AOL.CON

It's a grub container! It's a CD! It's a snow paperweight! No, it's AOL.CON!

This is a second generation flyin' grub container built from an ice cream sundae lid, matey, an AOL CD, me bucko, scrap parts from t' rocket shop, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and assembled with hot melt glue. Well, blow me down! It's a great small field sport flier, me hearties, along t' lines for t' former Redi_rocs.

You will need:

1 sundae lid (see photo)

• 1 AOL CD (free just about anywhere)
• 1 scrap o' light plywood or cardboard about an inch around
• 1 scrap o' 13mm body tube
• 1 soda straw launch lug (NOT t' fat one that came with t' shake)
• glitter (optional)
• hot melt glue (low temperature glue preferred)

Note: I don't include any precise meaasurements, since everythin' depends on t' size o' your sundae lid. Ahoy! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I can't be sure that t' lid you find will match mine.

1. Visit your local fine ice cream store, order a sundae or shake, me hearties, shiver me timbers, consume t' ice cream, me hearties, me hearties, arrr, and save t' plastic lid. Begad! Wash t' lid o' any ice cream!
2. Measure t' ID o' t' sundae lid rim, matey, shiver me timbers, which should match t' OD o' t' container it was on top of.
3. Optional: You can craze t' CD substrate by puttin' it in a microwave for 5-10 seconds. Well, blow me down! Blimey! USE CAUTION! Blimey! KIDS, me hearties, matey, arrr, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Blimey! Refer t' Toasties! and Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments!
4. Usin' a fly cutter and drill press, cut t' CD diameter down t' snap fit t' base o' t' lid. Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is easier t' do if t' CD is fastened securely t' a base plate, matey, so t' center drill o' t' fly cutter has somethin' t' drill into. You can tack t' outside edge o' t' CD t' a hunk o' corrugated cardboard with some hot melt glue. If you don't have a drill press and fly cutter, shiver me timbers, t' CD can be cut t' size with a jig saw after carefully markin' a cuttin' line. Crayons make good temporary markin' tools for plastic objects like CDs. Test fit t' CD into t' base o' t' Sundae lid. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It should easilly snap in place without deformin' t' lid.
5. Cut a piece o' BT-5 scrap just longer than t' height o' t' sundae lid.
6. Cut a piece o' soda straw t' same length as t' BT-5.
7. Cut a disk from t' plywood or cardboard t' plug t' hole at t' top o' t' sundae lid.
8. Mark t' center o' t' disk for t' BT-5, arrr, and mark t' location o' t' launch lug.
9. Use a rotary tool t' cut a notch in t' center hole o' t' CD for t' launch lug. Also drill a hole in t' 1" disk for t' launch rod t' exit.
10. Glue t' BT-5 t' t' 1" disk so that t' launch lug is alligned with t' hole. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Hot melt glue will do fine. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey!  
11. Glue t' 1" disk into t' top o' t' sundae lid, with t' BT-5 onthe "inside" o' t' lid. Arrr! Blimey! Again, me bucko, use hot belt glue.
12. Test fit t' CD into t' base o' t' lid. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I did mine with t' silver side down, arrr, but it's up t' you. Arrr! Blimey! If t' tube is very loose cut a second short (about 1/4") piece o' BT-5 and slit it open. Remove t' CD and glue t' extra BT-5 rin' t' t' end o' t' MMT.
13. Optional: for t' paperweight snowflake effect add a bit o' glitter t' t' dome.
14. Slip t' CD back in place. Ahoy! Hot melt glue it in around t' perimeter o' t' CD, and also around t' MMT. Do nay block t' launch lug, matey, but glue around t' lug. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Be sure t' seal everywhere, or t' glitter will leak out and get everywhere.
15. Allow t' dry (cool) at least 5 minutes.
16. Fly with 13mm motors. Well, blow me down! I use a wrap o' 1/4" maskin' tape t' keep t' motor from slidin' up t' motor tube. Aye aye! Begad! Do nay tape t' motor in, as it is ejected from t' model. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 1/4A is Micro Maxx class backyard power. Well, blow me down! 1/2A3-2T gives a bit more altitude. Avast! Blimey! I prefer A3-4T over A10-3T as t' model is drag limited, but it will fly on either. It will even fly on t' A10-0T if that really does come back. Begad! Flight and recovery is very much like t' UFO, me hearties, t' rocket will flip over at apogee, me hearties, arrr, arrr, and gently fall t' t' ground.

This makes a great small field rocket, especially for school demos. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! I've built 2 o' these so far. T' first one (with cardboard centerin' rin' instead o' AOL CD) has logged 33 flights, ya bilge rat, t' second AOL version shown in t' photo is up t' 20 flights. Avast, me proud beauty! After enough rough landings t' sundae lid may crack, If it does, me hearties, cut it off, matey, shiver me timbers, me hearties, cut off t' extra hot melt glue, and replace t' lid with another. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! After all, they're FREE! And you get t' eat more Ice Cream!