Model Rocket Building Blog
Corkscrew 2 Build BackstoryHere's a fun, easy to build design by Bruce Levison . The CORK SCREW won him first place in the FlisKits Design of the Month Contest in October, 2003. Here's how Bruce described his entry: October entry #3, the Cork Screw by Bruce Levison of Ohio. Attached is my submission for the FlisKit's Design ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 1 PartsMr. Levison's Cork Screw was designed for 18mm engines, built around a BT -20 mainframe with a 3" ring fin on the bottom. I wanted to fly this one at the local schoolyard soccer field so I'm downsizing it for 13mm engines with a BT -5 main tube and 2 1/2" ring fin. After building it too LONG with ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 2 Engine Block PrepI had some left over Kevlar, but it was way too thick and strong for a rocket this size. Out of the three strand Kevlar , I unraveled and used a single strand. This is another budget build, I used a expended engine casing for an engine block. 1/4" was cut off using a razor saw and a mitre box. The ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 3 Engine Block PlacementThere's a little more preparation before putting glue into the tube. Feed the tied Kevlar line through the top and out the back of an empty engine casing. Lay a line of white glue around the top sides of the rounded dowel. Use enough glue to lay a bead inside the tube, but not enough to drip off ...[Read More]
Corkscrew Build Part 4 Engine Block PlacementPush the engine block in place using the marked engine casing. Press in up to the marked pencil line. Remove the casing. The reason I went into such detail is because I disagree with most instruction sheets. They'll have you spread glue 1" from the end of the tube and (hopefully) push the engine ...[Read More]
Corkscrew Build Part 5 Kevlar and Elastic Shock Cord TyingTying the elastic end of the shock cord below the top of the tube will prevent zippers. For any "new-be": A Zipper is when the Kevlar cuts a jagged line down through the top of the tube. This usually happens when the rocket is traveling too fast at ejection. The Kevlar can snap back cutting a ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 6 Nose Cone WeightEDIT: This is how I built the Corkscrew the first time around, with the nose weight. The rocket ended up a little too stable, you could see it spin on the way up, but it didn't really "cone" or spiral during boost and coasting stages. I ended up removing the clay after two flights. To be safe, I ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 7 Shock Cord AttachmentI've tied the shock cord to the eyelet in the nose cone base. Normally (on a larger diameter tube) I would cut the cord end about 1/4" to 3/8" from the knot. I'd keep it short so it wouldn't get caught between the nose cone shoulder and top of the body tube. The shock cord can get caught in the ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 8 Glue MaskingThe large ring will be glued on after the main body tube is painted. This is a dry fit to see where the glue and fillet areas will be. I drew pencil lines just to the sides of the two launch lugs on the inside of the large ring. I also marked just around the lug locations on the main body tube. ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 9 Black Ring ColorContact paper will be used for most of the black on the rocket. When applied outside the ring wall it'll strengthen the ring wall. This is actually black sheeting used for a chalkboard writing surface. I bought some after seeing the results Jason Dembrosky got using it for black trim on his ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 10 Black Spiral StripeThis is the same blackboard Contact paper applied down the body tube. With the model named the "Cork Screw" this trim was an obvious way to go. I cut a long wedge shaped piece and started at the top of the tube, overlapping the top. After I was happy with the placement, the stripe was burnished ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 11 Gluing the Rear RingGluing the ring on took some patience. I used the "double glue" method. Glue was applied to the raw tube area of the inside ring and pressed onto place, transferring half the glue line onto the tube. I let it dry for a minute and reapplied glue to the inside ring line. The ring end was hung over ...[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Part 12 Launch LugsIn Mr. Levison's instructions, he glued a launch lug farther up the main body tube. I decided to glue on two launch lugs, one on either side of the body tube. This will reinforce the ring / main body tube joint. Fillets were added to the inside joints using a toothpick.[Read More]
Corkscrew 2 Build Finished!I sprayed the nose cone black to give it a better color balance. What an easy fun build. This was a true budget model, all spare and leftover parts. I've already got it loaded and ready for flight! Followup: The Corkscrew has flown four times since this build was posted. All stable flights, with ...[Read More]
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