Brief:
Another in t' continuin' series o' improved "little" R2-D2 rockets from Estes. This one features what t' "big" R2 had all along: A REAL nose cone, me hearties, matey, shiver me timbers, thereby eliminatin' recovery failure.

Modifications:
T' first thin' that had t' go was t' top, shiver me timbers, so R2 be beheaded at t' blue band, ya bilge rat, just below t' reinforced bulkhead. This bulkhead was then lowered about an inch and reattached t' t' inside o' t' body usin' CA, matey, me bucko, then reinforced on both sides with 2 hour epoxy. T' shock cord attaches here. (Question: why is Estes so stingy with shock cord on all other rockets, arrr, ya bilge rat, but gives out 3 times what is needed with t' little R2?).

T' thrust rings were attached t' t' inner tube, and t' whole thin' was slathered liberally with 5 minute epoxy. Strength was me goal, me bucko, and weight considerations were nay a concern. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I think I met those goals.

Attachment o' t' head was a real challenge. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Since t' head had no shoulder t' attach t' t' body like a real nose cone, me bucko, me hearties, I chose t' cut up one o' t' 3000 or so AOL CDs I get in t' mail each year. Ya scallywag! Perfect. Well, blow me down! Blimey! It was attached t' t' bottom o' t' head with CA, then epoxy, and t' shock cord attaches here. Blimey! Blimey! T' keep things straight, me hearties, and t' give me a place t' put nose weight, ya bilge rat, I attached t' plastic centerin' rings for t' original motor pod t' t' head. This was done by usin' a short piece o' 18mm tube, then be centered into t' head by a process that be far more complicated than anythin' I've ever done on a mid-power rocket. Naturally, 5 minute epoxy holds it all in place, me hearties, and it leaves a nice little hole in t' center so I can adjust t' nose weight. Aye aye! All t' paper items were soaked in CA for a little strength, me bucko, and unfortunately t' fumes attacked one o' me eyes. Please use proper safety equipment if you use CA!

I will from now on. Avast! Believe me, me hearties, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, it took a LOT o' engineerin' t' get t' rocket this far. Avast! Begad! But it was all worth it. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' fins were recycled from R2-D2.3, ya bilge rat, and was about all that was salvageable. A nice nylon parachute guarantees a shred proof recovery, but fit is TIGHT.

Construction:
A basic R2-D2 kit from Estes can be had for really cheap these days; I bought a half dozen off eBay for less than t' price o' a cheap mid-power rocket. Why? Well, shiver me timbers, I love these little things, matey, but t' factory recovery system left a lot t' be desired. Blimey! Begad! And I've tried several methods t' improve upon t' ill-fated design Estes had, shiver me timbers, includin' Keelhaul®©™®, elastic, matey, and tubular nylon. Well, me bucko, blow me down! Nothin' worked reliably. Avast! Arrr! And t' second reason I did it is because I just love t' overpower Estes and Quest rockets.

So, matey, I decided right from t' start that R2-D2 (designated R2-D2.4) would have a real nose cone like its big brother. Begad! And since I be at it, matey, why nay a 29mm mini R2? After all, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me bucko, R2-D2.3 was 24mm, me hearties, matey, me bucko, and worked extremely well. Begad! (Unfortunately, shiver me timbers, it met its demise at t' hand o' one o' Aerotech's famous bonus delays)

T' original kit was a real quality piece, and was one o' t' few I received without warped fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, arrr, blow me down! These fins will be used on me son Josh's R2. Ahoy! Avast! I haven't finished this rocket, but plan on paintin' it all flat white with bumper chrome head and painted on decals. Everythin' fit wonderfully, ya bilge rat, but took far more work than I anticipated. Avast! Aye aye! T' results don't reflect this, ya bilge rat, but it be definitely a challenge. Avast! Blimey! And that be most o' t' reason I built it. Aye aye! I love engineerin' challenges. (That's why I don't use RocSim).

Flight:
As I stated in t' beginning, matey, I built this rocket with 29mm in mind, me bucko, me bucko, and thus be reinforced for use with a single use G80. Begad! However, t' short, shiver me timbers, me bucko, squat body has extremely short polar moments, arrr, and for safety reasons I decided t' cut down t' power. Aye aye! After all, who wants their 5 year old t' be chased around t' launch site by a screamin' R2? If it went unstable, arrr, it might get nasty. Begad! Ahoy! As it turns out, a D will get it goin' reasonably well, me bucko, and a long burn E6 should satisfy anybody's quest for altitude. Ahoy! So a 24mm motor tube was put in place, with a paper engine block in t' top o' t' motor tube. Blimey! Begad! (Past experience with R2-D12 showed me that t' stock Estes retainin' clip will nay hold up t' E power for long.)

FLIGHT: With a D12-5, t' little R2 will get up with decent speed, ya bilge rat, me hearties, and hit approximately 500 t' 600 feet, dependin' on which spotter's info you use. Avast! Recovery is perfect. Arrr! Prep is a breeze, me hearties, use a little cellulose waddin' (not really necessary, shiver me timbers, but I like t' feel safe) and friction fit t' motor. Aye aye! Wrap up t' lengthy shock cord and stuff it into t' tube on top o' t' chute. Ahoy! Then pop on t' head.

On an E15-7W, I have no idea how high it goes, matey, because it's hard t' see at that altitude. Blimey! Blimey! But t' launch is worth it all. Well, blow me down! People look at t' rocket with disdain when it is announced, and it looks tiny out thar on t' pad. Ahoy! Some scoff about t' reported motor size, shiver me timbers, but when t' motor roars t' life and R2 becomes a blur instantly, shiver me timbers, jaws drop open. And that's what I like about it.

Summary:
Pros: Attention getter, shiver me timbers, matey, rapid take-off, shiver me timbers, perfect recovery.

CONS: Took too long t' build, me bucko, hard t' spot, very sensitive t' wind, fly only on calm days.