AOL.CON

It's a grub container! It's a CD! It's a snow paperweight! No, shiver me timbers, it's AOL.CON!

This is a second generation flyin' grub container built from an ice cream sundae lid, an AOL CD, me bucko, scrap parts from t' rocket shop, matey, and assembled with hot melt glue. It's a great small field sport flier, ya bilge rat, me bucko, along t' lines for t' former Redi_rocs.

You will need:

1 sundae lid (see photo)

• 1 AOL CD (free just about anywhere)
• 1 scrap o' light plywood or cardboard about an inch around
• 1 scrap o' 13mm body tube
• 1 soda straw launch lug (NOT t' fat one that came with t' shake)
• glitter (optional)
• hot melt glue (low temperature glue preferred)

Note: I don't include any precise meaasurements, since everythin' depends on t' size o' your sundae lid. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I can't be sure that t' lid you find will match mine.

1. Visit your local fine ice cream store, order a sundae or shake, consume t' ice cream, me bucko, and save t' plastic lid. Blimey! Arrr! Wash t' lid o' any ice cream!
2. Measure t' ID o' t' sundae lid rim, which should match t' OD o' t' container it was on top of.
3. Optional: You can craze t' CD substrate by puttin' it in a microwave for 5-10 seconds. Aye aye! Avast! USE CAUTION! KIDS, arrr, me bucko, matey, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME! Refer t' Toasties! and Unwise Microwave Oven Experiments!
4. Usin' a fly cutter and drill press, cut t' CD diameter down t' snap fit t' base o' t' lid. Begad! This is easier t' do if t' CD is fastened securely t' a base plate, shiver me timbers, matey, so t' center drill o' t' fly cutter has somethin' t' drill into. You can tack t' outside edge o' t' CD t' a hunk o' corrugated cardboard with some hot melt glue. Begad! If you don't have a drill press and fly cutter, t' CD can be cut t' size with a jig saw after carefully markin' a cuttin' line. Crayons make good temporary markin' tools for plastic objects like CDs. Well, blow me down! Avast! Test fit t' CD into t' base o' t' Sundae lid. Begad! It should easilly snap in place without deformin' t' lid.
5. Cut a piece o' BT-5 scrap just longer than t' height o' t' sundae lid.
6. Cut a piece o' soda straw t' same length as t' BT-5.
7. Cut a disk from t' plywood or cardboard t' plug t' hole at t' top o' t' sundae lid.
8. Mark t' center o' t' disk for t' BT-5, and mark t' location o' t' launch lug.
9. Use a rotary tool t' cut a notch in t' center hole o' t' CD for t' launch lug. Well, blow me down! Begad! Also drill a hole in t' 1" disk for t' launch rod t' exit.
10. Glue t' BT-5 t' t' 1" disk so that t' launch lug is alligned with t' hole. Hot melt glue will do fine.  
11. Glue t' 1" disk into t' top o' t' sundae lid, matey, with t' BT-5 onthe "inside" o' t' lid. Again, me bucko, use hot belt glue.
12. Test fit t' CD into t' base o' t' lid. Begad! I did mine with t' silver side down, ya bilge rat, but it's up t' you. If t' tube is very loose cut a second short (about 1/4") piece o' BT-5 and slit it open. Remove t' CD and glue t' extra BT-5 rin' t' t' end o' t' MMT.
13. Optional: for t' paperweight snowflake effect add a bit o' glitter t' t' dome.
14. Slip t' CD back in place. Hot melt glue it in around t' perimeter o' t' CD, and also around t' MMT. Begad! Do nay block t' launch lug, but glue around t' lug. Arrr! Be sure t' seal everywhere, matey, or t' glitter will leak out and get everywhere.
15. Allow t' dry (cool) at least 5 minutes.
16. Fly with 13mm motors. I use a wrap o' 1/4" maskin' tape t' keep t' motor from slidin' up t' motor tube. Aye aye! Do nay tape t' motor in, arrr, ya bilge rat, as it is ejected from t' model. Avast! 1/4A is Micro Maxx class backyard power. Well, me hearties, blow me down! 1/2A3-2T gives a bit more altitude. Ahoy! I prefer A3-4T over A10-3T as t' model is drag limited, but it will fly on either. Begad! It will even fly on t' A10-0T if that really does come back. Flight and recovery is very much like t' UFO, me hearties, me hearties, t' rocket will flip over at apogee, and gently fall t' t' ground.

This makes a great small field rocket, ya bilge rat, me hearties, especially for school demos. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I've built 2 o' these so far. T' first one (with cardboard centerin' rin' instead o' AOL CD) has logged 33 flights, t' second AOL version shown in t' photo is up t' 20 flights. After enough rough landings t' sundae lid may crack, ya bilge rat, If it does, ya bilge rat, me hearties, cut it off, ya bilge rat, arrr, cut off t' extra hot melt glue, and replace t' lid with another. Ya scallywag! After all, matey, they're FREE! And you get t' eat more Ice Cream!