Scratch No Fins Required Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - No Fins Required {Scratch}

Contributed by Mark Schrader

Manufacturer: Scratch

(Scratch) No FinsBrief:
Spin stabilized finless rocket.

Construction:
This is an unusual rocket that uses two 13mm canted motors t' induce a spin. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Clay ballast is packed around t' lower portion o' t' nose cone t' improve gyro stability.

It is a four engine cluster consistin' o' two 18mm motor mounts and two canted 13 mm motor mounts. T' 13mm motor mounts are capped so at ejection t' motors themselves are ejected. Avast! Since angular momentum is conservative, this actually increases t' spin o' t' rocket! T' two 18mm engines vent into t' body tube and blow t' nose cone.

(Scratch) No Fins T' two 18mm engine mounts are assembled like a conventional rocket and use thin, shiver me timbers, me hearties, corrugated cardboard centerin' rings. T' canted motor mounts are glued t' 3/32" basswood that's glued inside t' body tube. Arrr! Aye aye! I had t' cut notches out o' t' BT-80 body tube t' allow t' exhaust from these motors t' vent.

T' launch lug actually runs through t' center o' t' rocket and consists o' Apogee 10.5 mm body tube. Arrr! Begad! In order t' seal t' launch lug and prevent ejection gas from escaping, me bucko, I used a BT-5 tube coupler at t' end o' t' 10.5 mm tube t' join t' "launch lug". Begad! T' top half o' t' lug runs through a corrugated cardboard centerin' rin' in t' nose cone and can slide t' facilitate preppin' t' rocket. In other words, matey, you can pull t' launch lug out t' fit it into t' body tube lug then slide t' nose cone into t' body tube.

(Scratch) No Fins (Scratch) No Fins For recovery, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' nose cone and body recover on separate streamers. Ahoy! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! A conventional shock cord tangles too much what with all t' spinning.


(Scratch) No Fins Finishing:
T' finish is gray primer. Avast, me proud beauty! I masked off a white stripe around t' middle and use Monokote stripes t' make a test pattern.

Flight:
I've flow this rocket four times and have t' say t' best combination is 2 C6-3 and 2 A10-3 motors. Avast! A typical flight is straight and stable up t' about 150-200 feet at which point it becomes unstable and briefly tumbles harmlessly after motor burnout prior t' ejection. Ahoy! This is a real crowd pleaser!

Recovery:
Recovery is a breeze since thar are no fins t' break.

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