I entered t' box o' parts competition because it looked like fun, I had mentioned it t' a few o' me friends in my rocket club, matey, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and before I knew five o' them entered it as well. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! So off went a large box with t' parts for 6 entrants, and a few weeks later another box returned -it was like Christmas goin' through t' box. Ya scallywag! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Next be t' task o' splitting op t' box betwixt t' 6 entrants. Blimey! At t' end 6 "equal" bags were formed and randomly given out. Well, blow me down! I be quite pleased with me bag, others had complete rockets in the, me bucko, one had a parasitic glider, another had helicopter rotor blades. Ya scallywag! So what did I have?

I'm nay goin' t' list it all but here is a flavour:

• Loads o' tubes o' various sizes, matey, me hearties, several small BT5 etc
• Couplers
• Balsa sheets - one o' a complete set o' fins, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, another 2 sheets o' really low grade balsa
• Three noses comes, as different sizes
• Lots o' toothpicks
• Various couplers
• Small sheets o' printer labels
• Ice cream tubes
• A polystyrene ball
• Motor mounts
• Engine hooks
• Pipe cleaner
• A 14 inch parachute canopy
• Length o' elastic. Avast! Blimey!

Well what t' do.

Gliders were out, helicopter was a possibility, cluster, ya bilge rat, matey, two stage. Aye aye! Aye aye! After spendin' several weeks dry fittin' parts and changin' me mind I decided on a rocket in me head. Begad! T' criteria for me rocket was

• It could nay be too big - 14 inch chute.
• Clustered - but able t' launch on a single motor
• Draggy
• Unusual. Begad!

T' main body tube chose itself - it fitted t' nose cone I wanted t' use. Aye aye! T' motor choice be goin' t' be 24mm as I was headin' for a draggy model, so I would need a motor capable o' liftin' it. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! There was goin' t' be at least 4 external motor pods - opted for 13mm. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' base was goin' t' be bulky, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and was goin' t' have tabs on it, shiver me timbers, so t' rocket would rotate as it boosted. Ahoy! Aye aye!

Building

T' motor mount was a fairly standard construction. Arrr! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! A 24mm motor mount tube with a motor retention clip, arrr, ya bilge rat, an engine block at t' end and two centerin' rings t' fit t' body tube. Avast! T' motor mount be then glued into t' body tube. Begad!
Four BT20 tubes 190mm in length were then glues t' t' outside o' t' main body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! These were t' take 4 A10 - PT motors as a cluster. T' joins betwixt t' body tubes were filleted four times with wood glue, me hearties, me hearties, and then model filler was used t' give a smooth finish. Aye aye! T' shock cord was anchored t' t' body tube usin' Estes tri fold paper method - I was tempted t' cheat and add some Keelhaul®©™ here, but integrity got t' better o' me.
T' nose cone had t' flash removed and was then sanded down t' remove t' seam. Ahoy! Two coats o' sealer gave it a smooth finish with no imperfections showing. Avast! T' main body tube etc was then given three coats o' sandin' sealer, me bucko, matey, and rubbed down with 200 paper in between, to remove t' spirals. Blimey! Blimey!
Usin' a strip o' thick balsa, 7mm by 26mm, shiver me timbers, I made a box around a large coupler. This box was goin' t' have the fins and rotation tabs added. Avast! T' balsa was quite badly marked and was t' soft type o' balsa that I usually avoid. Well, blow me down! Arrr! The box was sanded several times and filled with model filler t' remove all o' t' dents. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Usin' t' same balsa strips I then added 4 64mm struts t' t' middle o' each side o' t' box. Begad! These would have the rotation tabs added t' them. Begad! A larger coupler (40 mm diameter) - with some deep spirals had four thin strips o' balsa wood glued t' t' inside. This be just right size t' side over t' body tube. T' spirals were filled and had t' have several coats o' sanding sealer before it was smooth.
Usin' four almost square balsa fins that were part o' a model kit, I added t' fins. This was one t' part that I like about t' rocket, t' fins are at right angles t' how they would normally. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! It still gives stabilization but looks a bit different. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Also as t' rocket be goin' t' be rotating, t' fins would nay hinder t' spinning. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy!
T' corner spaces betwixt t' box and t' couple were just t' right size for body tubes, which were added for decoration. Well, blow me down! Four trapezium shaped pieces o' balsa had a 3mm square strip o' balsa added t' t' short edge, arrr, and then were glued to t' struts. Avast, me proud beauty! These were t' provide spin. Well, blow me down!
T' top o' t' struts were then drilled t' accept four cocktail sticks, just for decoration. Arrr! Blimey!

T' entire o' t' coupler base unit had three coats o' sandin' sealer added, me bucko, with all t' fiddly bits, shiver me timbers, t' sanding down was quite tricky. Ya scallywag! Begad!

T' main body tube fitted neatly into t' large coupler base. Begad!

Finishing

• I went for a red/yellow finish
• Everythin' was given two coats o' primer. Well, arrr, blow me down!
• T' main body tube be given 4 coats o' light yellow spray paint.
• T' nose cone was given three coats o' red gloss
• T' base unit be given three coats o' rouge. Avast! Avast!
• T' four decoration tubes were hand painted enamel yellow
• T' decoration coupler was sprayed rouge
• T' cocktail sticks were hand painted yellow

T' box o' parts had no sticks or decals in it, shiver me timbers, me bucko, other than three address labels.

Given various pleas on TRF about t' lack or entrants with only a few weeks t' go I came up with t' name o' the rocket t' be PROCRASTINATOR. Partly because I knew it would be towards t' end o' t' month before I submitted and also because I new that this would be a draggy, slowish rocket. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flights

First flight took place with another box o' parts entrant. Avast, me proud beauty! It was a still day, me bucko, matey, and was slightly rainin' - which ruined t' stickers as I had nay varnished t' rocket yet. Motor choice was a D12-3. Begad! Avast! It could have been a D12-5, me hearties, as I reckon that it would be about a four second delay for apogee. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!

T' take off was good, t' rocket started t' rotate after about 50 foot, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and the rotation got faster and faster as t' D12 burnt. Begad! Ejection took place after apogee as expected. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' recovery was scarily fast, as expected. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket needs a 24 inch 'chute. Arrr! Ahoy! It hade a 14 inch chute! On handin' t' aft protrudin' fins all popped off. Ya scallywag!

Again I had expected that t' happen. Ya scallywag!

Second flight took place a week later with three o' t' other UK contestants. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' flight be on a D12 again. Begad! Ya scallywag! It was a straight flight with a slight oscillation until t' spinnin' kicked in. As soon as t' spinnin' kicked in, t' flight was arrow straight which was really pleasin' t' see. Begad! Ejection was just past and again fins popped off on landing. Blimey!

Third flight be time for t' procrastinator t' be clustered. Well, blow me down! Four A10 -PT were added, in addition t' t' D12-3. The procrastinator jumped off t' pad. Begad! T' flight be much higher and t' extra speed really did make t' rocket spin. Again t' recovery be fast and again t' fins popped off.

After t' competition is finished I'm goin' t' have two 24 inch chute on this rocket. Arrr!