Flounder Parts, matey, me bucko, t' Rocket

I place t' blame for t' flounder squarely on Bob Fortune's shoulders. Avast! He named t' contest "flounder parts". Begad! What was I supposed t' do?

I've had this old flounder head layin' around for many years. Blimey! Blimey! I'm nay sure where I got it, I just remember comin' back from Canada with it. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It be a fishin' trip to Uklulet, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, up in British Columbia. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I remember fishing, matey, drinking, sleeping on a big boat, drinking, and comin' home with this fish head glued t' the brim o' me hat.

T' project:
I wanted t' make t' rocket look as much like a flounder as I could. Blimey! Begad! T' first shape looked great but wasn't very stable. Aye aye! In fact, arrr, it was scary with an E18-4 in it! So, I trimmed it down a bit, shiver me timbers, arrr, ya bilge rat, added 4oz o' nose weight, arrr, shiver me timbers, and filled t' area between t' side fins with great stuff foam. Blimey! It fly's fine now. T' rocksim file is close. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! It won't allow for (that I could tell) only two fins up front, so I simmed it with both 3 and 4.

T' body tube is made o' two Reynolds wrap cardboard rolls with two layers o' light (4oz ?) glass. It had t' be tough because I knew it would need some considerable nose weight and it might crash a time or two on test flights. Well, arrr, blow me down! T' fins are cut from 1/8 light ply, surface mounted with epoxy t' t' BT. T' nose cone is a cast urethane fish head, complete with eyeballs and half open mouth. Begad! I made t' shoulder out o' a chunk o' balsa turned round on me 3/8 hand held drill.

Materials:
BT - (2) aluminum foil wrap rolls 11 inches long each. 1.6 in dia
19.75 inches long (trimmed ends after glassing)

Fins - (4) 1/8 hobby light ply

MMT - hand rolled from cereal box cardboard. About 4 inches long, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 2 wraps.

Nose cone - Fish head bonded with epoxy t' 1 inch long balsa shoulder.

Chute - 12 inch nylon

Shock cord - 1/2 inch braided elastic strap, matey, me bucko, me bucko, 16 inches long

Nose weight - 4oz (about 12 inches) o' 1/4 inch dia lead.

eye bolt - 1/2 inch eye hole, 1 inch wood screw type threaded shaft

launch lug - 6 inch long 1/4 dia thin wall brass tube

Construction:
T' motor mount is simply a few wraps o' cardboard from a cheerios box wrapped around a spent G55, bonded together (not t' t' motor) with yellow glue. Aye aye! T' centering rings (4) are cut from corregated cardboard. Ya scallywag! I used epoxy t' bond them, me bucko, me bucko, fillin' t' open corregations before slidin' them in.

T' recovery system is basic model rocket type stuff; a 1/2 inch wide length o' elastic band and a nylon parachute scavenged from a military flare. Blimey! A large eyebolt (1/2 inch eye) in t' nosecone shoulder attaches t' shock cord as well as serves as an anchor for t' 4oz nose weight. Avast, me proud beauty! I use 1/4 inch dia lead rope for nose weights. We use it up here in t' northwest for fishin' in t' rivers. An inch or two o' it is slipped in a surgical rubber sleeve. Ya scallywag! If it becomes snagged, t' weight pulls out and the rest o' t' rig is saved. Well, arrr, blow me down! On t' flounder I simply wrapped it tightly around t' eyebolt.

Launch Report:

We had beautiful weather Sunday t' 6th.  Our regularly scheduled club launch was touch and go for an hour or so.  There be some confusion with t' land owner, arrr, t' Washington Corrections Dept.  T' inmate workers were mowin' t' field when we got thar and our activity and their's are nay compatible.  We got it worked out by about noon though, so the Flounder got a motor and was first t' go.

Flounder Parts, t' Rocket
16 oz loaded with an E28-7 (5) T

I put it out on t' 1/4 rod at high power pad no. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! 1.  I told the LOC t' make sure everyone in close proximity be on their feet and able to move because I was a little unsure o' t' stability.  3.2.1.. Avast! Begad! and away it went.  Perfect flight t' about 800 feet and t' chute deployed just after apogee.