(Contributed - by Michael J. Mangieri ![[Who's Who Page]](../../images/i_owl.gif)
- 12/12/05)
Brief:
A simple but nice looking 3FNC paper rocket.
Construction:
The majority of the rocket, except for the shock cord and streamer, is made of
110# cardstock paper. The fin cores are cut from presentation board. The
template and instuctions
can be
downloaded here.
Starting with the airframe, mark the reverse side of the body tube sheet with a
line using the front side line as your guide. This is where the glue will start
as it is important not to get glue beyond this line. Rolling the body tube is
made easier by first using engine casings to start the rolling process. Apply
gentle pressure and roll the tube only until the inside edge touches the other
side of the cardboard (one complete revolution). Then, use a 1/4" wood
dowel to roll the same section of tube once again, producing a smaller radius
of curvature. Do this two or three times to set in a tighter curl. Then go back
with the engines casings and roll the tube completely. This process will make
it easier for the leading edge of the paper to meet at the proper point without
creasing. Once the tube has taken on the proper form, apply rubber cement to
the paper up to the last 1". Roll the tube and when competed, use white
glue to fasten the last 1" of tube. You can use white glue throughout and
get a stiffer tube, but the rubber cement has worked well for me and is not as
messy. Score the lines of the engine block with a ball point pen to make the
folds easier. Then fold and glue. Before the glue sets, roll the engine block
using a 1/4" wood dowel to set the curl. The two edges of the paper should
meet to complete the block. Test fit in the tube. If too large, cut a small
section of the block off and then glue the block 2 1/4" in from the rear
of the tube.
Carefully cut out the nose cone following the guides. Cut the small
"v" shaped slits along the base of the nose cone creating a saw tooth
pattern. Shape the nose cone by rolling the pattern over a narrow dowel or very
small pencil. Cut out the nose cone collar and roll it around the top of the
completed body tube (place an engine in the tube to hold its shape.) Once the
curl is achieved glue the nose cone collar together making sure it fits snuggly
but not too tight over the body tube. Place a drop of glue on the end of each
tab at the base of the nose cone and carefully attach the nose cone to the nose
cone collar. Press the tabs to the collar until the glue sets. When completely
dry apply a fillet of glue to the outside joint between the collar and the nose
cone and set the assembly aside to dry.
Cut out three fin cores out of illustration board using the template as a
guide. Cut out and glue the fin covers to each of the fin cores. Sand the root
edge of each fin and glue to the body tube aligning the bottom of each fin with
the rear of the body tube. When dry, apply a fillet of glue to each fin.
Roll and glue the launch lug (using the line to help achieve an 1/8"
diameter opening) about 1 3/4" from the rear of the body tube.
Cut out two shock cord mounts from regular paper using the template as a
guide. You can use 1/8" elastic, or Kevlar®
cord for the shock cord. I would recommend about 2' - 2.5' of elastic or 2.5'
to 3' of Kevlar®.
Glue one end of the shock cord to one of the shock cord mounts using the
typical Estes technique. Create a loop about 8" from the other end for the
streamer to be attached. Glue the remaining end to the remaining shock cord
mount. Glue the shock cord mount attached to the longer length of shock cord to
the inside front of the body tube about 1/2" in. Glue the remaining shock
cord to the inside of the nose cone shoulder as far up into the shoulder as you
can. Attach a streamer to the loop in the shock cord.
Test the completed rocket with an engine mounted for stability. Add some
clay to the inside of the nose if needed. (I found added weight wasn't
necessary.)
Finishing:
Since the template already has the artwork pre-printed, all you need do is
spray the completed rocket with clearcoat a couple of times to protect the
model against moisture and handling.
Flight:
I would recommend 1/2A6-2s for first flight, then A8-3 for the second flight. A
C6 will put it way the heck up there! The Lil Spike flies straight as an arrow.
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