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

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

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