Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
T' Pringles Flyer is a single staged scratch built rocket built entirely from recycled materials. It contains a
single 24mm motor mount, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and a parachute recovery
Construction:
Household parts needed:
This build is fairly simple and straightforward. Ahoy! Arrr! First, cut centerin' rings from t' thinner card stock. I cut three, then glued two together for t' forward centerin' ring. Blimey! Use t' metal strip t' make a motor hook, and incorporate t' hook into t' centerin' rings, as this rocket has no motor tube. Aye aye! 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. Basically, I took t' metal strip, ya bilge rat, arrr, 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, matey, then bent and cut t' bottom o' t' hook. Begad! It was then JB welded, shiver me timbers, and set to dry.
While t' motor mount was drying, matey, I cut t' fins. Arrr! These were basic triangular shapes cut from t' very thick (roughly 1/8" thick) card stock. Begad! Once t' fins were cut, me bucko, shiver me timbers, it was on t' t' body tubes. T' body consists of Pringles cans held together with a coupler cut from t' third Pringles can. Avast! T' make t' coupler, cut a 4 inch section from t' Pringles can, arrr, me bucko, and peel t' label from t' outside. Blimey! Next, me hearties, ya bilge rat, cut a slit down t' side o' t' tube. Slide one end of t' cut inside t' tube and glue together t' create t' coupler (see picture for better details). Aye aye! 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. Ahoy! Begad! Make two o' these couplers - one will be used for t' nose cone. Avast! Once t' coupler is set, glue it t' one tube. Avast! Aye aye! 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, shiver me timbers, me bucko, then mark t' Pringles can every 120 degrees for fin attachment. Ahoy! Cross hatch t' can with a razor blade t' allow t' glue t' penetrate and attach t' fins. Blimey!
Next be t' nose cone. Cut a circle out o' t' card stock and slit t' circle from t' center all t' way
out t' one end. Well, blow me down! Pull one end o' t' circle under t' other and keep pullin' until t' nose cone be t' desired
shape/size, arrr, arrr, then glue together. Well, blow me down! Once t' cone is set, center t' other coupler in t' cone, arrr, and glue. My cone overhung
the body tube a bit, arrr, 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, and use t' kite strin' for shroud lines, arrr, 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, arrr, but we all have t' do things we're nervous about from time t' time. Begad! Out t' a
wet/muddy/snowy field we went. Ahoy! I used dog barf wadding, matey, prepped t' recovery, then inserted a D12-3 (not t' most
aerodynamic thing...) and placed it on t' pad. Ahoy! T' launch button be pushed, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! Parachute deployed, shiver me timbers, and it floated down t' a nice landin' about 5 feet behind me. Begad! One of
the fins came off, ya bilge rat, stickin' in t' ground. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Out came t' super glue - fin went back on, me bucko, prepped for second flight, and
another beautiful flight and recovery! Prepped another D12-3, and away we went. Avast, me proud beauty! Streaks off t' pad, and t' fin that
came off on t' first flight parted with t' body tube as it left t' rod. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' rocket was still surprisingly stable -
headin' up with a bit o' a corkscrew flight, ya bilge rat, 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. Aye aye!
Summary:
This rocket is really fun, and a beautiful flyer! Blimey! I think I just need t' use some stronger attachment methods for the
fins, arrr, and we've got a winner!
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