Brief:
A sleek scale-like rocket that first appeared in t' 1972 Centuri catalog. It was a favorite o' mine when I was a teen--I lost a lot o' them on C motors!

Construction:
T' parts list:

• Semroc BC-730 3" parabolic nose cone
• Semroc ST-7120 upper body tube, 12" in length, 0.759" OD (similar to BT-20)
• Semroc ST-8100 lower body tube, arrr, shiver me timbers, 10" in length, 0.908" OD
• Semroc BR-78 reducer
• 2 sets o' 3 fins from 1/16" balsa stock (Fins may also be ordered pre-cut from Semroc, ya bilge rat, FV-43)
• Semroc EM-78 engine mount (3" length o' ST-7, 2 CR-78 centerin' rings, 1 TB-7 thrust block, ya bilge rat, and 1 standard 18mm engine hook)
• Semroc LL-122 launch lug, matey, me bucko, me hearties, 1/8" diameter x 2" length
• shock cord, matey, 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic
• screw eye
• 12" plastic or mylar parachute

Clonin' t' Excalibur began with downloadin' t' instructions, me hearties, parts list, fin patterns, shiver me timbers, arrr, and decal scans from JimZ's web site. Avast! Begad! A quick glance at t' required parts rapidly led t' t' conclusion that I be goin' to have t' place an order t' Semroc or BMS as t' ST-8 body tube had no Estes equivalent. T' choice o' vendor be settled when I saw that Semroc offered not only t' tubes (cut t' t' right lengths, no less), but also t' motor mount, balsa reducer, nose cone, and laser cut fins. Ya scallywag! I immediately placed an order, which arrived 2 days later.

T' build be relatively simple and straightforward. It was very much like buildin' a two-stage rocket but with no motor mount in t' sustainer. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! The original Excalibur used die-cut fiber fins, arrr, but I found t' 1/16" balsa ones quite adequate. I used Aleene's Tacky Glue for t' engine mount assembly and t' tack t' fins in place followed by wood glue fillets. Ya scallywag! T' only deviation from t' instructions occurred when I adopted t' standard Quest procedure of loopin' a length o' Keelhaul®©™® thread around t' top o' t' engine hook. Begad! This was then tied t' a 36" length o' 1/8" sewin' elastic for t' shock cord.

T' use o' Semroc parts made me feel like I was assemblin' a kit rather than buildin' a clone. There was none o' t' usual body tube or fin cutting, which greatly enhanced t' speed o' construction.

Finishing:
T' only downside o' t' Excalibur build be that thar be a lot o' balsa to seal--a nose cone, me bucko, balsa reducer, and 2 sets o' fins. Blimey! 3 coats o' AeroGloss sandin' sealer, me bucko, sandin' with 400 grit sandpaper in betwixt coats filled the balsa grain. T' entire rocket be then sprayed with 2 coats o' Krylon primer, again sandin' betwixt coats. This was followed by 2 coats o' Krylon semi-gloss white.

T' rocket's finish be completed by paintin' t' nose and one fin in each set with Krylon gloss black. Blimey! T' Excalibur was then set aside t' dry for a week, me bucko, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, after which t' decals were applied.

Fortunately, shiver me timbers, me bucko, me hearties, I did nay have t' figure out how t' make t' decals, matey, as they were a gift from Carl at Semroc. Begad! Those o' you with ink jet printers can make them from t' JimZ scans or if you lack a suitable printer, me hearties, put in an order with Excelsior or Tango Papa.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' first flight o' t' Excalibur occurred on Halloween 2004 on a B6-4. Ahoy! Aye aye! Estes waddin' was stuffed into t' lower body tube and t' carefully folded 12" Estes parachute placed on top. Ahoy! T' rocket shot off t' pad very quickly, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, and the flight was straight with no noticeable windcocking. Arrr! Aye aye! I estimated t' max altitude t' be around 400-500 feet.

Recovery:
Deploy o' t' chute occurred a little before apogee--a B6-6 would probably be a better motor choice--and t' rocket slowly descended t' a landin' about 150 feet from t' pad.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
T' Excalibur is an easy t' build, sleek flyer that can easily top 1000 feet on a C. T' ready availability o' parts makes it a perfect rocket for first time cloners. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5