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

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

When all t' gluin' was complete, matey, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' entire rocket be skim-coated with thinned Fill ’N’ Finish and sanded smooth. Ahoy! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! I then proceeded t' prime, and paint t' blue section o' t' rocket first. Blimey! After drying, I masked t' blue section and painted t' white section, me bucko, then clear coat over t' entire rocket. Arrr! Aye aye! T' decals for this rocket were a challenge. Avast, me proud beauty! 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, me proud beauty! I installed t' wadding, motor, parachute, and set her on t' pad. Avast, me proud beauty! This rocket gives a nice, me hearties, semi-slow, me hearties, me hearties, smokey, takeoff. She went up straight as an arrow — a very stable rocket.. Ejection be near apogee, me hearties, and it recovered with no damage. Well, blow me down! After a perfect third flight, arrr, it landed on t' neighbors’ roof and slid about halfway down t' roof t' t' gutter. Well, blow me down! T' BBZ be OK, except for some bilge-suckin' shingle rash on t' edges o' t' fins. Avast! Begad! Flight number six would prove t' be fatal. Avast! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! After a perfect boost and ejection, t' chute did nay open due t' bein' tangled on t' shroud lines. Ya scallywag! 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, arrr, me proud beauty! Construction was fairly easy, matey, and t' rocket flies very well.