Scratch Pringles Flyer Original Design / Scratch Built

Scratch - Pringles Flyer {Scratch}

Contributed by Mark Van Luvender

Manufacturer: Scratch
(Contributed - by Mark Van Luvender - 12/21/07) PRC

Brief:
T' Pringles Flyer is a single staged scratch built rocket built entirely from recycled materials. Avast! It contains a single 24mm motor mount, me hearties, and a parachute recovery

Construction:
Household parts needed:

  • 3 Pringles cans, ya bilge rat, me bucko, top and bottom bands (metal parts) cut out.
  • 1 sheet VERY THICK card stock from t' back o' a note pad
  • 1 sheet thinner card stock from t' back o' a different note pad
  • 1 metal strip from windshield wiper blade
  • 1 sheet thin card stock from wife's scrapbookin' stash (shhhhh!)
  • Elastic from wife's sewin' stash (shhhh!!!)
  • mylar balloon
  • kite string
  • Drinkin' straw

This build is fairly simple and straightforward. Begad! Begad! Blimey! First, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, cut centerin' rings from t' thinner card stock. Avast, me proud beauty! I cut three, shiver me timbers, then glued two together for t' forward centerin' ring. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Use t' metal strip t' make a motor hook, ya bilge rat, and incorporate t' hook into t' centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, as this rocket has no motor tube. Begad! Blimey! I used JB weld t' hold t' hook in place in t' centerin' rings t' make sure it does nay break free from t' rings under thrust o' t' D motor. Ahoy! Ahoy! Blimey! Basically, I took t' metal strip, bent t' top for t' top o' t' hook, ya bilge rat, then fed it through slots cut in t' CRs, me bucko, arrr, then marked the length needed by measurin' against a motor, matey, then bent and cut t' bottom o' t' hook. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It be then JB welded, and set to dry.

parts2 Rings

While t' motor mount be drying, shiver me timbers, I cut t' fins. Avast! Ya scallywag! These were basic triangular shapes cut from t' very thick (roughly 1/8" thick) card stock. Avast! Well, matey, blow me down! Once t' fins were cut, it was on t' t' body tubes. Avast! T' body consists of Pringles cans held together with a coupler cut from t' third Pringles can. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' make t' coupler, matey, cut a 4 inch section from t' Pringles can, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and peel t' label from t' outside. Blimey! Ahoy! Next, cut a slit down t' side o' t' tube. Slide one end of t' cut inside t' tube and glue together t' create t' coupler (see picture for better details). T' get t' glue to stick, matey, cut cross hatches in t' foil liner t' let t' glue soak in and stick t' coupler together. Make two o' these couplers - one will be used for t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! Once t' coupler is set, glue it t' one tube. Begad! Once set, attach t' other Pringles can t' create t' body tube.

Parts1 Fins Coupler

Once t' body tube is done, ya bilge rat, insert and glue t' motor mount in place, me bucko, then mark t' Pringles can every 120 degrees for fin attachment. Cross hatch t' can with a razor blade t' allow t' glue t' penetrate and attach t' fins.

Nosecone Next be t' nose cone. Begad! Cut a circle out o' t' card stock and slit t' circle from t' center all t' way out t' one end. Blimey! Pull one end o' t' circle under t' other and keep pullin' until t' nose cone be t' desired shape/size, ya bilge rat, matey, then glue together. Avast! Once t' cone is set, me hearties, center t' other coupler in t' cone, and glue. Begad! My cone overhung the body tube a bit, so I had t' cut a small circle in t' overhang t' allow t' launch rod t' pass through.

Place t' straw against a fin/body joint, shiver me timbers, and glue in place for t' launch lug.

Use a piece o' paper t' make two Estes style tri-fold shock cord mounts and use these t' mount t' sewin' elastic to t' nose cone and t' body tubes as t' shock cord.

Use a plastic parachute as a template t' cut a parachute o' o' t' mylar balloon, and use t' kite strin' for shroud lines, matey, matey, me hearties, and attach t' t' shock cord.

I needed t' add nose weight for stability so 4 spent 18mm motors were glued in t' t' nose cone coupler for nose weight.

LaunchFlight:
I was nervous about flyin' this rocket, shiver me timbers, but we all have t' do things we're nervous about from time t' time. Begad! Out t' a wet/muddy/snowy field we went. Ya scallywag! I used dog barf wadding, prepped t' recovery, shiver me timbers, then inserted a D12-3 (not t' most aerodynamic thing...) and placed it on t' pad. T' launch button be pushed, arrr, shiver me timbers, and t' Pringles can lifted arrow straight into t' cloud covered sky. Beautiful flight! Three second delay seemed just about right...maybe a touch early, but a 5 would be late. Parachute deployed, and it floated down t' a nice landin' about 5 feet behind me. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! One of the fins came off, stickin' in t' ground. Begad! Out came t' super glue - fin went back on, arrr, prepped for second flight, ya bilge rat, arrr, and another beautiful flight and recovery! Prepped another D12-3, shiver me timbers, and away we went. Aye aye! Streaks off t' pad, me hearties, and t' fin that came off on t' first flight parted with t' body tube as it left t' rod. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! T' rocket be still surprisingly stable - headin' up with a bit o' a corkscrew flight, but pretty good considerin' it only had two fins! Parachute comes out, and it drifts a bit in t' slight breeze, landin' in t' tennis court behind us, takin' another fin off. Blimey!

Recovery1 Recovery2

Summary:
This rocket is really fun, and a beautiful flyer! I think I just need t' use some stronger attachment methods for the fins, and we've got a winner!

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