Brief:
Gotta Go - Gotta Go is a heavily modified PML Endeavor kit built t' handle the upper K class 54mm motors. Recovery is made possible by a dual deployment system controlled by a MissileWorks altimeter and Skyangle Cert3 chutes. Locatin' t' rocket after flight is a breeze with a home made audible locating system. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! When this bird is on t' pad with a K700 loaded up and t' launch button is pushed, me bucko, shiver me timbers, one thin' comes t' mind .... Begad! Blimey! Gotta Go - Gotta Go.

Construction:
I have several PML kits rangin' from small minimum diameter rockets up t' some of t' larger 4" diameter rockets. T' Endeavor kit was purchased specifically for me level 2 certification. Ya scallywag! I wanted this rocket t' be able to do more than just be a cert rocket. Ya scallywag! It needed t' be t' "beast" in my current fleet. Avast!

I started out with t' basic kit components from PML. Begad! Avast! Basic meanin' I kept the nose cone, bulkhead assemblies, centerin' rings, and a section o' airframe. I then ordered extra bulkhead plates, arrr, centerin' rings, me bucko, airframe, me hearties, ya bilge rat, motor tube, CPR 3000 system, custom set o' .125" thick G10 fins, ya bilge rat, fiberglass cloth and West Systems epoxy, shiver me timbers, 30' o' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord, two Nomex® chute protectors and Skyangle Cert3 chutes. After all o' this I figured I had spent enough loot on a level 2 project.

First on t' agenda was t' fiberglass all o' t' body tubes. Blimey! I did this with the help o' a home made rotisserie that I made out o' parts from a BBQ grill. T' body tubes were sanded, cleaned then wrapped several times with 2oz cloth. I used t' 2oz cloth t' try t' keep t' weight down. Arrr! T' booster section was the first completed piece o' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! I started by doublin' up on all o' the centerin' rings. There was a total o' five sets. Aye aye! A set was placed in front of and behind each set o' fins. Well, blow me down! T' fifth set was at t' upper end o' t' motor mount tube. Avast!

Speakin' o' motor mounts, me bucko, t' Kwik-Switch system be thrown out and replaced with a 24" long mount t' accommodate t' 54/2560 case. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Once t' fins were in place with t' secured motor mount, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, t' booster section be then injected with epoxy. Ahoy! This added a considerable amount o' weight. I would suggest using expandin' foam instead. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' bulkhead o' t' booster was assembled and drilled so that motor ejection could be used as a backup t' t' altimeter for drogue deployment. Ahoy! Ahoy!

Now came t' CPR system. Begad! By design t' CPR system mounts very close t' the top o' t' airframe and provides very little support for stress durin' flight. I changed this. Well, blow me down! I removed t' phenolic tubes for t' CPR system and replaced them with fiberglass tubes from HawkMountain. Begad! I then moved t' complete assembly three inches down inside t' lower airframe. Ahoy!

T' upper section be modified and built into t' coupler assembly o' the upper airframe. Avast, me proud beauty! This gave me three inches o' fiberglassed airframe plus the strength o' t' fiberglass tubes in t' CPR system for a solid connection between t' two pieces o' airframe. Begad! Avast!

T' last phase o' construction was t' payload bay. Begad! This be used t' add ballast t' t' rocket, if needed, me bucko, arrr, t' make t' rocket stable for flight. Blimey! I filled t' payload bay with a locator device I made with components from Radio Shack. Aye aye! A pair o' pizeo beepers and some 9 volt batteries, ya bilge rat, usin' a phono jack plug for t' switch. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' switch be attached t' t' main chute so that at deployment, t' chute would pull t' plug and activate t' beepers. Blimey!

Construction completed and on t' painting. This took almost as long as the assembly o' t' rocket. Primer, arrr, sand, shiver me timbers, me hearties, primer, me hearties, sand. Aye aye! Get t' picture. Aye aye! T' paint was applied t' same as t' primer. Avast! Aye aye! Finished outcome was a bright Banner Red rocket with black vinyl lettering.

Flight:
Did you ever get t' shakes when makin' a certification attempt? I shook on my level 1 and almost couldn't stay in me shoes for me level 2.

First flight ever with altimeter based deployment, and a step above t' H and I class motors. Avast, me proud beauty! I have made several flights on this kit and nay once did I not shake. Avast!

Motors burned have been t' K1100, me hearties, K700, arrr, K550 and a J460. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! T' K1100 flight was an awesome flight. Ahoy! T' roar o' t' Blue thunder propellant and t' powerful thrust. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! My rocket reached an altitude o' 5974' with a nice apogee deployment and a main at 600'. Well, blow me down!

I have two flights on other K motors. One bein' t' K700 and t' K550. Ahoy! I was unable t' get readings from me altimeter on these flights. T' rocket was lost in a field after t' K550 flight and recovered a week later after three extra trips t' t' launch site. Avast, me proud beauty! That was a lovely hour and a half drive both ways. Needless t' say t' battery didn't last that long. Arrr! T' last flight was on a J460. Avast, me proud beauty!

Another impressive Blue Thunder motor. Nay a very successful flight though. Apogee was reached at just a touch over 4000 feet without a drogue deployment. T' rocket came in ballistic and deployed both main and drogue at about 200 feet. Begad! Ya scallywag! This zippered all airframes. Begad! All that survived be t' booster and the nose cone. Ahoy! Nay t' fret, me bucko, I am in t' reconstruction phase now and Gotta Go - Gotta Go will fly again.