Brief:
FunnelVision 3.0 is a simple but robust high-power finless rocket constructed from a 3" x 36" postal mailin' tube (they are actually 37" long), an 8" plastic automotive funnel and a 3" LOC nose cone. T' be more accurate, it is a "skirt-fin" rocket. Avast! This is a 2x upscale o' t' original Funnel Vision design I have built. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! FunnelVision 3.0 is built exclusively for t' 38mm 2-grain Cesaroni motors (H143 Smokey Sam or H153) and t' AeroTech H123 and H148R motors. Avast! Blimey! It excels as a Level 1 and fun fly rocket for "minimum" (1500 square ft) high power fields surrounded by obstructions, shiver me timbers, trees, ya bilge rat, me bucko, or water hazards since it flies only about 600' high on these motors and meets t' 1500g FAA waiver weight limit.

Construction:
FunnelVision 3.0 is an exceptionally cheap and easy H-power airframe t' scratch build. Component cost is $3.50 for t' 3" heavy wall mailin' tube, $1.75 for t' 8" plastic funnel, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and "typical retail rocket prices" for 2 centerin' rings (1/4" x 38mm x 3"), arrr, me hearties, a 14" piece o' 38mm motor tubing, me hearties, and a 3" LOC (or Estes Big Daddy) plastic nosecone. Well, blow me down! With no fins, shiver me timbers, no glassing, me hearties, no through-the-wall construction, me hearties, it goes together in about an hour with 5-minute epoxy. Blimey! Total cost is 20 bucks (and half this if you borrow t' cone from another rocket). Ya scallywag! Recovery system is a 36" Top Flight nylon chute attached t' 9ft o' 1/2" nylon webbin' (actually, I used a Petco dog leash with choke collar).

Construction sequence is as follows:

1. Trace t' outline o' t' mailin' tube circumference onto t' plastic funnel t' give you an idea where t' cut; perfect or slightly too small (tight) is good. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! Too big (loose) is bad.
2. Cut off t' excess with a fine hacksaw, razor saw or X-Acto knife.
3. Sand t' funnel openin' so that it fits snuggly over t' nose cone at its widest.
4. Before gluin' anything, make a 1/2" wide by 1" deep "C"-shaped cut in t' edge o' t' 3" openin' in t' funnel. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! This is t' accommodate t' 3/8" launch wire. You will nay be able t' easily make this cut-out once you glue t' funnel t' t' body tube!
5. Slide t' completed funnel "skirt-fin" over t' mailin' tube restin' vertically on a flat surface with t' nose cone in its place. Avast, me proud beauty! Check t' assure that t' body tube is absolutely vertical (e.g., shiver me timbers, line up visually with a wall corner or window frame or a proper plumb bob if you're fussy). Well, blow me down! Tack glue t' funnel in place with 5-min. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! epoxy.
6. Now use lots o' epoxy t' really attach that funnel well--you can invert t' assembly and just pour a little around t' joint. Don't skimp as this joint undergoes a lot o' aerodynamic stress, shiver me timbers, as you can imagine.
7. Add four 1/2" thick scrap balsa gussets t' t' inside o' t' funnel. Begad! My pieces measured exactly 2" x 2 5/8" around t' right angle. Avast! Begad! (That's all you need t' know if you remember geometry!)
8. Epoxy t' two 1/4" thick centerin' rings t' t' 14" motor tube, 1" from each end. Avast! Begad! Now would be t' time t' anchor t' recovery system t' a screw-eye or U-bolt through t' upper rin' as well, however I use a different system.
9. With a generous amount o' epoxy inside t' body tube, insert t' motor tube assembly into t' body tube until it is flush with t' aft end o' t' body tube.
10. A knotted loop o' shock cord is passed through t' hull 1" below t' bottom reach o' t' nose cone. T' recovery system is attached with a quicklink and t' exposed knot is epoxied t' a fairin' cut from a plastic Garcia-Vega cigar tube.
11. Epoxy a 3" piece from that same cigar tube so t' lug top is exactly 16" from t' top edge o' t' 37" long body tube. Top edge lug tube be t' CG balance point for t' 48" rocket fully loaded with a Pro38 H143SS motor (21" from t' bottom o' t' rocket/skirt-fin and 27" from t' tip o' t' 11" LOC cone. Aye aye! Reinforce lug attachment with pieces o' balsa triangle sticks at each side.
12. Critical step: usin' t' above balance point, add sand and gravel through an enlarged hole in t' bottom o' t' nose cone. Aye aye! A LOC 3" cone properly weighted should ~600 grams total t' balance an H143SS. Well, blow me down! Seal t' ballast hole securely with maskin' tape. When ballastin' t' loaded rocket, ya bilge rat, be sure t' tilt it vertically, before knife-edge balancin' at t' balance point t' make sure t' ballast has settled t' t' bottom o' t' nose cone.
13. Finishin' was done simply by sprayin' with Testor's flat light aircraft gray primer. I left t' cone "natural" white. I never bother t' seal t' spiral groove as I like t' show off that t' rocket was made from a mailin' tube.

Flight:
FunnelVision 3.0 is designed t' fly on t' 2-grain Pro38 motors only (or comparable Aerotech motors--H123 and H148 Redline, which are lighter so less ballast is needed. It will nay fly safely on t' single grain G69 or G79 Pro38 motors, me bucko, matey, due t' weight o' t' rocket. Aye aye! T' heavy ballastin' needed is a characteristic o' finless rockets. Well, blow me down! Sims say FunnelVision 3.0 will fly adequately on a G80-4 with a 29mm adapter, me bucko, givin' performance for t' 1175g rocket (unloaded weight) like that o' an Estes Big Daddy on a D12-5 but I have nay tried it. Avast! I have flown t' rocket mainly on Pro38 H143SS with 5 second delay, ya bilge rat, which has been perfect with apogee each time at about t' 630' sims predicted. Begad! Ejection o' t' 36" chute occurs just after apogee with t' rocket pointed slightly nose down. Well, blow me down! Furious turbulence be visible in t' smoky exhaust, ya bilge rat, as one might expect. Avast, me proud beauty! This would be a great Level 1 rocket for a hazard surrounded field like our Fiesta Island site, where landin' outside t' 1500' site is usually means it goes in t' water. I have also flown FunnelVision 3.0 on a Pro38 I287SS out in t' desert. Flight was safe but it oscillated violently and flew a spiral path under power, shiver me timbers, straightenin' out after burnout. Well, blow me down! Ejection, ya bilge rat, descent and recovery were still acceptable. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! I believe this very high drag airframe does nay much like t' intense wake turbulence generated by t' 310 mph flight on t' I287SS, arrr, and be recoilin' against it, causin' t' tail t' oscillate. Avast! Ahoy! For this reason, arrr, matey, shiver me timbers, I don't recommend flyin' FunnelVision 3.0 at more than 200 mph, ya bilge rat, although t' 3-grain Cesaroni I motors (I212SS and I205) might be a possibility since sims predict about 830' at 255 mph for these.

Summary:
PROs:

• This design has unique potential as a L1 and sport rocket for minimum sized high power fields with trees, water or other rocket-eatin' hazards.
• Cheap, me hearties, quick t' build, me bucko, me hearties, and very robust design for 38mm H power.
• Looks unusual, gets attention at launches with lots o' noise, flame, and smoke but without need t' chase very far after it.
• No fins t' break. Immune t' hangar rash. Sturdy.

CONs:

• Heavy ballastin' is a fact o' life with finless designs.
• Limited choice o' motors. Avast! Aye aye! Need t' keep speed down t' assure stability.