Brief:
This project was an upgrade o' t' typical Big Daddy t' a 29mm mount with fiberglass reinforcement t' t' fins and lots o' nose weight with a funky flame job.

Modifications:
This is an old style Big Daddy I ran across for $15 which sure beats t' heck out o' t' regular retail price o' ~$30 or whatever it is.

So first up be t' MMT. Aye aye! Blimey! I used 30 minute epoxy because that’s what I have in t' house and a #6-32 threaded rod for me positive motor retention. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Everythin' got a good dose o' epoxy. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' threaded rod was epoxied for t' full length o' t' MMT tube. Then I drilled a hole in t' aft centerin' as close t' t' middle as possible so t' threaded rod sticks out t' back end about one inch. Blimey! Avast! Durin' flight, I use a small fender washer and nut for motor retention. I have used this method effectively on many rockets and have never lost a motor.

Next up are t' launch lugs. Begad! I wanted t' push t' lugs as far apart as possible on t' body tube cause I think it looks cool. I’ve done this before with success.

I used a dowel rod t' mount an eyelet t' attach t' shock cord and parachute. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I be goin' t' do this with threaded rod sleeved t' an eyebolt but that didn't work out. I don't trust t' little loop Estes provides on t' side o' t' nose cone considerin' t' type o' shock cord I am using. Anyways t' rod was inserted into t' nose cone and epoxy poured around it. Blimey! I cut tiny little notches out on t' side so t' epoxy would have a little somethin' t' grab to.

I elected t' use t' stock balsa fins that came with t' kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Nay t' worry as I glassed them tip-to-tip. With one exception o' some blisterin' with one o' t' glassed areas, shiver me timbers, this went fairly smooth.

Construction:
T' body tube, ya bilge rat, fins, me bucko, and nose cone were all that were used from t' stock Estes Big Daddy kit. Begad! Here are t' additions: 1/4" launch lugs, 18" nylon parachute, shiver me timbers, me hearties, Nomex® heat sheild, matey, 29mm centerin' rings, arrr, 10ft o' 1/4" shock cord, 29mm motor mount tube, #6-32 threaded rod for motor retention, matey, 1/8" eye bolt t' attach t' shock cord, me bucko, and a dowel rod epoxied into t' nose cone t' attach t' cord.

After flyin' it once, I took t' nose cone and cut t' bottom out and cut about 2 inches off o' t' dowel rod. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I found that thar be no way t' get me heat shield, matey, 18" nylon parachute, and shock cord packed into t' bird with a 29mm 40/120 casin' in it. Ahoy! Blimey! After that modification was made I be able t' get all t' laundry in t' nose cone. Ahoy! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! This modification this is an important step t' consider early on because it is a pain t' correct after t' fact.

Finishing:
Finishin' be pretty typical for most Estes rockets. Begad! I used wood filler for most o' t' imperfections like t' tube spirals. For primin' I used Kilz spray primer. Avast, me proud beauty! That is hands down t' best primer I have ever used and I followed that up with a couple o' coats o' gloss black. Aye aye! Arrr! Then I picked up some 1/8" plastic blue maskin' tape for t' flames at a specialty painters store and used 1 inch blue maskin' tape for all o' t' areas that stayed black. Well, blow me down! Avast! A couple o' coats o' red, yellow, ya bilge rat, and white, me bucko, and me flames were complete.

Flight:
So far, I have flown this bird twice. Ya scallywag! First was at Michigan Team 1 Fall 2006 launch on an F20 with a 7 second delay. Begad! Blimey! RockSim predicted an optimal delay o' just under 7 seconds but that was far too long. Avast! Then on January 27th, matey, 2007, me bucko, shiver me timbers, matey, I went t' Tripoli Michiana launch and flew it on an F52 with a 8 second delay. Arrr! Again, RockSim predicted a touch over 8 seconds for t' optimal delay. Ya scallywag! Real world results differ because again t' delay be again too long. Avast, me proud beauty! Despite t' longish delays, both flights were a success with no damage. Arrr! I believe this is ready for a G64!

Summary:
This project is a "must do" for anyone who is into mid-power rocketry. Ahoy! This will test your buildin' skills and rocketry knowledge, me hearties, matey, nay t' mention this is a hoot t' fly.