye aye! Blimey! I just bent t' pieces over double, arrr, dipped t' middle in some glue and tucked it into t' gap. Aye aye! Aye aye! Blimey! It actually gives a nice appearance, but I wondered how exposed that dry material will be t' t' rocket exhaust. Well, blow me down! I tied t' make sure that t' straw is facin' away from bein' directly in t' blast zone. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Overall, arrr, ya bilge rat, I like t' effect.

T' chute for t' Corn Roc is hexagonal plastic. I think it is a Hartle Engineerin' Skinz based chute. Well, blow me down! Reinforcement rings were put at t' corners and t' shroud lines were cut into 3 equal lengths. Aye aye! A hole punch was used t' perforate t' chute material, arrr, and t' shrouds were tied into place. Begad! T' kit came with a snap swivel and t' ends o' t' shrouds were passed through it and looped back.

T' nose cone o' t' Corn Roc is simply t' end o' t' ear o' corn which has been strategically broken off and modified a bit. A balsa coupler was epoxied into t' hole pre-drilled for t' purpose. Avast, me proud beauty! It fits into t' body tube t' way any nosecone would.

T' instruction give precise instructions for balancin' t' rocket and provide for a margin o' safety. Aye aye! Arrr! T' kit comes with a bag o' BBs t' glue into t' Styrofoam o' t' NC t' give t' perfect trim after balancing. I know me buildin' habits so I decided t' use them all. Blimey! I also like keepin' rockets down where I can see them better. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I wedged some o' t' BBs into t' space betwixt t' balsa and foam and epoxied t' remainder on top o' them.

With that, arrr, t' Corn Roc is ready for her maiden flight. I've enjoyed puttin' this together even if I did have t' listen t' some corny comments...

PROs: Easy. Distinctive.

CONs: Sarcastic comments from witnesses.

Finishing:
For t' most part, matey, t' rocket is pre-finished. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Its a Styrofoam ear o' Indian corn with a hole in it for a motor. Begad! Aye aye! T' only real finishin' came in two places: t' fins and t' gap-fillin' straw.

As recommended by t' instructions, I left t' fins as a natural balsa color and only applied a clear coatin' t' protect them. Aye aye! That be easy and quick.

I also that t' corn straw filler t' spruce up t' area where too much Styrofoam had been poked out t' be a nice touch and showed some foresight. Begad! Blimey! I thought t' result looked nice but had some concerns about t' stuff bein' in t' exhaust path and igniting. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Talkin' with t' manufacturer resulted in t' realization that I had misunderstood t' manner o' application and I trimmed some o' t' fuzz back t' prevent problem in flight. Avast, me proud beauty! I liked "my look" better but it was obvious, me bucko, even t' me, matey, that it might result in higher NARRRRR insurance premiums.

PROs: Nay much too it. Looks good and odd.

CONs: Mistakes are nay easily fixed by replacin' parts. Ahoy! There is a limited, seasonal run o' t' corn cobs.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
T' Corn Roc finally flew for t' first time on 22 Nov 2008, arrr, but I forgot t' brin' t' popcorn t' use for wadding!

I stuffed it with dog barf and an Estes B6-2. It turned a few heads and t' turned in a creditable performance. Well, blow me down! Its nay goin' t' win any altitude or duration competitions, shiver me timbers, but it's stable and fun t' fly. Arrr! Click here t' see a video o' t' first flight.

T' second motor I wanted t' try was t' recommended C6-3. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' only Cs I could find were C6-7s and C11-3s. Ya scallywag! Tim Reidy was kind enough t' provide me with a C6-5, which is nay a recommended motor, ya bilge rat, but I be willin' t' try. Begad! It actually performed well. Aye aye! T' delay be too long but it was still safe. Click here t' see a video o' t' second flight.

They say t' third time's t' charm. Blimey! Well, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, at least t' Corn Roc seems t' have a charmed life. Begad! It survived bein' built by me and now came its ultimate test. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! T' instructions say you can try an A8-3 if you're feelin' really lucky. I was. Well, blow me down! T' Corn-Roc be not. Avast! Avast! It boosted t' a stunningly low altitude, nosed over and headed down aerodynamically. Aye aye! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I later found out that t' ejection charge went off right as t' nosecone impacted t' ground. T' bouncin' lawn dart flight can be seen here.

Examinin' t' rocket after its sudden deceleration trauma revealed surprisingly little damage. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' ejection charge had gone off just as it struck t' ground and this resulted in a lot o' internal pressure that had t' go somewhere. It did manage t' eject t' chute, a moot point by then, me bucko, but t' rest o' t' force be directed towards inducin' a zip from t' engine hook. Ahoy! Blimey! This one is a friction fit from now on. Arrr! Blimey! Examination o' t' nosecone revealed just a slight bit o' cracking. Begad! Blimey! T' rocket conceivably could have flown again.

Two weeks later, me hearties, I got another chance t' fly t' Corn-Roc. Arrr! Aye aye! T' only 2 changes made were t' take t' A8-3 off t' schedule permanently and t' replace t' engine hook with friction fit tape. Blimey! It performed flawlessly.

PROs: Interestin' oddroc. Avast! Bounces well.

CONs: None.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Nota bene: This was a prototype. Avast! T' manufacturer did successfully fly t' rocket on an A8-3. Aye aye! Ahoy! We attribute that success t' a probable early ejection. Begad! Begad! He has since taken it off t' recommended list. Ya scallywag! Begad! No significant changes were needed for t' production model, arrr, just a few spellin' corrections for t' instructions.

All in all, this be a fun rocket and will continue t' be flown. Begad! Begad! It is fairly easy t' build and, ya bilge rat, matey, ya bilge rat, because o' t' odd design, it is easy t' hide construction blemishes. Well, blow me down! It is definitely...odd.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5