Kit Specifications (from Cover Art)

• Length: 20" (508mm) Sustainer, 23" (584mm) Total
• Diameter - 1.0 inches (25mm)
• Weight - 0.92 lb (1.47 oz) (42g) *
  
• Skill Level 2

Background:
Nick at EMRR sent me this kit when I became a Featured Reviewer for EMRR. Well, blow me down! This was me first experience doin' a staged rocket, me bucko, as well as me first experience buildin' a US Rockets kit.

T' kit is packed in a standard clear plastic bag with a paper hang tag.

Parts List

• 1 BT-9-12 Airframe Tube
  
• 1 BT-9-5 Payload Tube
• 1 BT-9-3 Stage Tube
• 2 TC-9-3 Couplers
• 1 PP-9 Payload Plate
• 1 SE-0 Screw Eye
• 2 BT-7-2.75 Motor Tubes
• 4 CR-9-7-1/4 Centerin' Rings
• 3 Miniroc Fins
• 3 Fire Forget Fins
• 1 SCM- Shock Cord Mount
• 1 SC-5-1/8 Shock Cord
• 1 SM-3 Streamer
• 1 NC-9 Nose Cone
• 1 LL-1/8-2 Launch Lug
• Instructions
• AR 2B Decal Sheet
  
• AIR-3 Tech Report
  

T' tubes are thicker than Estes BT-50, arrr, ya bilge rat, and have a smooth white glassine finish with minimal spiral. Ahoy! Blimey! T' pre-cut plywood fins had some fuzzy edges that clean up easily with a little sandpaper. T' tube couplers are nay standard brown kraft paper; they have t' same white glassine coatin' as t' body tubes. The shock cord is a very generous 55 inches long.

My kit be missin' t' Shock Cord Mount (easily re-created from a piece of paper), and I got an extra launch lug.

T' instructions are printed on four 8.5x11-inch pages on orange paper. Avast, me proud beauty! The directions have lots o' text and a goodly number o' computer-generated illustrations.

CONSTRUCTION

Construction is relatively straight-forward, and this would probably be a Skill Level 1 kit if nay for t' staging.

T' first step is t' taper t' edges o' t' precut plywood fins with sandpaper. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Next, matey, t' body tubes are marked usin' a markin' guide (not the wrap-around kind, arrr, though), arrr, matey, ya bilge rat, and t' lines are extended usin' a door jamb. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Then the fins are glued t' t' body usin' wood glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! I used t' G. Begad! Harry Stine double-glue method with Titebond-II wood glue. T' ensure that t' upper fins lined up with t' lower ones, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I temporarily connected t' two stages usin' the stage coupler and a used engine, then used a straightedge clamped t' one fin to align t' other fin.

After t' fin joints have dried, t' launch lug is cut in half and glued against t' base o' t' fins.

Motor mounts are built for each stage usin' BT-20-size tubes along with two centerin' rings each. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' spacin' o' t' rings is somewhat non-standard and must be done correctly t' allow t' stages t' mate properly later. Aye aye! Blimey! The directions explain this clearly.

T' motor mounts are glued into t' body tubes and a stage coupler is glued into t' lower body tube with 1 inch protrudin' out t' top.

A standard tri-fold paper shock cord mount is used t' anchor t' shock cord to t' bottom half o' t' sustainer. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It is important that it be inserted at least 1.5" deep into t' tube, matey, since t' upper stage shoulder is at least that long. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I recommend insertin' it even deeper than that t' make it easier for the streamer t' deploy cleanly.

T' payload section is constructed from a 5-inch piece o' body tube, a plywood bulkhead, screw eye, and a tube coupler. Well, blow me down! A pink plastic streamer (looks like construction site ribbon, 3" x 45" x 0.004") is taped to the shock cord betwixt t' sections. (I glued and stapled mine t' ensure that it stayed attached.)

Finishing:

Finishin' is pretty standard: Sand, ya bilge rat, seal, sand, seal, me bucko, me bucko, sand, ya bilge rat, arrr, matey, prime, sand, paint. I skipped t' sealer and used a single thick coat o' Kilz primer t' fill the grain and spirals, shiver me timbers, matey, sanded most o' it off, then a light coat o' Rustoleum Painters Choice white primer.

T' directions recommend paintin' t' booster flat black and t' sustainer fluorescent colors. Well, blow me down! Begad! I used a Rustoleum Fluorescent Red-Orange on most o' the model, and Rustoleum Painters Choice Flat Black on t' nose, ya bilge rat, one fin o' each stage, and a band on t' payload bay.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY

Recommended Motors

Flight Preparation

Here are t' steps for flight preparation:

1. Apply maskin' tape as needed t' assure proper fit o' nose cone, me hearties, arrr, stage coupler, arrr, and payload bay.
2. Insert recovery wadding.
3. Fold and pack t' shock cord and streamer.
4. Insert payload bay.
5. Temporarily insert t' upper-stage motor and check t' balance point. Arrr! It should be at least 1 inch forward o' t' leadin' edge o' t' sustainer fins. If the CG is behind that, add weight t' t' payload bay t' move t' CG forward.
6. Tape t' two engines together usin' a single wrap o' cellophane (Scotch) tape. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! [This step is nay called out in the directions, me bucko, me bucko, but I think it is prudent.]
   
7. Insert t' engines into t' upper stage.
8. Wrap a layer o' maskin' tape around t' upper engine and t' upper engine mount tube. Do nay let this tape overlap t' lower engine.
   
   
9. Slide t' booster stage over t' lower engine.
10. Wrap a layer o' maskin' tape around t' lower engine and lower engine mount tube. Blimey! Trim excess tape.
    
11. Check t' balance point again with both stages loaded. Ya scallywag! It should be at least 1.4 inches forward o' t' booster/sustainer seam. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! If t' CG is behind that, ya bilge rat, add weight t' t' payload bay t' move t' CG forward.
    
12. Insert igniter and plug.
    
    

Test Flights

T' next two flights occurred on a breezy day late in July, with winds from 5 t' 10 MPH. Aye aye! Flight #2 used a B6-0/B6-6 combination. Well, blow me down! Blimey! After a straight takeoff, it angled into t' wind a little bit. Aye aye! There be a brief wiggle when t' second stage lit, shiver me timbers, then t' upper stage angled into t' wind a bit more. Aye aye! Ejection was a bit after apogee. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' large streamer deployed well and carried it downwind across two soccer fields and nearly into a men's soccer game in progress. Begad!

To prevent t' wrath o' a few dozen sweaty soccer players, me bucko, I decided to angle flight #3 into t' wind about 5 degrees when I moved up t' a C6-0/B6-6 combo. Avast, me proud beauty! T' longer burn o' t' C6-0 was much more satisfyin' than a B6-0, and the B6-6 lit perfectly. Ahoy! It did quite a bit o' weathercockin' and headed out of the soccer field and over some apartments on t' upwind side o' t' field. Fortunately, t' wind carried it back over t' apartments t' t' grass at the edge o' t' field.

On both flights t' booster landed on t' same fin and on both flights the fin-body joint got cracked, even though t' grass was quite soft. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! For flying over hard surfaces, me hearties, shiver me timbers, it might be a good idea t' replace t' streamer with a parachute.

Flight Rating:4 ½ out o' 5

OVERALL:
A good solid performer that should be able t' handle a lot more impulse than I dared t' feed it. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey!

PROS:

• Sturdy components.
• Clean styling.
  

CONS:

• Preppin' requires heavy use o' maskin' tape.

Overall Rating: 4 ½ out o' 5