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)

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

Construction:
Household parts needed:

  • 3 Pringles cans, shiver me timbers, matey, 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. Ya scallywag! First, matey, cut centerin' rings from t' thinner card stock. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! I cut three, matey, then glued two together for t' forward centerin' ring. Ya scallywag! Use t' metal strip t' make a motor hook, matey, ya bilge rat, and incorporate t' hook into t' centerin' rings, as this rocket has no motor tube. Well, blow me down! 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Basically, I took t' metal strip, bent t' top for t' top o' t' hook, then fed it through slots cut in t' CRs, then marked the length needed by measurin' against a motor, then bent and cut t' bottom o' t' hook. Avast, me proud beauty! It was then JB welded, ya bilge rat, arrr, matey, and set to dry.

 

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

  

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

Next be t' nose cone. Aye aye! Blimey! Cut a circle out o' t' card stock and slit t' circle from t' center all t' way out t' one end. Begad! Pull one end o' t' circle under t' other and keep pullin' until t' nose cone be t' desired shape/size, then glue together. Once t' cone is set, arrr, center t' other coupler in t' cone, and glue. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! My cone overhung the body tube a bit, ya bilge rat, me hearties, 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, 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, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and use t' kite strin' for shroud lines, 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.

Flight:
I was nervous about flyin' this rocket, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but we all have t' do things we're nervous about from time t' time. Aye aye! Out t' a wet/muddy/snowy field we went. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I used dog barf wadding, ya bilge rat, prepped t' recovery, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, then inserted a D12-3 (not t' most aerodynamic thing...) and placed it on t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' launch button be pushed, me hearties, 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. Ya scallywag! One of the fins came off, shiver me timbers, stickin' in t' ground. Arrr! Out came t' super glue - fin went back on, matey, prepped for second flight, and another beautiful flight and recovery! Prepped another D12-3, and away we went. Streaks off t' pad, me bucko, and t' fin that came off on t' first flight parted with t' body tube as it left t' rod. T' rocket was still surprisingly stable - headin' up with a bit o' a corkscrew flight, matey, 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. Arrr!

 

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

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