Brief:
Estes Blue Bird Zero upscale; uses 24-inch parachute recovery..

Construction:
T' Estes Blue Bird Zero be me first model rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Naturally, when I became a BAR, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I wanted t' clone one. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! A quick check o' Jim Z’s site revealed that thar were no plans available. Nay one t' be deterred, arrr, matey, I searched on. T' make a long story short, me bucko, I found someone through t' internet who would provide me t' plans and fin tracings. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! I decided t' do a slight upscale t' BT-60 from t' stock BT-55 size mostly because that is what I had on hand at t' time. Aye aye! I needed 44.5-inches o' tubin' for correct scale. Ya scallywag! I installed a 24mm motor mount and glued both sets o' fins t' t' lower body tube. Avast! Avast! I then proceeded t' join t' body tubes. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Everythin' be glued with 30min epoxy. (author’s note: BBZ plans are available on Jim Z’s website, thanks in part t' yours truly.)

When all t' gluin' be complete, me bucko, t' entire rocket was skim-coated with thinned Fill ’N’ Finish and sanded smooth. Ya scallywag! I then proceeded t' prime, and paint t' blue section o' t' rocket first. Aye aye! After drying, arrr, I masked t' blue section and painted t' white section, matey, shiver me timbers, then clear coat over t' entire rocket. Well, blow me down! T' decals for this rocket were a challenge. Ya scallywag! I ended up drawin' them myself and printin' them on self-adhesive stock. T' decals turned out good, and t' finished product looked great!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I prepped t' BBZ for her maiden flight on a D12-3. Avast! I installed t' wadding, motor, shiver me timbers, parachute, and set her on t' pad. Well, blow me down! Begad! This rocket gives a nice, matey, semi-slow, smokey, takeoff. She went up straight as an arrow — a very stable rocket.. Ejection was near apogee, and it recovered with no damage. Blimey! After a perfect third flight, shiver me timbers, it landed on t' neighbors’ roof and slid about halfway down t' roof t' t' gutter. Well, blow me down! Arrr! T' BBZ be OK, except for some bilge-suckin' shingle rash on t' edges o' t' fins. Flight number six would prove t' be fatal. Arrr! Aye aye! After a perfect boost and ejection, ya bilge rat, t' chute did nay open due t' bein' tangled on t' shroud lines. It crashed on t' asphalt HARD — rest in pieces.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I have t' give both construction and flight five out o' five. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Construction be fairly easy, and t' rocket flies very well.