Brief:
Built for t' "Recycle" portion o' t' EMRR 2007 Challenge contest, arrr, this rocket is scratch built entirely from recycled trash. With squared-off fins and a blunt nose cone, me bucko, it has an air-to-air missile look t' it. Arrr! It derives its name from t' priority mail shippin' tube which comprised its airframe. Blimey! It is a single stage, me bucko, 24mm powered, chute recovered, me bucko, 4 fin rocket.

Construction:
T' list o' components and t' material that they are made of:

• BODY TUBE - recycled heavy walled cardboard shippin' tube, matey, 2.1" diameter
• NOSE CONE - t' top half o' a body lotion bottle and its cap. Avast! Avast! T' bottle fit perfectly on t' outside o' t' body tube!
• FINS - Actually a fin can, made out o' a discarded plastic MIG weldin' wire spool. Begad!
• LAUNCH ROD GUIDE - A BIC pen barrel.
• PARACHUTE - Black trash bag, chute lines and shock cord made o' used construction string.
• MOTOR MOUNT TUBE - Hand rolled, me hearties, matey, made o' some heavy paper stock from an eBay mail ad and lined with tin foil.
• 2 CENTERING RINGS - cut from heavy cardboard from a paper tablet.

I started with a mailin' tube that I had layin' around. Well, blow me down! It's an obvious choice, but this one had a really heavy wall, ya bilge rat, me bucko, so right off t' bat I knew it would be a D/E engine bird.

So now I had a body tube and had t' fit an engine into it. I took some heavy paper out o' t' trash from a mailin' ad. Arrr! Avast! I then sprayed 3M artists spray mount on it and covered it in aluminum foil. Aye aye! I rolled this around 3 D engines and glued and taped it. Instant motor tube! I was goin' t' go t' maskin' tape thrust rin' and motor retention route with this one, so no type o' hook or block be needed.

So now I had a bare booster section. Ya scallywag! I was goin' t' use t' same cardboard that the centerin' rings were made o' for t' fins, shiver me timbers, and in fact had cut some out. But I was changin' t' wire spool in me MIG welder when it hit me - t' empty spool be plastic, arrr, about 10" in OD, 2" in ID, and had 8 ribs. Avast, me proud beauty! Perfect! I cut t' outside o' it off, shiver me timbers, cut it down t' 4 ribs (fins) and did some sandin' t' t' inside diameter t' make it fit the mailin' tube. Arrr! Voila! An indestructible fin can! While this may nay be "household" trash, arrr, you can go to any weldin' or fabrication shop and they will probably give you as many as you like!

I glued a section o' BIC pen barrel t' t' fin can t' serve as a launch rod guide.

T' parachute I cut out o' a black plastic garbage bag and used some construction strin' for t' chute lines and shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! I attached t' shock cord with some heavy paper stock, usin' t' Estes "tri-fold" method.

It be complete! It ended up pretty heavy (11.8oz RTF), matey, arrr, but t' CG was good (about 3x in front o' t' fins) and I knew that an E would get it off t' ground. Aye aye! Well, blow me down!

Finishing:
T' only finishin' work I did was t' paint t' fin can and nose cone in orange. Avast, me proud beauty! This offset t' white body tube nicely with t' USPS "priority mail" sticker still stuck t' it. Aye aye! "High Priority" had come to fruition!

Flight and Recovery:
They always say start out with a low-impulse engine on an untested design. Nonsense. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I had D12-5s and E9-6s in my box. Aye aye! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! This be a heavy rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and I needed t' make sure it made a flight. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Add t' this that me "racer" rocket, which was more than an ounce heavier, matey, me hearties, had t' fly today so I needed some research info! Blimey! In goes t' E9-6. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' motor was friction fit with a 1/2" maskin' tape thrust rin' on it. Retention was tape also.

It lit up and launch be nice. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! In t' 5-10mph winds, arrr, shiver me timbers, it took a slight weathercock and looked t' hit about 800 feet or so. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nice and visible, ya bilge rat, it arced over and be headed down when t' chute popped. T' 18" chute opened and descent was a little fast, shiver me timbers, but that's good in me book. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Touch down was about 100' past t' pad. Begad! Blimey! I'll take it! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! No damage, I packed it again, arrr, ya bilge rat, but this time with a D12-5. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Hindsight bein' 20-20, what was I thinking?! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! However, I wanted t' try it on 2 different impulses and only had 3 E engines with another rocket waitin' t' fly.

T' second flight be identical on launch and initial thrust nice off t' pad, shiver me timbers, slight weathercock, and it started to arc over. Arrr! I doubt that it be even 500' off t' deck. Ballistic, me bucko, straight down, me bucko, and waiting...Whack! Bounce. Well, blow me down! Pop! It hit t' parkin' lot about 100' from t' pad, and as it bounced t' ejection charge went off!

T' damage report: Nose cone "cap" shattered, but t' nose cone "base" was still intact. T' body tube split open like a can o' Pillsbury biscuits for about t' top 9"! Keep in mind that t' body tube is high density cardboard that is 0.06" thick! I wish I could have recorded the "whack!"

T' body tube will be cut down and spliced. Begad! This rocket can easily be rebuilt and will fly again!

Summary:
I think that me rocket truly exemplifies t' spirit o' t' "recycle" contest. Well, blow me down! All o' t' materials are genuine recycled products. Blimey! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I don't have a simulation program so I just followed some "rules o' thumb" and it flew great! T' only reason it is a wounded soldier at t' moment is that I only had 3 E engines and I knew that I had to use 2 o' them for another rocket. Aye aye!