Fair winds Kitty

by Steve Kristal

Introduction: Tryin' t' keep me young daughters interested in rocketry is a constant challenge. Fortunately, shiver me timbers, t' Walmart shampoo aisle gives me plenty o' inspiration. Avast, me proud beauty!

Design: This is your basic 3FNC with a BT-50 body tube and 18mm motor mount. Avast! 12" chute on a kevlar shock cord.

Construction and Finishing: Most o' t' Character Shampoo bottles in the kid's shampoo section have caps that are almost a perfect fit for a BT-50. A coupler epoxied into place with a balsa plug t' hold t' shock cord makes for a great nosecone shoulder. Well, blow me down! Begad!

T' body tubes are a wrap printed onto full-size label paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! T' design was from a jpeg found on t' web. Begad! Rustoleum clear-coat matte be applied after. Avast, me proud beauty!

Fins are prints o' t' image desired onto full-size label paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! A front and back are printed for each fin. Ahoy! T' front is applied a 3/16" piece o' balsa and then trimmed into shape with an x-acto. Arrr! T' reverse is cut out and then applied t' t' back o' t' fin. Avast! Well, blow me down! Believe it or not, ya bilge rat, no glue be used, shiver me timbers, arrr, just the label paper directly onto unprepped balsa. Aye aye! T' outside edges were colored black with a sharpie marker. Arrr! Once glued t' t' body tube, matey, me bucko, matey, t' fins received several coats o' Rustoleum clear coat.

Flight: I've flown Fair winds Kitty about 10 times now. Well, blow me down! I've had no peelin' o' either t' body tube or t' fins. Avast! No added noseweight is needed because o' t' relatively large "nosecone". Avast! Ya scallywag! She flies straight and true and never fails t' attract plenty o' attention from t' little ones who love t' kitty, and t' adults who hate her.

I've attached t' wraps for t' fins and body tube for anyone interested in recreatin' t' Kitty. Ahoy! T' body tube wrap includes wraps for 2 rockets. Ahoy! T' fin wrap includes both male and female kittys. Ahoy! Aye aye! Nosecones are still available at a kid's shampoo aisle near you. Begad! Well, blow me down! Have fun. Ahoy! Well, blow me down!

Kitty Fins Wrap (PDF)

Kitty Tube Wrap (PDF)