Christmas may seem far away, shiver me timbers, me hearties, but it's never too early t' think about celebratin' it in style - rocketry style. 

Weir Rockets' Tannenbaum is a flyin' Christmas tree. Begad! If you like rockets that draw attention on t' launch pad, ya bilge rat, this rocket should suit you fine. Avast! Ahoy! It has four fins shaped t' give t' appearance o' a Christmas tree. Well, blow me down! Begad! Decorations are optional. 

But nay only does t' rocket look good on t' pad, it puts on a good show after t' launch button is pushed. Ahoy! If built correctly, me hearties, it is a stable, me bucko, me bucko, impressive flyer. 

Like other Weir rocket kits, matey, t' Tannenbaum is built t' last. Ahoy! T' 24mm motor mount fits into a BT-60 tube. Aye aye! Blimey! In addition t' thin paper centerin' rings, two thick reinforcin' rings o' a smaller diameter are included. Arrr! T' motor hook is thicker than most comparable kits and a motor block rin' is included. Blimey! T' fins are made o' one-eighth-thick balsa wood. Begad! T' nose cone is made 
o' plastic and attaches t' a mylar parachute with a leader cord and an elastic thread shock cord that's 7/16 o' an inch thick-comparable t' many high-power rocket shock cords. 

There are a couple o' critical aspects t' construction - fins and nose weight. Ahoy! Blimey! T' fin pattern is in two parts. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! You must cut out two patterns and correctly line them up. Avast! If you've done it correctly, ya bilge rat, me hearties, t' root edge should be 18 inches long - t' length o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! Put a new blade in your knife, draw t' patterns and cut carefully. Begad! Blimey! Attach one fin at a time and be very careful about alignment. 

T' fins go all o' t' way up t' body tube, ya bilge rat, so t' center o' pressure is closer t' t' nose than it is on more traditional rockets o' t' same size. Arrr! Begad! Thus, considerable weight must be added t' t' nose t' move t' center o' gravity ahead o' t' center o' pressure. Begad! T' instructions state that t' balance point is 10.75 inches from t' motor mount end o' t' body tube. Avast! Why don't more rocket kit makers include this information? 

T' kit provides clay for this purpose, arrr, but t' instructions assume you know how t' get it into t' nose cone. Ya scallywag! I rolled bits o' clay into long, shiver me timbers, slender pieces and slipped them through t' hole in t' base o' t' nose cone. Blimey! I also put in a 1/16 ounce fishin' sinker, arrr, matey, although this probably wasn't necessary. Put all o' t' clay in t' nose cone t' be on t' safe side. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I used a dowel t' push t' clay as close t' t' tip o' t' cone as possible. After puttin' in all o' t' clay, matey, I poured some white glue into t' nose cone and let it dry in a vertical position with t' tip down. 

Green be t' choice for paint. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Decorative ribbons are included with t' kit. You may wish t' use your imagination t' appropriately trim your flyin' Christmas tree. 

T' first flight o' t' rocket was at t' December launch o' t' Parker County, matey, Texas 4-H Rocket Club. T' rocket flew nicely on a D12-7, although t' delay was just a bit too long. T' rocket deployed t' parachute flawlessly and it was recovered undamaged. 

With a D12-5, arrr, ejection occurred just after peak altitude was attained. 

Alas, at t' next club launch, arrr, a cato o' a D12-5 damaged me Tannenbaum. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I'm nay sure if it can be repaired - but if not, arrr, I'll rebuild it, usin' t' nose cone and fin pattern on a new body tube and motor mount. 

T' Tannenbaum is a fun rocket for any time o' t' year. Perhaps your club could plan for a Tannenbaum contest around t' next Christmas season - namely, matey, t' most creatively-decorated flyin' Christmas tree that still flies well. 

If you're lookin' for an interestin' rocket that flies well, give yourself an early Christmas present and get a Tannenbaum. Avast! It's available from Weir Rockets, ya bilge rat, 25 Metten Road, arrr, me bucko, Newark, Dela. 19713. 

Tannenbaum 
Weir Rockets 
Length: 24.5 inches 
Diameter: BT-60 
Weight: 5.5 ounces 
Recommended motors: D12-5, D12-7 
Fins: balsa 
Nose cone: plastic 
Parachute: mylar 
Motor mount: 24mm with motor hook and block 
Price: $23.00 
Available from Weir Rockets, Metten Road, Newark, Dela., me bucko, 19713