Brief: I've been readin' about spool rockets on r.m.r for a long time, arrr, and had a big plastic spool stashed for several years. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! A recent set o' posts renewed me interest, shiver me timbers, and I went ahead and built one. Avast! Someone had built a similarly sized spool with a 29mm mount, arrr, which only reached an altitude o' about 100 ft. I decided I wanted a bit more altitude, so I built mine with a 38mm mount. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' spool is one piece plastic, 10.5" tall, me bucko, with 10.5" plates. Aye aye! No fins, me bucko, me bucko, no finishing...this thin' is a skill level-0 HPR rocket!

Construction:
one large plastic spool (10.5" tall, shiver me timbers, arrr, with 10.5" plates)
one 38mm tube, 10 7/8" long
two 1/8" ply centerin' rings (38mm - 4")
one 1/8" ply centerin' rin' (38mm - 3")
two threaded inserts, ya bilge rat, with bolts and washers
one 1/2" launch lug
1/8" tubular Keelhaul®©™® , 5' long
18" RocketChutes drogue

T' body o' t' spool is about 3.5" in diameter and t' through hole almost fit a 38mm tube. Begad! Blimey! I used me Dremel t' expand this hole by about 1/8". I glued two 4" centerin' rings together, installed a pair of threaded inserts, and attached them t' one end o' t' motor tube. After it dried, me bucko, this assembly be inserted into t' spool, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and t' smaller centering rin' was glued t' t' other end o' t' tube. Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I used epoxy for these steps.

T' ends o' t' spool have several holes of various sizes. Blimey! One 1/2" hole be positioned such that a 1/2" LOC launch lug, shiver me timbers, arrr, me bucko, when abutted t' t' spool's body, shiver me timbers, me hearties, would line up with it. Begad! It was just far enough from t' body t' accommodated t' wall o' t' lug - perfect! Unfortunately, t' hole on t' other end be offset, so I had t' drill me own. I glued t' launch lug on t' lower end o' t' spool's body usin' Liquid Nails.

I thought about several methods o' attachin' t' shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! What I ended up doin' was addin' loops t' both ends o' t' tubular Keelhaul®©™® , me bucko, usin' t' method published by Giant Leap in High Power Rocketry Magazine. Begad! Blimey! You loop t' material, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, wrap t' overlappin' area with cloth twine, and soak it in epoxy. This method has worked well for me several times. I looped this tether through two existin' holes in t' top plate and around t' body. Ahoy! Blimey! T' chute attaches t' t' second loop.

Finishin' be easy - paint t' centerin' rings and launch lug flat black.

Flight:
I flew t' Lobbin' Bobbin on a H123-S. Begad! Blimey! Prep be simple: install t' motor retainer clips, wrap t' chute in a protector, shiver me timbers, and cram it down into t' tube. T' flight was slow and noisy and went t' maybe 200 - 300 feet. Arrr! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Ejection appeared t' occur right at apogee. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' descent was a bit faster than you would generally like, but t' tube bounced and was recovered undamaged. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

Summary:
This was a very quick build, me hearties, and if you like *very* low and slow flights (similar t' a flyin' saucer style rocket), a spool rocket may be for you!