I entered t' box o' parts competition because it looked like fun, I had mentioned it t' a few o' me friends in my rocket club, ya bilge rat, and before I knew five o' them entered it as well. So off went a large box with t' parts for 6 entrants, and a few weeks later another box returned -it was like Christmas goin' through t' box. Next was t' task o' splitting op t' box betwixt t' 6 entrants. At t' end 6 "equal" bags were formed and randomly given out. I be quite pleased with me bag, ya bilge rat, others had complete rockets in the, arrr, one had a parasitic glider, another had helicopter rotor blades. Aye aye! Blimey! So what did I have?

I'm nay goin' t' list it all but here is a flavour:

• Loads o' tubes o' various sizes, matey, shiver me timbers, several small BT5 etc
• Couplers
• Balsa sheets - one o' a complete set o' fins, another 2 sheets o' really low grade balsa
• Three noses comes, shiver me timbers, as different sizes
• Lots o' toothpicks
• Various couplers
• Small sheets o' printer labels
• Ice cream tubes
• A polystyrene ball
• Motor mounts
• Engine hooks
• Pipe cleaner
• A 14 inch parachute canopy
• Length o' elastic. Avast, me proud beauty!

Well what t' do. Blimey! Blimey!

Gliders were out, me hearties, ya bilge rat, helicopter be a possibility, cluster, two stage. After spendin' several weeks dry fittin' parts and changin' me mind I decided on a rocket in me head. Arrr! Ahoy! T' criteria for me rocket was

• It could nay be too big - 14 inch chute. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!
• Clustered - but able t' launch on a single motor
• Draggy
• Unusual. Arrr! Well, matey, blow me down!

T' main body tube chose itself - it fitted t' nose cone I wanted t' use. Blimey! T' motor choice be goin' t' be 24mm as I was headin' for a draggy model, me hearties, so I would need a motor capable o' liftin' it. Arrr! There was goin' t' be at least 4 external motor pods - opted for 13mm.

T' base was goin' t' be bulky, and was goin' t' have tabs on it, arrr, so t' rocket would rotate as it boosted.

Building

T' motor mount be a fairly standard construction. A 24mm motor mount tube with a motor retention clip, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, an engine block at t' end and two centerin' rings t' fit t' body tube. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor mount was then glued into t' body tube. Avast, matey, me proud beauty!
Four BT20 tubes 190mm in length were then glues t' t' outside o' t' main body tube. Begad! These were t' take 4 A10 - PT motors as a cluster. T' joins betwixt t' body tubes were filleted four times with wood glue, me bucko, and then model filler was used t' give a smooth finish. Begad! T' shock cord be anchored t' t' body tube usin' Estes tri fold paper method - I be tempted t' hornswaggle and add some Keelhaul®©™ here, but integrity got t' better o' me. Ahoy! Well, blow me down!
T' nose cone had t' flash removed and was then sanded down t' remove t' seam. Ahoy! Two coats o' sealer gave it a smooth finish with no imperfections showing. Avast, me proud beauty! T' main body tube etc was then given three coats o' sandin' sealer, matey, and rubbed down with 200 paper in between, shiver me timbers, matey, to remove t' spirals. Aye aye! Ya scallywag!
Usin' a strip o' thick balsa, 7mm by 26mm, ya bilge rat, I made a box around a large coupler. This box was goin' t' have the fins and rotation tabs added. Begad! T' balsa be quite badly marked and was t' soft type o' balsa that I usually avoid. Blimey! The box was sanded several times and filled with model filler t' remove all o' t' dents. Begad! Usin' t' same balsa strips I then added 4 64mm struts t' t' middle o' each side o' t' box. Avast! Begad! These would have the rotation tabs added t' them. Arrr! Ya scallywag! A larger coupler (40 mm diameter) - with some deep spirals had four thin strips o' balsa wood glued t' t' inside. This be just right size t' side over t' body tube. T' spirals were filled and had t' have several coats o' sanding sealer before it was smooth. Blimey!
Usin' four almost square balsa fins that were part o' a model kit, I added t' fins. Aye aye! Begad! This was one t' part that I like about t' rocket, arrr, t' fins are at right angles t' how they would normally. Avast! It still gives stabilization but looks a bit different. Also as t' rocket was goin' t' be rotating, t' fins would nay hinder t' spinning. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!
T' corner spaces betwixt t' box and t' couple were just t' right size for body tubes, arrr, which were added for decoration. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Four trapezium shaped pieces o' balsa had a 3mm square strip o' balsa added t' t' short edge, ya bilge rat, and then were glued to t' struts. Arrr! Blimey! These were t' provide spin. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey!
T' top o' t' struts were then drilled t' accept four cocktail sticks, just for decoration.

T' entire o' t' coupler base unit had three coats o' sandin' sealer added, shiver me timbers, with all t' fiddly bits, t' sanding down was quite tricky.

T' main body tube fitted neatly into t' large coupler base. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, me hearties, blow me down!

Finishing

• I went for a red/yellow finish
• Everythin' be given two coats o' primer.
• T' main body tube was given 4 coats o' light yellow spray paint.
• T' nose cone was given three coats o' red gloss
• T' base unit be given three coats o' rouge. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey!
• T' four decoration tubes were hand painted enamel yellow
• T' decoration coupler was sprayed rouge
• T' cocktail sticks were hand painted yellow

T' box o' parts had no sticks or decals in it, shiver me timbers, other than three address labels. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

Given various pleas on TRF about t' lack or entrants with only a few weeks t' go I came up with t' name o' the rocket t' be PROCRASTINATOR. Ya scallywag! Partly because I knew it would be towards t' end o' t' month before I submitted and also because I new that this would be a draggy, slowish rocket. Begad!

Flights

First flight took place with another box o' parts entrant. Begad! Begad! It be a still day, shiver me timbers, and was slightly rainin' - which ruined t' stickers as I had nay varnished t' rocket yet. Begad! Motor choice was a D12-3. Begad! It could have been a D12-5, me hearties, as I reckon that it would be about a four second delay for apogee. Well, blow me down!

T' take off be good, t' rocket started t' rotate after about 50 foot, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and the rotation got faster and faster as t' D12 burnt. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Ejection took place after apogee as expected. T' recovery was scarily fast, arrr, as expected. Begad! This rocket needs a 24 inch 'chute. It hade a 14 inch chute! On handin' t' aft protrudin' fins all popped off.

Again I had expected that t' happen. Aye aye!

Second flight took place a week later with three o' t' other UK contestants. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' flight was on a D12 again. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! It was a straight flight with a slight oscillation until t' spinnin' kicked in. Begad! As soon as t' spinnin' kicked in, t' flight was arrow straight which was really pleasin' t' see. Arrr! Ejection was just past and again fins popped off on landing. Begad!

Third flight was time for t' procrastinator t' be clustered. Four A10 -PT were added, in addition t' t' D12-3. Aye aye! The procrastinator jumped off t' pad. Avast! Blimey! T' flight was much higher and t' extra speed really did make t' rocket spin. Again t' recovery was fast and again t' fins popped off. Begad! Begad!

After t' competition is finished I'm goin' t' have two 24 inch chute on this rocket. Well, blow me down! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!