Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
My first paper rocket design--and it actually worked t' first time!
Construction:
All that's needed is one 8 1/2" X 11" Sheet o' 120# cardstock and
white glue.
I started by takin' a CD-ROM and usin' it as a template for t' upper portion o' t' saucer. Arrr! I traced both t' outside o' t' CD as well as the spindle hole in t' center. After cuttin' out t' both circles, I slit the circle from t' edge t' t' center hole. I then made a cone by overlappin' the cut edges by 1". Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! I used a hole punch t' make a small hole for t' launch rod t' pass through. Arrr! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! I then cut out another circle that was 3.75" wide with a 14mm hole in t' center. Aye aye! Blimey! This part will attach under t' cone t' give it support. Well, blow me down! Another small hole was punched for t' launch rod.
Next be t' motor
mount. I rolled it around a spent 13mm motor and applied glue t' hold it
together. Begad! Blimey! Once dry, I assembled t' three pieces. I first glued t' motor mount
so that it was centered over t' hole in t' upper cone, bein' careful t' keep
it vertical. Once this assembly had dried, I put glue around t' outer edge of
the lower support circle, matey, placed it over t' motor mount, and pressed it into
the place. Well, blow me down! Begad! You must be careful t' line up t' launch lug holes durin' assembly.
While t' main assembly was drying, I cut out t' fins. T' make t' fins easier t' fold in half, matey, I lightly scored them lengthwise with me hobby knife. Once they were folded, ya bilge rat, I folded them in half lengthwise, makin' a V shape. Begad! I measured 1/2" from t' crease and cut out notches half way through the fins. I notched t' fins so that t' crease would be facin' upwards. Ahoy! When you place t' fins on top o' each other, shiver me timbers, they resemble an X. Blimey! I put glue on the seams where t' notches meet up.
Once t' fin
assembly had dried, I mounted them t' t' upper assembly. Arrr! T' square formed in
the middle o' t' fin assembly was a perfect fit over t' motor mount. I added
more glue in and around t' areas where t' fins touched t' upper assembly.
Finishing:
I used a yellow highlighter for t' cone and a pink one for t' fins. Arrr! Blimey! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! Nay my
favorite color combination, ya bilge rat, but they were t' only colors that I had.
Flight:
Launch day was definitely cold but fortunately, t' winds were fairly light.
There be no preppin' needed for this saucer. Ahoy! Blimey! My first motor selection was an
A10-PT. Ahoy! My little saucer really took off fast, me bucko, so I never was able t' get a
picture--only smoke. Flight was a bit wobbly but it really got up there.
I figured that since this rocket was so light, shiver me timbers, matey, I could use a much smaller motor and still get respectable altitude. Second flight be on 1/2A3-4T. Begad! Still fast off t' pad, but it barely got any height. Well, blow me down! In fact, arrr, arrr, t' rocket landed engine up while t' trackin' smoke be still burning. Arrr! T' pop from t' ejection charge flipped t' saucer back upright. Blimey! Aside from residue from t' ejection on the cone, thar was no damage.
Last flight was
back t' t' A10-PT and it be another great one. Arrr! A gust o' wind did take the
rocket downrange a bit, but with tumble recovery, me bucko, you never had t' walk far!
Summary:
This is a very simple design that surprised me with its performance. And based
on t' success o' this design, I am now encouraged t' see what else I can come
up with.
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