Brief:
T' Monolith is a single stage, mini motor all paper rocket.T' Monolith started out as one o' those "lets see if this works" projects. Begad! After many starts and stops, me hearties, matey, I was about t' give up on t' project when I found out about t' EMRR Challenge and saw some o' t' paper rockets that had been built already. Ya scallywag! After seein' what really could be done with paper, I decided t' put the Monolith together. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Durin' t' build process I actually changed t' design about three times until I had what you see now. Aye aye! I wanted t' keep it simple but not somethin' commonly done and I definitely did nay want t' try t' roll any tubes! Triangle rockets are already out thar so t' square was t' next choice. Avast! I had a feelin' it be goin' t' look like t' Washington monument but figured I could do somethin' fancy with t' fins t' offset that look. T' wife actually wanted me t' make a brick facade and call it that. I just wanted to make it look like it be a very heavy but small rocket, hence the "rock" look.

Construction:
T' first thin' t' do is print t' patterns (Main(BMP 1M) and Second (BMP 121K) onto some 110# paper as I did or on t' back o' some glossy photographic paper. The photo paper is used if you have access t' a picture o' some granite or marble. (Hint: You can find textures in Microsoft PowerPoint under background textures. Just make sure your printer puts this pattern on t' full, arrr, me bucko, complete sheet.) The rocket body tube is a full 11" long. Aye aye! T' photo paper is used so you can print t' patterns on t' backside o' t' photo paper and t' picture o' the stone on t' good side. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! My printer would nay do this and after many frustrating tries, shiver me timbers, I just covered mine with marble lookin' contact paper. If you use the photo paper, thar will be no finishin' required! After everythin' is cut out and assembled, matey, t' Monolith will be fully "painted" and ready t' fly. T' nose cone tabs and engine tube patterns are on t' heavy paper only. The engine mountin' squares are from some standard Estes round CR-520 rings that were cut down t' size and squared up t' fit t' finished body tube. Begad! Aye aye! 1/8" foam board or standard matte board would work great as well for t' engine mountin' squares. Aye aye! Avast! Just make sure t' center holes are aligned with each other and wind up dead center in t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Any offset thrust on this small o' a rocket will make for a very short flight!

Starting with t' sub assemblies first, arrr, take an old 13mm engine and start t' motor tube wrap around it. As you get t' t' paper again, matey, add some white or yellow glue to the paper and continue t' wrap. Begad! Be very stingy with t' glue as you don't want to have t' tube glued t' t' engine. Ya scallywag! Make it as tight as you can and as the glue starts t' set up, remove t' engine and set t' tube aside. Begad!

Next up be t' main body. Ahoy! Use thin CA here as it sets up faster and the parts will hold their shape better than waitin' for t' white or yellow glue to set up. If you are usin' plain paper, cut out t' body pattern along the outside edge and lightly score t' inside lines from t' bottom t' t' top. Start foldin' at one side, shiver me timbers, crease and fold each section till t' tube forms a square. Fold t' tab in so that t' tube side rests on t' full length o' the tab. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! If you are usin' t' photo paper, cut along t' outside lines and score the inside lines on t' plain paper side. Blimey! Follow this arrangement for all the other pieces as well. Avast! Arrr!

T' tricky part o' this build be gettin' t' main body tube glued together and formin' a straight square tube at t' same time. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' paper seems t' have a mind o' its own. Aye aye! Mine did nay want t' stay in place or straight without having four or more hands. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I finally came up with a solution: form t' main body tube and use two clothespins t' hold t' top and bottom ends together along t' seam line. Ahoy! Arrr! T' tab for all t' parts always goes on t' inside. Begad! Begad! I used thin CA on the joint startin' at t' middle and worked towards t' top and then bottom usin' a drop or two t' hold it together. Well, blow me down! Make very sure t' tube is staying square as you do this! It sets up in about 15 seconds and then you can secure any loose sections with another drop or two o' CA.

T' nose cone is next and follows t' same basic process. You can use one clothespin t' hold it together on t' bottom and your fingers at t' top. Ya scallywag! Glue t' tab on the inside again and set this aside.

T' fins are just as easy t' do, again usin' t' clothespins at t' top and bottom and gluin' from t' middle out t' t' ends. Begad! Make t' fin sections all square at this time without t' V fold on one side.

You can now go back t' t' motor tube and add an engine block t' one end. You can roll some paper about 1/4" wide or use a 1/4" piece o' an old 13mm case. Ahoy! Glue t' motor block into t' motor tube so that 1/4" o' the engine is outside t' tube. Begad! Aye aye! If you have had trouble grabbin' this small o' a motor, glue t' block in only far enough so that you can get a good grip on the motor t' remove it later. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' motor assembly will be slightly recessed into the main body tube when finished so you need t' plan for this now.

T' nose cone tabs are next. Ya scallywag! T' only reason I used this method be because my math is terrible and I could nay calculate t' proper sizin' for an inside square rin' t' act as t' nose cone shoulder. T' four tabs work just as well, just nay quite as tight as a full shoulder would be. If you can figure t' math or t' layout, shiver me timbers, me bucko, make t' shoulder however you want. Well, blow me down! Glue one tab t' each side of the bottom o' t' nose cone. Ahoy! Begad! Use t' half o' t' tab with t' bevels t' glue to the cone and t' other half will be t' hold t' cone onto t' rocket.

T' fins need one side creased inwards t' fit them onto t' corners o' t' main body tube. Begad! I used one side with t' glue tab for this and took t' two ends o' that side and gently folded them together so t' side folded in right in t' middle. Avast, me proud beauty! This gives you a matchin' V t' fit t' body tube. Well, blow me down! You can also glue t' fins directly onto t' flats on t' body tube for another type o' arrangement without t' V. Avast, me proud beauty! This would be a standard sort o' tube fin arrangement. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Mine had to be different!

Let's start with puttin' t' motor mount in. Begad! If you are goin' t' use a Keelhaul®©™® type mount, me hearties, add it t' t' motor mount while you are addin' t' centerin' rings. Take t' centerin' rings and carefully square them up t' fit into t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Make very sure t' motor tube is centered and straight in t' main body when added t' t' rings. Blimey! I glued t' rings t' t' motor tube first about 1/4" from both ends and then measured from t' outside o' t' motor tube to each side t' make sure it was centered as I fit t' mount into t' body tube. When you are sure you have t' mount sized and centered properly, arrr, glue it into t' body tube so t' motor tube is flush with t' bottom o' t' rocket. Begad! Well, blow me down!

Once that is set up you can add t' fins. They too will be flush with the bottom o' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Once dry, they tend t' wobble a bit but this has not created a flight problem.

Take t' launch lug and glue it centered into one fin inside edge by the body tube. Begad!

T' shock cord is then glued t' a tri-fold (Estes style) mount and glued into t' top o' t' body tube on any one o' t' inside sides leavin' enough room for t' nose cone t' fit into t' top. Arrr! Just tie it t' t' Keelhaul®©™® cord if you usin' that system. T' other end is glued straight t' t' inside of the nose cone.

You can add some strength t' t' whole thin' with some carefully applied CA to all edges o' t' fins, main body tube and nose cone tabs.

Finishing:
T' rocket be too difficult t' simulate so t' strin' balance test was done. As is, t' rocket flew backward, matey, which I expected and t' addition o' about .5oz o' clay t' t' tip o' t' nose cone balanced it out t' fly forward. Swing it around on t' strin' and add only enough weight that is needed on your rocket t' have it fly correctly! Too much on this one really hurts the performance.

On mine, ya bilge rat, puttin' on all that contact paper be a pain and t' cover the white inside t' fins, shiver me timbers, me hearties, I used a Sharpie pen t' black t' whole thin' out. Aye aye! Arrr! I also like t' do this on t' lower motor mount rin' and t' inside o' t' lower body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! It just looked better t' me.

Flight:
T' first flight be on a 1/4A3-2T and it was as comical as it could be. Aye aye! The motor finished its burn just after t' rocket left t' 36" launch rod, got up about 12' and flopped back down 6" from t' launch pad. T' ejection charge went off with t' nose cone whiffin' out about 2". Blimey! I got that one on video with t' sound o' everyone laughin' in t' background! T' say it was underpowered was an understatement! Hey! If you can't have spectacular flights, at least have spectacular failures! However I may use that combination on the next spot-landin' contest!

T' next flight was on a 1/2A3-2T and was a repeat o' t' first with just a little more height.

Well, matey, that be nay good enough and I was goin' t' use an A3-4T next but realized I had nay brought them with me so I went for broke and friction fitted in an A10-3T and let it rip. Blimey! Rip it did, shiver me timbers, me bucko, really showin' that this bird could fly with t' best o' them! Nice straight boost t' about 300' with t' nose cone comin' out just past apogee. Ya scallywag! Avast! That is when I realized it needed t' be slowed down on its descent with somethin' as it came in way too fast. Begad! Aye aye! T' nose blow was nay enough drag. Aye aye! Aye aye! Luckily, me bucko, shiver me timbers, it tended t' go horizontal a bit and it landed hard but flat on its side. Begad! Amazingly still no damage after all this abuse!

For t' last flight with this rocket for t' day, I added a 1" x 12" crepe paper streamer about 2" down from t' nose cone and had a beautiful boost and a really beautiful full streamer float down t' a finally soft landing. Arrr! This be goin' t' be t' engine from now on and t' streamer as well.

Recovery:
If you can get this one t' fly without any nose weight, matey, t' nose blow recovery may be enough. T' streamer works almost too well, me hearties, t' rocket streamer and nose cone come down first with t' rocket body landin' horizontal next. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' only con is I have found some scorchin' o' t' inside o' t' body tube after four flights. Ahoy! Blimey! I would recommend a paper liner be added before each flight or fit a short length o' 1" regular body tube (BT-20) inside as I did t' correct the problem.

Summary:
All and all it was a fun project with a surprisingly great flyin' bird! I just may make some more o' them with some wild paint jobs added on. Begad! T' only CON is I still have a bunch o' really small motors and no bird t' use them on!