Overview

A single-stage rocket with attractive styling. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' body features three different diameter tubes that get progressively smaller toward t' rear. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! The most eye-catchin' features are t' fins, ya bilge rat, with a large set in t' middle and a small set at t' rear.

Kit Specifications (from t' cover art)

"T' RHR 2003 is a great rocket for those who would like t' add a couple new buildin' skills t' their rocket buildin' experiences. Blimey! You will have to cut t' fins and t' kit takes 4 centerin' rings t' join t' body tubes together."

• 20 ½" Tall
• 5 ½" Fin Span
• 2.1 oz
• Hand turned Balsa nose cone
• 3/32" Basswood fin stock
• Keelhaul®©™® shock cord mount
• 15" Mylar parachute
• Water slide decals

Construction:

T' kit fits into a surprisingly small plastic bag with a cardboard hang tag. Well, blow me down! On t' back o' t' hang tag is a certificate for Rockethead Fun Points which can be collected and exchanged for other Rockethead products. Arrr! Ahoy! Each kit is individually signed and numbered - mine be #20. Aye aye! Begad!

Chan Stevens has already provided a list o' components in his review, so I won't repeat them. One correction t' Chan's list: T' fin stock is 3/32" basswood, nay balsa.

T' instruction manual is printed on 10 half-sheet pages and is copiously illustrated with color photos. Ya scallywag! Avast! If thar be a weak point in this kit it would have t' be t' instructions. Typos and grammatical errors abound, me bucko, and I found the instructions t' be confusin' in places.

Construction begins by sandin' all t' body tubes t' remove t' gloss. I find it much easier t' fill tube spirals and sand fins before they are glued on, ya bilge rat, so at this point I deviated from t' directions. T' body tube spirals were very light, me bucko, arrr, so I filled them with one coat o' Rustoleum Painter's Choice gray sandable primer and then sanded most o' it back off before attachin' t' fins. I made sure that t' fin attachment points were stripped bare before gluin' to ensure good adhesion.

Next, arrr, marks are drawn on t' tubes for fin alignment, lug alignment, centerin' rin' placement. Ahoy! An engine block is glued into t' back end o' the BT-20. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Note that since t' bottom tube is minimum-diameter, no engine retention hook is provided.

Next, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me hearties, a pair o' centerin' rings are glued and filleted t' t' front o' the BT-20 and t' BT-50. I had t' peel a layer from t' inside o' t' rings t' make them fit.

(SUGGESTION: Right here is where I would recommend attachin' t' shock cord anchor, ya bilge rat, before t' tubes are glued together. Blimey! See below for details.)

After that centerin' rin' glue had dried, each tubin' section be glued into the next larger size tubing. Ya scallywag! Like Chan, me bucko, shiver me timbers, I was concerned about keepin' t' tubes aligned, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but unlike Chan, matey, I did nay go t' t' trouble o' makin' custom centerin' rings. Instead I used some spare centerin' rings and a piece o' scrap tubin' on each smaller body tube while I was gluin' it into t' larger tube. For this trick t' work, me bucko, it helps t' start with t' smallest tube and work up to the largest.

Next, t' fin templates are cut out and traced onto t' fin stock. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! The templates must be laid out in a specific pattern t' fit on t' wood and to ensure t' grain is runnin' in t' right direction. Unlike most kits, t' grain runs parallel t' t' trailin' edge o' t' fins, matey, nay t' leadin' edge. Ahoy! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I tried many alternative layouts with t' grain aligned with t' leadin' edge, matey, but none of them would fit all three large fins onto t' provided stock. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I went ahead and cut them out with t' trailin' edge alignment and everythin' turned out fine.

T' final step in fin preparation be roundin' t' front and bevelin' the rear o' each fin. Begad! A few strokes with me Master Airscrew razor plane smartly and easily did t' job. Ya scallywag! Finish up t' fins by sandin' all t' flat surfaces with fine sandpaper. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! At this point I went out o' sequence by applyin' one coat of AeroGloss sandin' sealer and sandin' it smooth.

Next, t' fins are glued t' t' body tubes. Well, blow me down! Begad! First a large front fin is tacked t' t' middle body usin' a few drops o' super-glue. Begad! I used an Estes fin alignment guide t' hold t' fin at t' proper angle while t' CA set. Well, blow me down! T' rear fin is tacked on with super-glue. T' ensure proper alignment betwixt t' front and aft fins, me bucko, I clamped a metal ruler t' t' front fin, then applied glue to the aft fin, and guided t' fin into place usin' t' ruler as a guide, and then clamped t' fin t' t' ruler until t' glue set. Begad! Begad! Only once did I manage to glue t' aft fin t' t' ruler instead o' t' body tube.

Sharp-eyed observers may notice that I messed up t' fin placement. Avast! I lined them up with t' aft edge o' t' body tube. Ya scallywag! They should have been ¼" forward. I wish I had put t' gap on properly so I would have a better surface t' tape t' motor into place.

After all t' fins were tacked on, I used 5-minute epoxy and a Popsicle stick t' create fillets along each fin joint. Avast!

Launch lugs are then glued onto wooden standoffs. Begad! I used 5-minute epoxy and lined them up by eye. Begad! As t' epoxy started t' gel, arrr, I used a launch rod to ensure their alignment.

T' shock cord mount is unique. Aye aye! It involves tyin' knots on each end o' short Keelhaul®©™® string, then formin' a loop in t' middle. T' knots are then set into a large drop o' glue inside t' tube and held in place usin' maskin' tape. Blimey! Finally the knots and maskin' tape are covered with glue. Aye aye! I used 5-minute epoxy and it turned out fine. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! T' instructions show white glue bein' used for this step, which I have severe doubts about. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast!

Chan suggested runnin' t' Keelhaul®©™® back t' t' engine block. Ya scallywag! Some people don't like that because it exposes the Keelhaul®©™® directly t' t' hot ejection charge. Aye aye! I think a good way t' attach t' shock cord anchor would be to wrap it around t' middle body tube betwixt t' two centerin' rings and glue it in place. Arrr! Ahoy! Then cut a small notch in t' front centerin' rin' t' allow it to pass into t' front body tube. Avast! I successfully used a similar technique on my EAT Tri-Atomic Futuristic. Avast! Begad! I wish I had thought o' this before I had all the tubes glued together.

T' shock cord anchor loop is tied t' a 3 foot long ¼" wide elastic shock cord. Well, blow me down! T' parachute attaches t' a loop one foot down from the nose cone. This is a good arrangement that should keep t' nose cone from bangin' into t' body.

Anybody who has ever mentioned RocketHead Mylar parachutes has sung their praises. Add me t' that chorus. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! They are by far t' best Mylar chutes I have ever seen. They all come preassembled with plastic reinforcin' rings on each of the eight corners. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' shroud lines are tied on with good tight non-slipping knots that are very consistent from corner t' corner.

While many people talk about RocketHead chutes, me bucko, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but I haven't heard much about their hand-turned nosecones. These things are works o' art! Blimey! T' surface finish on mine was t' best I have ever seen on a balsa cone. Begad! Blimey! It was so smooth I did nay need t' sand it or fill it with Elmer's Fill-n-Finish -- I was able to go straight t' primer. Very nice. Blimey! Blimey! (I found t' same thin' on t' nose cone for t' Rockethead Battle Axe that I was buildin' at t' same time.)

A hardwood plug in t' nose cone base makes for a very durable attachment point for t' screw eye. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! T' final construction step is screwin' a screw eye into t' base o' t' nose cone and attachin' t' shock cord. It was hard gettin' t' screw eye started into t' hardwood plug in t' base o' t' nose cone. Avast! I used a large safety pin t' poke a pilot hole; that helped a lot. The screw eye is very firmly anchored now.

Finishing

As stated before, me bucko, arrr, t' body be primed and sanded down almost bare before the fins were attached. T' fins were sanded, arrr, coated with AeroGloss sandin' sealer, and sanded again before bein' attached. Ahoy! After assembly be finished, me hearties, everything got two coats o' white Rustoleum Painter's Choice sandable primer. I used a fine grit sandin' sponge betwixt coats.

For t' finish coat, I wanted a silvery look, matey, so I used Rustoleum Bright Coat Metallic Finish Aluminum. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! MISTAKE! Blimey! This stuff is apparently quite a bit different than t' other Rustoleum Metallics and Painter's Choice paints that I am used to. Begad! Begad! Blimey! It smells different and has lower viscosity. Well, blow me down! Begad! Blimey! Usin' t' same technique that I use for other paints smartly turned a beautiful rocket into a runny, drippy mess!

After lettin' it dry overnight I sanded off t' runs as best I could and started over with white primer. That turned out reasonably well, so I followed that with a coat o' Rustoleum Painter's Choice Gloss White and called it done. Only one small run is still visible, and it's on t' back side near t' lugs.

T' kit includes a nice set o' decals. Begad! Rockethead makes their own decals with an Alps printer on clear water-slide decal paper. T' larger decals were a little tricky t' get into place since they kept wantin' t' curl onto themselves. Once they were in place, though, t' result is very impressive. Begad! The letterin' is nice and crisp and has good contrast against t' white background.

Two coats o' Painter's Choice Gloss Clear sealed t' decals down and added a nice sheen t' t' whole rocket.

T' rated weight is 2.1 oz. Begad! Despite t' epoxy fillets and extra coats of paint, me bucko, I managed t' keep t' weight on mine down t' 2.3 oz. Aye aye!

Despite t' fiasco with t' runny aluminum paint, I am very pleased with the way this one turned out.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight/Recovery:

T' instructions provide no guidance on motor selection. Arrr! T' Rockethead web site suggests B6-4 and C6-5. Avast! RockSim confirms that these would be good choices. Aye aye! Aye aye! This kit is a bit too heavy and draggy for an A8-3.

Test Flights: Round 1

T' first two test flights took place on a cold clear late afternoon, ya bilge rat, with a light breeze and temperature in t' high 30's.

For t' maiden flight I used a B6-4. Since thar be no engine hook, I wrapped one turn o' maskin' tape around t' engine t' provide a friction fit. Three squares o' Estes waddin' were used, me hearties, plus one square wrapped around the chute as a protective pouch.

T' boost was short and quick, ya bilge rat, followed by a long coast with a light arch into t' breeze. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' trackin' smoke laid out into a nice horizontal line, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and then t' ejection charge popped. Begad! Blimey! T' silver Mylar chute deployed perfectly and gently lowered t' rocket t' t' ground with minimal swinging. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Great flight! Blimey!

As I be carryin' it back t' t' launch pad, I noticed a deep "balsa smile" (Nick's term for an "Estes dent" on a non-Estes kit) in the nose cone. Avast! I was surprised t' see this with a 3 foot shock cord.

Betwixt t' first and second flights, me bucko, we launched another rocket and took some photos and videos. Aye aye! Blimey! By t' time I went t' prep t' RHR2003 for its second flight, me hearties, me hearties, me fingers were already gettin' pretty cold. At this point I began to wish this had an engine hook because friction-fittin' with maskin' tape is a lot harder with cold fingers. I also wished that t' front tube be about half an inch longer because that long shock cord fills up most o' t' front tube. Begad! Blimey! I had t' re-pack t' parachute twice t' make everythin' fit.

T' second flight was nay as fortunate as t' first. Aye aye! I loaded a C6-5 with the same one-layer tape wrap and same parachute packing. This time it zipped off t' pad quickly, but then it went crazy. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Slow motion video shows that about 25 feet up it took a hard left and started a large spiral. After completin' one and a half powered loops, it pranged into t' ground about 90 feet downrange. After a few seconds o' smoking, t' ejection charge popped.

When we examined t' crash site, me hearties, we found t' nose cone had buried about 2 inches into t' sod. Fortunately, me hearties, arrr, arrr, it had rained t' day before so t' ground was soft and t' rocket suffered no impact damage. Ya scallywag!

Post-Flight Failure Analysis I: RockSim

I'm nay sure why this went unstable. Aye aye! RockSim says it should have 1.13 calibers o' stability. Avast, me proud beauty! I weighed t' nose cone and found it be slightly heavier than t' RockSim assumption, matey, me hearties, arrr, and verified that t' fins were t' proper size. Avast, me proud beauty! I loaded another C6-5 and measured t' balance point. Avast! I examined the spent engine nozzle for cracks or debris. Avast! I inspected t' fins for cracks or bends. I inspected t' launch lug and rod. Arrr! Everythin' checked out fine.

Curious, I decided t' explore further. Arrr! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I have heard reports o' the Anubis kit by T' Launch Pad sometimes havin' flight stability problems. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Like t' RHR2003, Anubis had large mid-body fins and small aft fins. Could these problems be related?

Enablin' t' Barrowman and cardboard cutout stability tests in RockSim pointed out a possible clue. Aye aye! Begad! T' cutout test shows that this rocket is unstable, matey, with a stability margin o' -0.78 calibers! T' cutout method assumes the rocket is flyin' sideways, shiver me timbers, with 90 degree angle o' attack. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! This condition is unlikely in normal flight, but it does give an indication o' t' possible source o' t' problem.

T' Barrowman and RockSim stability equations both assume that t' rocket is flyin' near 0 degrees angle o' attack, ya bilge rat, which is a reasonable assumption most of the time. However, if any disturbance ever makes t' angle o' attack too large, the CP moves forward and t' stability margin goes down. If t' disturbance is large enough, me hearties, t' CP will move far enough t' make t' rocket unstable, arrr, and it will never recover.

I exchanged several e-mails with Tom Priest at Rockethead. He was very helpful and open and was surprised t' hear about me mishap. Begad! Avast! He has never seen this problem in 30 flights o' t' prototype kits and has never heard o' it happenin' t' anybody else.

T' cutout instability is nay t' root cause o' t' problem. Arrr! Blimey! T' instability should only occur if t' angle o' attack gets too high. Blimey! Blimey! That is unlikely to happen in normal flight without some fairly large disturbance, matey, but if it ever gets into that condition, then it can never recover. Begad! Blimey!

I used RockSim t' simulate several possible changes, me hearties, includin' addin' nose weight, changin' tube lengths, and increasin' t' size or number o' aft fins. T' easiest change would be gluin' a washer t' t' base o' t' nose cone. Avast! Most of t' other changes help very little, and some even make t' problem worse. Avast!

I do nay believe that +1.0 calibers o' cutout stability margin is required. I think so long as t' Barrowman or RockSim margin is more than 1.0 and the cutout margin is positive, me hearties, me hearties, t' design should remain stable regardless of orientation.

Test Flights: Round 2

A few days later I tried t' recreate t' problem flights. Avast! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Again the temperature was just above freezing, ya bilge rat, and t' wind be quite brisk. Ahoy! Aye aye! All flights used C6-5 engines.

For t' first flight, I angled it about 10 degrees into t' wind. Begad! The takeoff was nice and straight, with a possible wiggle after burnout. Well, blow me down! Begad! Deployment was clean. That 15" parachute proved t' be too big. Avast! T' rocket drifted over a baseball field, me bucko, arrr, a football field, a parkin' lot, over t' school and landed in t' woods. Aye aye! T' rocket-eatin' trees must nay have been hungry that day since it landed right betwixt them unharmed.

For t' second flight I switched t' a 12" Rockethead Mylar chute. Once again t' boost be straight and t' deployment was clean. Well, blow me down! Even with the smaller chute, shiver me timbers, it still drifted t' length o' t' field. Ahoy! Nice safe landin' on short grass. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty!

T' aft fins have been holdin' up very well durin' landings. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Basswood was a good choice for t' fin material. Avast, me proud beauty!

At this point me fingers were frozen and t' battery on t' camcorder died so we decided t' call it a day.

Post-Flight Failure Analysis II: Wind Tunnel

As a further test, me hearties, I set up a crude wind tunnel usin' a fan, arrr, a string, me bucko, and a camera tripod. Ya scallywag! After an hour o' tinkerin' I determined that me setup is not very good because t' wind strength is nay uniform enough, matey, and that t' rocket is nay as unstable off-axis as RockSim predicted.

I couldn't reproduce t' instability problem either in flight or on the ground , shiver me timbers, so t' cause o' t' crash may remain an unsolved mystery.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5. Arrr! This may be harsh, ya bilge rat, but so be t' crash. Avast, me proud beauty! Three o' t' four flights were beautiful, me bucko, though. Avast!

Overall:

PROS:

• Good-lookin' stylin' with t' large mid-body fins
• Good quality parts, especially t' nose cone and parachute

CONS:

• Instructions could be clearer
• Parachute a bit too big
• No engine hook
• Unexplained crash on second flight

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5. Avast! (*I feel bad scorin' it this low. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Without that one wild flight, me bucko, this would be '4.5'.)