Brief:
Stage Bash o' Estes Patriot Missle and Baby Bertha kits for 2009 EMRR Challenge.

Construction:
For me Stage Bash I decided t' use Estes Patriot and Baby Bertha kits.  I called it “Patriotic, Baby!”(Say it like Austin Powers…)

I originally planned t' use an internal BT20 tube and use gap-stagin' betwixt t' stages, matey, but I realized I couldn’t *add* any pieces.  So I decided t' go with CHAD-stagin' internally with 3 motors.  I built both kits stock, matey, except for these modifications. 

For t' Baby Bertha(booster), I put t' engine block at t' bottom o' t' motor mount, me hearties, so t' booster motor would kick t' stage free.  I also cut off about 1” o' t' tube t' make t' end o' t' third motor t' be right to t' engine block. 

T' Patriot comes with two white body tubes, one yellow body tube, and two couplers t' connect them.  I simply painted t' top part o' t' tube yellow. 

I used one coupler for t' two white tubes, and used t' other on t' Bertha as a stage coupler.  I also left off t' aft centerin' rin' on t' Patriot t' make room for t' stage coupler.

Flight:
On launch day, I loaded t' rocket with 2 B6-0’s and a B6-4.  It was a little slow off t' pad(maybe I should have used a C6-0?).  When t' second motor staged, t' sustainer started doin' loops.  It kicked the motor(s) and came in ballistic.  Nay good! 

My thinkin' was that even though t' scotch tape kept t' motor hook from engagin' t' top motor, arrr, t' thrust would keep it in t' kit until t' second motor lit t' third and fell away.  Apparently that wasn’t the case. 

To be honest, I don’t even know if t' top motor lit – I didn’t think about searchin' for it at t' time.  This flight was me 4th failed flight in a row that day, matey, and I was ticked off at bein' 0-4.