Brief:
This rocket was inspired first by me LOC 4 29SS flights with 4 G40's. Begad! I often wondered how t' hold a rocket together under higher power. Then I bought a AAA Model Aviation Fuels Quadra G which had a strong interlockin' fin design and then I had me answer. Ahoy! I'd use that concept and scale it up. Aye aye! I'd also use Apogee's Rocksim 4.0 t' design the best fin shape and size.

T' rocket is called 4-H Project because it can fly on 4 H motors and hopefully 4 J's, if one dares. Aye aye! T' rocket has a 4-inch phenolic main body tube 4 feet long and its 4 38mm motor tubes extend 36 inches outward from this tube and hold t' fins via t' square formation they make.

Construction:
T' only hard part was designin' t' butterfly wings that would interlock to form a set o' 4 fins at 90 degrees t' each other. Ahoy! Aye aye! I made t' root 9 inches, arrr, arrr, the span 8.875 inches, t' sweep angle 20 degrees, ya bilge rat, and t' tip 4.5 inches. Each of the two wings would form two fins, and t' fins were separated by a 4 inch space where they would interlock via grooves and whereby t' 4 38mm motor tubes would rest and hold t' structure in fin alignment. Begad!

Tools needed required a table saw. My band saw did nay have t' throat depth to handle t' wings, arrr, me hearties, which were too long t' go through t' throat o' t' saw. A finishin' sander was used t' bevel t' fins, shiver me timbers, and medium fiberglass cloth was used t' reinforce t' connection o' t' motor tubes together and t' t' fins. T' epoxy used was t' 30 minute type. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Polyurethane foam was used t' hold the lead weights used in t' nose cone, as Rocksim predicted that 8 ounces would add t' stability. Ya scallywag! We can add up t' 16 ounces if we use heavier motors. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! This same foam be used t' fill gaps formed from t' motor tubes fittin' into the body tube.

Home Depot carries t' 1/4 inch thick birch plywood I used for t' fins. Hobby Bench carries t' epoxies used and t' fiberglass cloth. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! West Systems Epoxy also carries these products and they're good too. Avast! T' polyurethane foam can be found at Hobby Bench. It may be found on ROL, but I have nay had to search for it there. Avast! This is a two part liquid plastic that expands into a foam. It's tricky in that after just 30 seconds, it foams up and will nay pour as a foam. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! So, you have that long t' pour it where you want it. Ahoy! Aye aye!

T' parachute is a 60-inch Spherachute. Begad! Avast! T' paint job matches t' pink and blue o' t' chute and is mainly pink with blue self adhesive holographic lens paper obtained from American Science and Surplus. Ahoy! Avast, me proud beauty! This accent makes t' rocket sparkle in t' sunlight. Ahoy! T' finishin' touch is a 4-leaf clover in t' blue lens paper with a white H on each leaf. Begad! T' resultin' rocket feels strong and is sturdy. Begad! Well, blow me down!

Flight:
Rocksim predicts that with two 38mm H type motors, arrr, me hearties, a delay o' 10 is good. Begad! With 4, ya bilge rat, a delay o' 12. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! With 2 J350's, I came up with t' long delay bein' best, as it would be with 4 J motors. Ahoy! Blimey! Worm bed waddin' plus a Nomex® chute protector will be used and a 15-foot length o' 500-lb Keelhaul®©™® cordin' will be its shock cord. T' shock cord is anchored through a 4-inch centerin' rin' with a 38mm hole, placed right forward o' t' 4 motor tubes. Begad! Begad! A screw eye is used t' tie t' cord to t' centerin' ring. A screw eye with a long tail is epoxied into t' nose cone and forms t' attachment t' t' nose cone for t' shock cord. Avast! I do this because usin' t' little plastic loops on t' nose cones t' attach shock cords has nay worked well for me in high power, as t' loops break easily under stress. Avast! T' rocket is destined for a 2-H test flight in 2 weeks. Well, blow me down! I will probably choose 2 H112's.

T' design works and kicks butt, ya bilge rat, if you'll pardon me vernacular. Begad! I flew it with two I 357's and it soared. Ya scallywag! Unexpectedly, me bucko, it whistled like an incomin' bomb goin' up. Avast! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! maybe it's a fluke or maybe all those built like it will whistle. Everyone liked it. Aye aye! next, me bucko, I'll try it with 4 motors!!! I'm even head-designin' a quad 54mm one. Ya scallywag! I'm so bad... Arrr!

As for 4-H, one additional I must add is t' thoroughly plug any unused motor tubes. Arrr! T' best way might be spent motor casings. If you don't, me bucko, gas leaks might occur that prevent parachute deployment. Avast! Avast! 4-H landed hard because o' this. He was built like a bomb, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so he will soon fly again. Ahoy! I gave him a new payload section. Begad! He's now 7 foot 6, nay 7 feet even. Avast! T' I 357 is a great stump-pulling motor. Aye aye! Blimey! Next flight just HAS TO have 4 motors!!!

Summary:
A challenge, ya bilge rat, and funny. Ahoy! Arrr! I await t' reaction from onlookers. It did require an arsenal o' tools and some expensive epoxies and polyurethane foam. Avast, me proud beauty! But I got a strong rocket. It was nay easy t' fit t' 4 phenolic motor tubes into t' body tube. In fact, t' guys said it couldn't be done. Avast! But I did it after gentle persistence. Well, blow me down! However, shiver me timbers, I saw fit t' fiberglass t' lower airframe tube to strengthen it when I could see a very slight bulgin' from t' tightly fit motor tubes.

Other:
If anyone else wants t' try this, me hearties, please tell me what you do for motors. Avast, me proud beauty! I'm savin' up t' get 3 more 38/720 motors one by one so that I can fly this with 4 J350's. Arrr! Buildin' this rocket taught me that when you fiberglass, ya bilge rat, you must sand thoroughly or else every imperfection in t' surface will be visible when it's painted.

UPDATE: if t' maker pushes t' rocket with J350's, matey, that t' fins nay be plywood, or trim their size t' reduce aerodynamic flexion. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! At mach, arrr, t' stress broke t' plywood fins right where they interlocked. Begad! Mach be heard with a great BOOM. Begad! Anyway, I'm makin' 4-H some G10 fins.