Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1520252
SPORT ROCKETRY MAY/JUNE 2024 27 of course, counting backwards from five to zero. ere are others, but you get the idea. e first and most important skill is to have patience with yourself. Your first quilt probably looked like my first quilt—a bit of a trapezoid. Your first model might not be perfect. at's OK. One of the great things I've seen in the rocketry community is the patience and gentleness they show the newbies. You'll receive help, and not only from your own special guy. at said, the difference between a trapezoidal quilt and a not-quite-straight rocket is that no one will shout "heads-up!" and duck because of the quilt. So, on to another important skill: build it straight. It doesn't matter if the stripes on the fins are crooked, but it does matter if the fins are on straight. It matters if the body tube is straight. is is the place to be extra care- ful. If he's especially kind and supportive, he might loan you a fancy tool that makes getting those fins on absolutely straight easier, with far less stress than holding a slippery body tube up against the door- frame to mark it. Now, I sew quite a bit, and one of my mottos is "As ye sew, so shall ye rip." I can't tell you how many times I've ripped out the Big Bertha in Carlsbad High livery on li-off, Tri-Cities. facing on a sewing project and put it back on the inside. Depending on the model, there are steps where that kind of re-do just isn't possible. at's where a good mentor (your hubby, of course) comes in. He can tell you what parts of the build are irrevo- cable, so take a deep breathe, reach down into yourself for confidence, and don't glue in the motor mount until you know it fits. Use the mindset you use to sew a formal in some slippery, easily-frayed material, or proofread the press announcement one Avis in her workspace at home, repairing Heli-roc aer mishap. Photo by Bernard Cawley.