Brief:
This is a 29mm UFO-type rocket made from an old hat. Begad! T' hat is removable in case I forget a ball cap - wouldn't want t' sunburn t' top o' me head, ya bilge rat, ya' know.

Construction:
This is really a minimalist rocket. Avast! I decided t' make t' core out o' a solid piece o' 2" pink foam. I started by tracin' t' outline o' t' hat and roughin' out a chunk with a sharp knife. Aye aye! I did just a tad o' trimmin' t' make sure it be oval, and then found t' center point. Next, matey, I drew a circle and slowly bored a hole for t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! I also cut a slot on one side t' accommodate a 1/4" lug. Blimey! Aye aye! T' motor mount includes a 3.25" section o' phenolic tubing, a similar length o' 1/4" launch lug, and a 29mm-76mm centerin' ring. T' centerin' rin' was mounted so that t' motor tube be flush with t' top o' t' foam. It serves t' distribute t' thrust t' t' foam core, arrr, and helps ensure that t' motor tube is perpendicular t' t' foam's surface. This assembly was then epoxied into t' foam block. Well, matey, blow me down! I added a circle o' scrap plywood t' plug t' front o' t' tube, shiver me timbers, makin' sure that all openings were sealed with epoxy. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' final step was t' find t' point where t' rod would pass through t' hat itself, and cut a small 'X' with an X-acto knife. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Like I said, arrr, shiver me timbers, me bucko, nay much t' it. Aye aye! Blimey! Slip t' hat over t' finished core and I was ready t' fly.

Flight:
I flew t' hat on a G35 with t' ejection charge removed. Well, blow me down! After t' unsuccessful flight o' another odd-roc, arrr, t' RSO must have pretty much given up, and me flight card got stamped. Avast, me proud beauty! Since I did nay treat t' foam surface t' protect it from t' motor exhaust, I made sure it be about 12" from t' deflector. Begad! T' hat flew great, seemin' t' fly faster and higher than me similarly sized 29mm saucers. Blimey! Aye aye! It fell slowly t' t' ground without even gettin' dirty(er).

Summary:
I find myself likin' UFO style rockets more and more and couldn't resist tryin' this odd-roc. This be me first wearable rocket - I wore t' hat t' t' RSO table, matey, t' t' pad, and back again after recovery. Aye aye! If anyone else has flown a hat (and someone probably has), I didn't find anyone who had heard o' it.

Other:
T' Story Behind t' Name In t' late '90's, I be t' project manager for a telemetry, shiver me timbers, command, me bucko, and antenna control system. My team and I traveled t' Clifton, Texas t' run some preliminary tests with t' antennas. Avast! Blimey! Unfortunately, they weren't quite ready and since springtime in Texas is a tad warmer than in Maryland, me bucko, arrr, we weren't happy campers. With t' prospects o' spendin' a fair amount o' time walkin' betwixt t' buildin' and t' antenna pads in t' hot sun, one o' me guys ran t' Wal-Mart for hats. Well, blow me down! This hat became our team's unofficial uniform, and mine came back fairly stained. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I was finally about t' chunk it when I got an idea!