Brief:
I have really been diggin' Art's saucers and now Art is branchin' out t' other designs. Ya scallywag! As t' name indicates, this rocket is a simple cone that flies on 24mm motors. Arrr! This seems t' be t' next logical step after t' Delta saucer design, which is sort o' a hybrid betwixt a classical saucer and a cone.

Construction:
Materials:

• Two sheets o' cardstock for t' shrouds
• One piece o' foamboard for t' nosecone base and bottom plate
• One 2.75in 24mm motor mount
• One 3in 29mm motor tube (this was a beta-test version, t' 29mm tube has been replaced with Totally Tubular T-24+, shiver me timbers, which telescopes over t' 24mm motor mount)
• A 36in thin tubular elastic shock cord

Tools and supplies required:

• Scissors
• X-Acto knife
• White glue (I used carpenters glue)
• 5-minute epoxy (brand is nay important as on t' 29mm and 38mm saucers)
• 150 grit sandpaper

T' materials and assembly techniques are all similar t' Art's saucers. Arrr! Avast! T' instructions are detailed with lots o' photos.

You start by cuttin' out t' cardstock nosecone shroud. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is double layered and you have t' cut two launch rod holes with an X-Acto knife. Begad! Blimey! T' main issue here is you have t' make sure these holes are aligned. Blimey! Durin' assembly, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, matey, I slipped t' end o' a disposable chopstick through t' holes until t' glue began t' set. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! T' base o' t' nosecone is a foamboard disc. Ya scallywag! As with t' Delta saucers, shiver me timbers, t' edge is beveled so it mates nicely with t' paper cone. T' center o' t' disc is removed t' accommodate t' upper body tube along with a launch rod slot. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' cone, disc, tube, and one end o' t' shock cord are then dry fit. Begad! T' strengthen t' cone and add some nose weight, you next fill t' tip o' t' cone with 5-minute epoxy and mix it in-situ. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! Some is spread thinly over t' inside o' t' cone and on t' beveled edge o' t' foam disc. Ahoy! Blimey! These components are all slipped together and set aside t' dry. Ya scallywag! Avast! Blimey! (Did I mention t' launch rod holes must be aligned?)

T' bottom disc is cut, beveled, matey, and slotted just like t' bottom o' t' nose cone. T' center hole on this component holds t' 24mm motor mount, which you glue in with white or carpenter's glue. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I used t' plastic bag that held t' kit as a work surface, matey, t' make sure t' tube was flush with t' bottom disc and keep stray glue off t' wife's table.

T' shell o' me saucer was on a second sheet o' cardstock that in me case be mirror gold. A small seam strip is glued onto one end o' t' shroud. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Make sure you measure its position properly and have t' pointed edge inward. Begad! T' shroud is then wrapped onto t' other half o' t' seam strip. Blimey! I found this step a bit difficult, but I am all thumbs. Blimey! T' epoxy-reinforced nosecone be a great help in formin' this outer shroud. Blimey! Begad! There are two reinforcin' strips on t' same sheet o' colored cardstock and these are glued t' t' bottom inside o' t' shell.

At this point t' nosecone is glued into t' shell. Avast! And as before, arrr, make sure t' launch rod slots all line up. Ya scallywag! I'd give this a yadda, shiver me timbers, yadda, me bucko, shiver me timbers, yadda, but, this potentially t' biggest D'OH in t' assembly o' t' kit. Ahoy! Begad! BTW this warnin' strategically located in bold throughout t' instructions.

T' final step is attachin' t' other end o' t' shock cord t' t' bottom assembly with a 3-fold paper mount. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord is slipped betwixt t' two sections, me bucko, and t' bottom is slipped into t' nose cone section, matey, which is now basically t' entire shroud.

Finishing:
No finishin' is required on t' mirror gold saucers, but t' printed ones should have at least 2 - 3 coats o' clear enamel t' protect them from moisture. Begad! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Since we are in an outdoor hobby, thar be a good chance it will drizzle on your saucer. Arrr! Been thar done that.

Some observations on t' mirror gold cardstock: First, me hearties, it really does look great. Aye aye! It is also forgivin' with glue smudges, me hearties, as you can wash it off with a moist paper towel. This is good because I got a lot o' glue around t' seam. Ya scallywag! However, ya bilge rat, I found it harder t' form into a cone than plain cardstock, probably because o' its stiffness.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors include t' C11-3, ya bilge rat, D12-3, me bucko, E9-4, and any Aerotech 24mm SU or RMS. T' motor is held in with maskin' tape and t' rest o' t' prep is slidin' it together with t' shock cord out o' t' way o' t' launch rod holes. No waddin' is needed.

I flew me cone rocket on a D12-5 and then on an E9-4. T' D12 flight be quick and straight in light gusty winds. Ahoy! Ejection was very late, arrr, but this wasn't an issue. T' E9 flight be long, high, and smoky, shiver me timbers, me hearties, with some weathercocking. This is a great motor for this small cone.

Recovery:
After ejection, t' saucer falls nose section first with t' motor tube end followin' behind. This plate danglin' behind t' cone does a good job makin' up for t' somewhat heavy epoxy-filled tip. There was no damage on either flight, arrr, matey, with t' nose stickin' in t' soft, matey, moist dirt. Begad! I didn't have t' recommended stand-off distance (6in) from t' pad, so me foamboard had a few small holes burned into it. I merely filled them with blobs o' white glue. Well, blow me down! More importantly though, arrr, t' thin elastic cord has started t' break through and will have t' be replaced. T' ejection charges on t' SU motors were quite energetic for t' short tube and in both cases, ya bilge rat, t' motors were spit out. Avast! If this is a concern on your field, ya bilge rat, me hearties, make sure you use plenty o' tape t' hold it in very tightly (this may also save your RMS casing).

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is another winner for Art. Avast! T' cone is an easy build, flies great and is a lot o' fun! Blimey! I love that mirror gold paper too. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Blimey! T' one negative I found be t' thin elastic shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! I will most likely replace it with a piece o' Pratt Hobbies' new Keelhaul®©™® micro braid.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5