T' MkV was me first cluster design. Ya scallywag! It's made from a 55mm cardboard postal tube with 1mm thick balsa fins and a balsa nose cone. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It's powered by four 18mm engines. Well, blow me down! They have t' be C's . Ya scallywag! . . Begad! Aye aye! really!

After consultin' with t' guys on r.m.r I've made a new ignition system. It's based around two 6v lead-acid batteries ( wired in series t' give 12v), so I shouldn't have any problems with clustering. Avast! Begad! T' batteries sit very close t' t' launch pad, so that t' clip whips are fairly short. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It has two sets o' clips t' make connection t' t' four igniters easier. Ya scallywag! Both t' battery station and t' remote hand station have keyswitches and red LEDs t' indicate when they are active. Blimey! Aye aye! In addition t' hand station has a momentary push button t' activate t' launch. Begad! Arrr! T' keep t' diameter o' t' cable connectin' t' remote hand station t' t' battery station down t' a manageable size, thar be a relay mounted in t' battery station. Arrr! Ahoy! This requires only negligible current t' activate. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Total parts cost, about £12 excludin' t' batteries ( which were given t' me by Richard 'dodgy contractor' Robinson).

After waitin' for several weeks for good weather, me hearties, t' first flight turned out t' be a spur o' t' moment thing. Avast, me proud beauty! I got home from work one evenin' and t' trees were still. ( There are a group o' poplar trees visible from our front room that act as our wind measurement system!). Avast! So we packed up and went straight out. Up on Baildon Moor t' conditions were perfect, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but I was still nervous. Well, blow me down! Begad! This was me first cluster ignition. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' technique I had selected was t' wire t' igniters in a bridge, and then connect two pairs o' clips t' t' four points, equal polarities at opposite corners. It was quite tricky t' get t' clips on without them or t' igniters shortin' on t' blast deflector.

Well, a small amount o' damage on landing, me bucko, one cracked fin, me bucko, me hearties, that be easily repaired. T' parachute ( an Estes one) was nay really big enough. Arrr! T' flight had nay been straight either, matey, and a quick examination showed that one o' t' engines had nay ignited. Blimey! Aye aye! I later put this down t' a poor twisted connection.

Since then t' MkV has flown twice more, but with a larger 'chute. Avast, me proud beauty! I had wanted a hemispherical one, ya bilge rat, but ended up with another flat 'chute. Begad! It was supposed t' be fluorescent orange, shiver me timbers, matey, me hearties, but I'd call it pink! This is adequate, arrr, but seems t' sideslip durin' descent. Avast, me proud beauty! If I fly it again I'm goin' t' use t' hemispherical 'chute that Karen ( me wife) originally made for t' MkVI.

After three flights, t' engine mounts and lower fin edges are pretty charred, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, arrr, and I realize that this is due t' t' flat blast deflector I've been using. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! An old tin can has now been pressed into service t' deflect t' blast sideways, and nay straight back up. Avast! Blimey! You can see this new deflector in some o' t' newer pictures ( it shows up quite well on t' pic o' t' Apogee V2).