Brief:
My latest saucer-like contraption is inspired by Armadillo Aerospace's Quad lander and is named after the groundbreaking The Who album from 1973. I took numerous liberties with Armadillo's concept--some to make it more robust (in my application), some because there is no reason to detail it until it has successfully flown, and some just because I "used what I got" for most components.

Construction:
The parts list:

• Four 4" Styrofoam balls
• Dowel
• Four 18mm motor tubes (approximate length used)
• 5" x 5" square of 1/16" plywood
• Three inch section of 24mm tube
• Scrap foamboard
• Launch lug
• ¼" square balsa rod
• Scrap foam rubber
• Four plastic drywall nuts

I joined the foam balls using pieces of dowel and 18mm tubes. The tubes were easily twisted into the balls and after the assembly was dry fit, I glued it together with Gorilla Glue. The alignment was all done by "eyeballing" it. To support the 24mm motor tube, I glued a 5" x 5" plywood plate on the top using 5-minute epoxy. This plate is not in the Armadillo "design", but it was an easy way to support the motor tube. I drilled the center hole on a drill press and notched a slot for the launch rod using a Dremel. A launch lug was added to the tube and I used scrap pieces of foamboard to brace the motor tube against the foam balls. Trim (to date) includes the balsa rod, squares of foam rubber, and the drywall nut shock absorbers. These approximate the look of the Armadillo lander. More trim components, such as "plumbing" tubes, may be added later.

Finishing:
I painted the top pieces and shock absorbers with silver acrylic paint and left the balls naked (I don't have a photo of the painted version.) I also smeared white glue on the balls in the areas that are likely to meet hot exhaust.

Flight and Recovery:
I friction fin a D12-P and let her rip. As I expected, it was stable on the way up and it came down a little harder than a typical "saucer" design of these dimensions. Even with the use of soft foam on the top, the balls separated from the plywood plate. No big deal, several dabs of epoxy fixed her up.

Summary:
I love saucer-like things and this is no exception. I got several favorable comments at the launch and one person even recognized it. It came out heavier than I expected and is likely to pop apart on each landing. I never thought I'd say this, but I need a material lighter than Styrofoam!