Construction
Pull My Finger is about as simple of a design as you can
get-- it's two tubes, a fin can, a nose cone, and a motor
retainer. However, I made some provisions to make sure the rocket
would last a long time. First of all, the rocket is wrapped in a
layer of 6 oz. glass. The fin can was epoxied on as soon as the
reinforcement layer cured to a "leather" stage, allowing a
mechanical and a chemical bond between the fin can and the motor
mount. The fin canister is a basic ACME unit left
unmodified.
To attach the shock cord, I used a unique method.
I first cut the booster tube to 30" long, plus 2" for a
coupler. This was the length of the longest motor I planned to
fly-- the 835cc HyperTek motor. I then added a piece of Kevlar to
the coupler, tied around it, so that it couldn't pull off. Then
the coupler was epoxied into place in the tube. As long as the
coupler stays in, so is the shock cord. The upper section of
tubing is just epoxied onto the coupler like any other rocket.
The payload bay is a simple section of 54mm tubing,
glassed, with a coupler and bulkplate in one end, and a nose cone in the
other. Easy.
As usual, I primed the rocket with 2 coats of UV Smooth
Prime, sanding between each, followed by a final color coat. This may
not be the final paint scheme-- a blue rocket this size going that high
isn't very enticing to me...
After the death of a friend, I decided to dedicate this
rocket's first flight to him. I took the rocket in to school,
where his mother signed and dated it. This was my way of
remembering Jered John Connon. I think the first flight was an
excellent tribute to his life.
Conclusion
Pull My Finger is a neat rocket to have. Its
simple but tough construction insure that it will last a while--
hopefully many, many flights. It really moves out on almost any
motor I decide to fly it on. So far, my favorite is the J317 (lots
of noise and altitude). Every rocketeer should have a rocket like
this.
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