[GDSOB]

My 7 yo had the space derby last night and finished tied for second after the heats, and lost the runoff, so he ended up third. His ship was a tank compared to many of the others since he didn't like the sawdust from sanding the body down. He just rounded the corners and made a conical nose. A couple coats of black paint and a few decals and we were done. A few of of the lightweight ships literally fell apart, especially at the end of the run. The weak point is where the string mounting tab attaches to the body. Make sure there is sufficient wood to attach and use plenty of glue.

We also had the only electric drill winder which was odd since the directions tell how to make one. I think this helped. We used two rubber bands and lubricated with silicone spray. Seemed to work ok. I would have liked to try three rubber bands, but Owen won his heats so we didn't bother. I did see several kids (dads) with broken rubber bands or pulled the propeller hook straight due to excessive tension, so don't go crazy.

I was a judge and we awarded most creative and best use of paint, so there is more than one way to win.

Have fun, and enjoy the time with your son.