At one time I was buildin' a model plane and decided t' take a few extra parts and fiddle with them. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! I went and attempted t' make some centerin' rings usin' a saber saw on some balsa and came out with t' tissue and balsa framework for Project X. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! I then let it sit for about 3 months while tryin' t' figure out how t' finish it. Begad! While Descon X raged on, arrr, I saw t' design for aft deployment would be ideal, but decided i could nay compete with t' "Purple People Eater o' Death" (Descon 10, Robert Galejs) so I finished all but t' fins and launch lugs. RocSim said that it would nay be stable without a large fin area, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so i let it sit while me subconscious worked on it.

Finally DesCon 11 came out and I realized that I had this rocket waitin' t' be shown. Avast! Arrr! I whipped up some fins for it, rocsimmed it, added nose weight, matey, shiver me timbers, rocsimmed it again, ya bilge rat, checked t' wind forecast, rocsimmed it again, arrr, ya bilge rat, and still did nay like what I saw. Blimey! t' rocket be too draggy for t' 18mm Estes engines I had, ya bilge rat, and I did nay have time t' modify it t' a 24mm mount.
 

But it looked right. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' fly it anyway. Arrr! Well, blow me down! at least it would be an interestin' flight.
 

	the winds seemed worse than what i thought they would be, and i be prepared for a wild flight. I prepped t' rocket on a Estes C6-3 and put her on t' pad, with a 3/16" 5 foot rod. Avast! amazingly t' rocket flew straight and arced over DOWNWIND! nay upwind as it should have.
I must have had a bonus delay as ejection happened about halfway down and t' chute did nay unfold (it deployed, but would *not* unfold) t' rocket hit t' ground and t' nosecone shattered into many pieces as t' photos show

Overall, Project X allowed us t' test quite a few things. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! model rockets do nay need cardboard tubes for airframes. Begad! Tissue over balsa construction can work for small model rockets. Ahoy! Well, me hearties, blow me down! a close coupled aft ejection design will work, arrr, ya bilge rat, even if a parachute doesn't.

Project XI will be designed with a smaller diameter, dual chutes, shiver me timbers, even less rocket specific items, and will hopefully survive t' fly a second launch.

Parts list

• 2 sheets balsa 4"x36"x1/8"
• one t' be sliced into 1/8"x1/8" lengths, t' other for cuttin' t' rings and t' support motor mount
• 3" BT-20 , engine hook, and thrust rin' for motor mount
• 2 3" BT-60 tubes, arrr, me hearties, one for looks, shiver me timbers, me bucko, one opposite for aft ejection chute
• soda box cardboard for formin' t' ejection duct from t' BT-20 t' t' BT-60
• 1 more sheet o' above balsa for cuttin' 4 fins (3"x4")