Brief:
This is a featherweight rocket made from printed cardstock designed t' use 13mm motors.

Click here t' download Lemon Drop plans in .PDF format.
[Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader.]

Construction:
T' Lemon Drop uses a single 13mm body tube, shiver me timbers, has three fins, and a cardstock nose cone. Avast! T' thrust rin' doubles as t' nose cone shoulder.

This is a relatively easy build. Blimey! Blimey! T' fact that alignment is important when buildin' t' parts, arrr, and t' fact that you actually have t' make your parts (body tube, shiver me timbers, nose cone, me hearties, etc.) makes it a bit more difficult t' build. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I feel that anyone with a moderate amount o' buildin' skill though can build this rocket.

T' rocket includes two pages o' instructions and a single page o' parts that should be printed on 110# cardstock. Avast! T' instructions cover t' complete construction process and are broken down into two main sections: Buildin' t' Parts and Assemblin' t' Rocket. Once t' parts are built (and thar be a total o' seven -- nose cone, me hearties, arrr, body tube, arrr, thrust ring, launch lug, and three fins), me hearties, they are put together just like any other rocket kit.

Probably t' oddest tool needed for this build is a soft mouse pad. This is used t' roll t' curves into t' cardstock parts. Aye aye! Other tools needed (all o' which are listed in t' instructions) are a hobby knife, metal ruler or straightedge, cuttin' mat, scribin' tool (or empty ball point pen), me hearties, a 1/4" dowel, white glue (not carpenters glue) and maskin' tape.

Finishing:
In addition t' t' cardstock and color printer, a piece o' bristol board or similar cardboard (cereal box weight) and some sort o' enamel spray clearcoat are needed t' finish t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Because t' rocket is pre-colored, shiver me timbers, no paint or decals are needed (although t' rocket can be painted a different color if desired).

Flight:
Recommended engines are Estes 1/4A3-3T, matey, 1/2A3-4T and A3-4T. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! All flights so far have been made with Estes 1/4A3-3T engines since I wanted t' get t' rocket back.

Preparation was simple. Aye aye! T' motor fits into t' rocket without needin' any maskin' tape t' hold it in. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! O' course, I wanted t' motor t' come out at ejection, so too tight a fit is undesirable.

Three flights have been made so far with t' rocket and all three were perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Fast straight boost and good recovery. Begad! Each time, t' motor returned before t' rocket did.

Summary:
PROs: T' main pros o' a kit like this are that they are simple t' build and disposable. Avast! Blimey! If you lose it or it catos, me bucko, ya bilge rat, no problem. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Print and build another one. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! For t' cost o' a sheet o' cardstock, shiver me timbers, me bucko, a little cardboard, and a little printer ink, me bucko, you can build as many as you want. Blimey! Blimey! And t' build is quick--I built this one in a single evening. Avast! Blimey! A couple coats o' clearcoat t' next day and t' rocket is ready t' go. Begad! Blimey! Consider how long a two tone (yellow and lime green) paint job would take with several coats o' each and t' maskin' involved, however, all o' that is eliminated with a paper rocket.

CONs: T' same as any other featherweight--the rockets are very easy t' lose.