Brief:
Single-stage parachute recovery, ya bilge rat, suitable and simple t' adapt t' a level 3 project.

Hosts a 3 or 4 inch motor mount and can fly on M and above class motors.

Engineered t' employ single event recovery, but can be set up for dual event deployment as well. Begad! Blimey! There is ample room in t' payload compartment for several avionic devices.

Construction:
T' nose cone is Maximum Thrust Rocketry's own creation, and appears t' be cast fiberglass. Well, blow me down! It's very strong yet nay overly heavy. This nose cone as well as t' payload section, arrr, was drilled t' accept 6 large wood screws that keep t' nose cone in place durin' flight.

T' airframe is ultra thick and strong paper tubes that are unglossed and take on epoxies and fiberglass readily. These are t' same strong tubes I used and reviewed in me latest pair o' scratch cluster designs, Hazmat and Shockwave.

T' airframe was reinforced internally from t' top o' t' motor mount all t' way t' t' middle o' t' payload section with thick coupler tubes made o' t' same thick material, but without t' white coating. Well, blow me down! Blimey! These were liberally soaked with West Systems slow epoxy and fitted into place. T' outside o' t' airframe was double fiberglassed with two layers o' cloth, me bucko, t' first heavy, me bucko, t' other medium grade, arrr, adhered again with West Systems epoxy. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' grains o' t' layers were placed perpendicular t' one another. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' fin faces were glassed continuous with t' face adjacent with one large piece o' medium grade cloth. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' top layer o' epoxy is Z Poxy finishin' epoxy.

There are 4 fins made o' Baltic birch honed t' an actually sharp airfoil shape. They were expertly cut and matched well. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! They were nay warped at all. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Their size is impressive, matey, me hearties, arrr, creatin' a 30 inch fin span betwixt adjacent tips when t' rocket be assembled.

T' motor mount is 4 inches and comes with a 3 inch adapter with 4 centerin' rings. Ahoy! Blimey! I chose t' fiberglass and foam it permanently in place t' prevent any chance o' a free flyin' motor. Blimey! T' main motor mount comes with 3 centerin' rings, me hearties, nice thick 1/2 inch birch. Arrr! I used these t' reinforce t' airframe betwixt t' couplers. Ahoy! I also used 2 part polyurethane t' foam in t' gaps in t' airframe inside where t' fins were. Arrr! Arrr! All joints o' t' fins t' t' motor tube and t' t' inside o' t' body tube were fiberglassed with strips o' medium grade cloth and West Systems slow epoxy. Well, blow me down! T' fiberglassin' o' t' main body was extended over t' aftmost centerin' rin' t' add extra strength. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' main body tube was further affixed t' t' aft centerin' rin' with 4 wood screws under t' fiberglass.

T' shock cord is 20 feet o' 1 inch wide tubular nylon. Arrr! As per t' recommendation o' both me TAP advisors, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I installed a parallel redundant shock cord twice as long, with a 20 foot length o' 1/2 inch wide tubular nylon quick linked t' 20 feet o' 1/2 inch thick bungee cord. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Both cords are quick linked t' MASSIVE 4 inch u-bolts through bulkheads made o' 1/2 inch thick birch in t' booster and in t' payload section bulkhead.

T' instructions were hand-drawn but adequate. Since this isn't for a new rocketeer, me hearties, arrr, details are probably nay as important t' spell out. I also modified this kit anyway, t' suit me level 3 requirements and t' incorporate me past reinforcement ideas. Begad! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' instructions were in a simple, logical order and thar are a couple simple pictures that mainly illustrate t' big picture, shiver me timbers, arrr, nay fine details.

I created me own motor retention system usin' a pair o' 5.5 inch by 1/4 inch thick centerin' rings from Space Modelin' Solutions. Begad! Blimey! I ordered these rings with 3 inch holes t' accept me Kosdon 76/6000 hardware. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' first o' t' pair o' rings was permanently epoxied and bolted t' t' aftmost centerin' rin' o' t' main body. Blimey! Blimey! T' motor's thin metal thrust rin' rested against this ring. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! then t' second rin' be screwed with 4 wood screws until it lay flat and tight against t' first ring. Arrr! Two steel mirror hangers were screwed in through both rings and their hooked ends held t' motor 180 degrees apart from each other.

T' parachute is a decommissioned 15 foot white nylon military chute. Begad! It came with links t' add it right into t' recovery system.

T' rocket comes with two very thick and strong launch lugs that can take one inch rods and I glassed them onto t' rocket, but TAP members seemed t' prefer t' rail system, so I came prepared with a set o' rail guides and a friend with a rail launcher. (Thanks, Marc Casanova!)

T' only difficult part was cuttin' t' grooves in t' body tube t' fit it over t' motor mount/fin assembly.

T' result is a strong rocket that can fly well unglassed, ya bilge rat, but I glassed it just t' be certain o' strength.

Finishing:
I used teal and purple Krylon spray paint for t' nose cone and fins and Monokote for teal, black, me hearties, and purple color fields along t' length o' t' rocket. Blimey! Blimey! This was meant t' be an Arizona Diamondbacks tribute, and was named T' Big Unit. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' parachute had red markings t' make it look like a giant baseball in t' sky.

Metallic band accents separated t' color fields. These bands are self adhesive mylar.

While this looked nice, it doesn't stand up t' near-mach conditions. A small section o' t' black field on t' payload section was shorn off durin' t' flight. Blimey! Ya scallywag! But t' rocket still returned t' me flyable.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Any M class motor is recommended. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! I didn't see whether any N types were recommended, me bucko, matey, but I think that with me glassing, it could withstand that.

I chose t' Kosdon M1130 and recovery was accomplished with 3 altimeters. Avast! Blimey! Yes, matey, three. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! This was me level 3 cert that I'd lived and breathed durin' every free minute off work for a month before it finally flew. I was havin' paranoid thoughts and decided on a second backup. Ahoy! Blimey! My primary altimeter is a Blacksky AltAcc, me hearties, me hearties, and accelerometer. Aye aye! T' first backup is a Skyward Electronics barometric altimeter. Blimey! Blimey! I added a G Wiz 800, matey, another accelerometer. 7 grams o' FFFF black powder proved t' be sufficient on me front yard tests...yes, me hearties, it sounded like a small cannon too. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! T' chute be protected with a pair o' Nomex/Keelhaul®©™ round protectors.

Everythin' went together easily, me bucko, matey, but mainly because I chose t' mount t' electronics at home and place t' charge in t' field.

I had been nervous all week, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, but now I was simply cool and said t' t' guys, matey, "It's showtime."

T' RSO had already made his rounds, me hearties, so all I had t' do was march t' t' pad...500 feet away. Blimey! Yes, matey, I had added 300 more feet o' cord t' me system t' prepare for this, and guys had helped me clear lots o' area t' prevent fires. Arrr! Thanks, me bucko, Randall (my husband) and Bryan Foss (a friend in t' club).

Placin' t' behemoth on t' pad was a 3 man job. Begad! I realized this when I actually saw me creation full standing.

Than it came time t' arm all t' altimeters. One had a screw t' turn and t' other two had banana jacks t' pull out. But t' rocket be so tall that I had t' stand on top o' t' cab o' me husband's truck t' reach!!! If anyone has a photo o' that, I'd love it.

T' igniter be a pair o' magnums from Fire in t' Hole, with an extra 3 inches o' thermalite dipped in Igniterman pyrogen. Begad! I would these igniters around a wooden dowel rod and put it up into t' motor and taped it securely. Begad! I didn't want pressure t' blow them out.

Then I be about t' hook up me system. Aye aye! I always tap t' alligators together t' be sure it's nay live. Begad! IT WAS!!! When I heard t' continuity piezo signal, I blanched for sure. Begad! Avast! I'm SOOO glad I didn't have an M go off near me face.

Well, when it flew, ya bilge rat, it roared so straight that I could have climbed t' smoke trail. Aye aye! It seemed like t' chute tangled, me hearties, but opened without any body tube zippering. Begad! But it seemed like thar be an awful lot o' smoke up there. Aye aye! When t' RSO said thar might be a fire, I be lookin' up. maybe 7 grams be too much...but t' RSO be worried about t' ground. Begad! Avast! T' motor had churned up so much dust that it looked like extra smoke and created a hole in t' ground!

Yahoo! Blimey! 4736 feet t' altimeter said. Well, blow me down! Blimey! that be fun. I think I'll do it again.

Recovery:
I think t' recovery was at t' right time. Nay too early and nay late. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute took a moment t' open, me hearties, arrr, but maybe that be due t' its great size.

Other than a little Monokote bein' peeled, t' rocket was flyable again and unharmed.

T' only thin' I'd change is t' use paint instead o' Monokote, or t' apply more heat t' apply it. Aye aye! Blimey! T' last coat, which was t' one torn, ya bilge rat, was a rush job t' night before and I could have applied more heat for longer. Maybe it would have stayed on then. Avast, me proud beauty! Monokote does look really great, me bucko, matey, though, me hearties, and can hide rough bits on fiberglassed surfaces.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Great project, ya bilge rat, huge and magnificent. A real attention getter. Begad! Well, blow me down! Simple and straightforward and a performer. Ya scallywag! Really, no CONS.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5