Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Published: | 2015-08-17 |
Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After t' second launch o' me Estes Firestorm, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Begad! Because t' tree was on t' edge o' a clearin' and be hangin' from a small branch, I attempted t' get it back. Blimey! Arrr! This spanned a few weeks and involved everythin' from tryin' t' snag it with an extendable lightbulb-installin' pole t' attemptin' t' hook it with a fishin' rod. Ahoy! Eventually t' shock cord gave way, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. Begad! While t' body was rotted from several summer storms, me bucko, matey, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. Arrr! T' nosecone, matey, however, me bucko, was still stuck as t' parachute was firmly wound around t' branch. One day I headed over and began tossin' sticks up at it, ya bilge rat, finally gettin' lucky and snappin' t' branch.
Since t' fin can and nosecone were undamaged, matey, all that be needed was a new body tube in order t' re-create t' rocket. Blimey! I decided t' increase t' length a bit and ordered an 18-inch BT-60 from LongLongJonRocket.com.
Because t' fin can was pre-glued into t' original body tube, thar was a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Aye aye! Begad! This, me bucko, however, matey, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Avast! Arrr! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. Aye aye! Because o' t' added length, I opted for two regular launch lugs instead o' t' "twin loop" model that came on t' Firestorm.
After a bit o' spot putty t' cover t' spirals, ya bilge rat, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Well, blow me down! T' nose remained black.
T' first flight o' t' Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visitin' me bucko in Virginia. T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, but did nay give t' rocket enough power t' fully arc over at apogee. Begad! Movin' up t' a C6-3 on t' second launch corrected this.
Because t' rocket is fairly light, me hearties, I used a 12" chute. This size was perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. It is, however, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, a clean-lookin' and dependable craft.
![]() |
![]() |
Sponsored Ads
![]() |
![]() |
Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?