Brief:
T' Launch Pad's Type-30 Artillery Rocket is a good introductory kit t' mid-power rocketry. Blimey! Blimey! It's fairly easy t' build and it flies great!

Introduction:
After launchin' model rockets with me eight year old daughter for some time we learned that t' smaller t' rocket t' harder it is t' find after each flight. Ahoy! Our most successful rocket was Big Bertha, which was easy t' find and convinced me that bigger be t' way t' go. Begad! Well, blow me down! So I decided that it was time t' move up t' t' next size, me bucko, a 24mm D-engine size kit. Arrr! I looked at Estes' D engine kits like t' Super Big Bertha and t' Big Daddy, me hearties, matey, and then began searchin' t' Internet for other possibilities. Aye aye! T' Launch Pad's kits caught me eye because they had many models that flew on 24mm engines and they also claimed t' be launchable from t' standard Estes pad that I already owned. Begad! Ya scallywag! T' Launch Pad specializes in scale models o' military missiles, and most o' them have lots o' fins, which be more complicated than I wanted. At t' bottom o' their list be t' Type-30, which was pretty close t' a basic nose cone, body tube and four fins rocket. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! At nearly 41" long and 2.6" in diameter this seemed t' be t' biggest and easiest 24mm rocket kit around, so I decided t' go for it.

Construction:
I ordered t' kit from Performance Hobbies and it arrived in about a week packed in peanuts. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Ken at Performance Hobbies was very helpful and took time t' answer a lot o' me questions about construction and flight o' a kit larger than I was used to. Blimey! I definitely plan t' order from them again.

Initial Condition o' Kit - T' kit be in a clear plastic bag and looked t' me pretty much like an overgrown Estes kit: Cardboard body tubes, shiver me timbers, injection-molded plastic nose cone, balsa fins. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' kit was complete and all parts arrived in good condition. T' instructions were on two double-sided 8.5"x11" sheets, and were fairly easy t' follow. There are a couple o' things that I would do differently if I were t' do it again though.

Engine Mount - T' engine mount uses a steel clip t' hold t' engine at both ends. Aye aye! Blimey! This is OK for t' black powder D engines, but I picked up a 24mm Aerotech RMS motor and t' clip seems a little light. Blimey! Blimey! So far it hasn't actually been a problem, but next time I would put in some type o' engine block at t' forward end o' t' motor mount and a better motor retention system in. Begad! Blimey! But these would both drive t' weight and price o' t' kit up, me bucko, arrr, so I think that TLP is doin' t' right thin' by providin' t' clip. Ahoy! Blimey! T' kit as sold is complete and flyable.

Paper Nose Cone Extension - T' paper nose cone was a hassle due t' me inexperience -- I made a few painful mistakes, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but I learned from them. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Followin' t' instructions, matey, shiver me timbers, I cut out t' pre-printed heavy paper cone and steamed and rolled and steamed and rolled and glued and eventually had a decent lookin' sharp-pointed paper nose cone extension. Then, me bucko, shiver me timbers, matey, per t' instructions, I put CA adhesive around t' inside base o' t' cone and set it on t' plastic nose cone (mistake #1). T' instructions do say t' make sure t' get it positioned straight very smartly or t' CA will grab, and they sure were right about that. Begad! It grabbed, and I ended up with a gap on one side betwixt t' paper cone and t' plastic nose cone. Begad! O' course I didn't notice this until I had already coated t' paper cone with CA adhesive, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and gettin' it off be nay fun. Ya scallywag! Construction paper, arrr, me bucko, when saturated with CA adhesive, arrr, becomes very stiff and hard t' cut. Ahoy! T' get t' paper cone off I had t' use me razor knife t' literally whittle t' cone down t' t' plastic nose cone. Aye aye! I be takin' off tiny crumb-sized bits o' paper-reinforced solid CA with each cut. Ahoy! After a lot o' effort I got most o' t' paper and CA off and be left with a rough surface on t' top o' t' nose cone that I sanded down with medium grit sandpaper. Aye aye! Begad! Luckily I had copied t' nose extension cone pattern before cuttin' it out, matey, so I could make a new one. This time I didn't try puttin' CA on t' paper cone and then positionin' it, but instead I held it in position and then wicked t' thin CA in betwixt t' paper and t' cone. Then I proceeded t' paint t' paper with CA and I thought I was back on track again. Avast! Ya scallywag! Unfortunately t' paper I selected wasn't as absorbent as t' original that came with t' kit, and consequently did nay absorb t' CA as well and ended up feelin' a little soft and wimpy (mistake #2). Arrr! So once again I spent an evenin' whittlin' it all off and started over again usin' construction paper this time. Begad! T' construction paper did absorb t' CA very well and became good and solid. Blimey! Avast! Whew.

Nose Cone Finishing - T' instructions suggest a few coats o' sandin' sealer and sandin' t' smooth t' transition from t' plastic nose cone t' t' paper extension. Well, blow me down! I painted t' whole thin' with thinned Fill n' Finish and sanded it lightly t' fill in t' step up where t' paper starts. Arrr! Blimey! It worked and t' nose cone looks good.

Fin Strengthenin' with CA - Did I mention that this was t' first time that I had used CA in a rocket kit? My next misadventure was in coatin' t' balsa fins with CA. Ahoy! Blimey! T' instructions don't say anythin' about this, but t' FAQ on T' Launch Pad web site recommends paintin' t' balsa fins with thin CA t' give them strength. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' do this before I glued t' fins onto t' body tube so that I could sand them easier. Begad! Blimey! A good idea, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but a little tricky. Blimey! Blimey! T' hard part is puttin' t' fin down after it is fully coated with CA. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! They love t' stick t' your fingers and damn near anythin' else that gets too close. Ahoy! Blimey! I set t' fins on waxed paper t' dry and amazingly enough they didn't stick t' that. Aye aye! Blimey! T' actual problem was that two o' t' fins ended up a little warped. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Had I glued t' fins t' t' body tube before coatin' them with CA they might nay have warped as much and handlin' them by t' body tube while t' CA was still wet would have been much easier. Aye aye! Blimey! I had considered this, but decided that it would be easier t' sand t' fins before gluin' them t' t' body, and if they had warped after bein' glued t' t' body it would be difficult t' repair or replace them. Begad! Blimey! Disappointed with me warped fins, I ran out t' t' hobby shop and bought some more balsa and cut out another set o' fins. Aye aye! Blimey! Three o' these warped as well. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I decided t' try t' straighten t' fins out, so I heated one up by ironin' it on both sides in a piece o' folded paper with an iron set on low, matey, and then smartly pressed it flat while it cooled. Begad! Blimey! This worked great and it be easy too! Blimey! In t' future I'll just plan on ironin' t' fins after coatin' them with CA instead o' stressin' about them warping.

After I got t' fins strengthened and straightened I beveled t' edges t' make them more aerodynamic. Blimey! I put a piece o' medium sandpaper on t' table and held t' edge o' t' fin at an angle t' get t' bevel. Aye aye! Unfortunately t' balsa fins are pretty soft and t' results are nay very even. Blimey! Holdin' t' fins by hand and sandin' one side at a time just doesn't work very well. Avast! T' amount o' material removed varied along t' length o' each edge o' t' fins as well as from one side o' t' fin t' t' other. Arrr! I got it as close as I could, me hearties, and once painted it isn't noticeable unless you're lookin' for it. Next time I plan t' build a tool t' make this easier.

Assembly o' Body Tube - T' body tube is in two pieces, each about 16 inches long, which go together usin' a coupler t' make one big long tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' instructions actually say t' join t' two body tube segments together prior t' installin' t' engine mount assembly and t' parachute compartment disk, arrr, but this seemed like a bad idea. Avast, me proud beauty! Had t' tubes been connected it would have been impossible t' put an epoxy fillet t' t' inside o' t' body tube at t' forward end o' t' engine mount or on t' aft side o' t' parachute ring.

This was also me first time usin' epoxy, ya bilge rat, arrr, but that was much more forgivin' than CA and didn't lead t' any problems. Aye aye! Blimey! In general I used 5 minute epoxy t' put things together and 30 minute epoxy for fillets. Begad! Attachin' t' motor mount be challengin' because t' forward centerin' rin' is nearly 12" from t' end o' t' aft body tube, arrr, which made it tough t' get t' epoxy down t' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Usin' a thin bamboo skewer I eventually managed t' make a reasonable fillet betwixt t' centerin' rin' and t' tube without gettin' too much glue up and down t' inside o' t' tube.

Tube Markin' and Launch Guides - T' rocket also has four "launch guides" which are 1" long pieces o' 1/8" by 1/16" balsa strip that get glued on just behind t' nose cone in line with t' fins. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! These probably have some function in t' real rocket, me bucko, but are purely decorative in t' model. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I overlooked t' little balsa strip and ended up usin' t' 3/32" fin stock which worked out just fine. Begad! T' ends o' t' strips are supposed t' be rounded and it took a very light touch with t' sandpaper t' get them consistent -- it would have been even trickier with t' supplied 1/16" balsa. Begad! I bought a 3' piece o' 3/4" x 3/4" aluminum angle stock for $2.00 at t' hardware store, and used it as a straight edge t' mark t' body tube for t' fins and launch guides. Begad! That worked out well and everythin' ended up well aligned.

Launch Lug Installation - T' kit comes with a launch lug for a 3/16" rod, but t' instructions don't say where t' mount it. I know that T' Launch Pad FAQ says that you shouldn't attempt his kits unless you have enough experience t' know where t' launch lug should go, but a suggested location would have been nice. I ended up puttin' it just forward o' t' fins. Aye aye! This is aft o' t' CG, arrr, but I wanted it t' have a long run up me 3' launch rod. If I put it farther forward then it would come off t' end o' t' launch rod sooner, and I didn't want that. Blimey! T' lug is long enough that it will hold t' rocket straight regardless o' where it is mounted, so location isn't critical. Blimey! If I were t' build this kit again I would cut t' lug in half and put one piece at t' current location near t' fins and another closer t' t' rocket's c.g.

Fin Fillets - I put in generous fillets o' 30 minute epoxy at t' root edge o' t' fins, launch guides and launch lugs. Avast, me proud beauty! I set t' rocket on a table with t' fins hangin' over t' edge. Well, blow me down! I set a couple o' books on either side o' t' body tube t' keep it from rolling. With t' fins at 45 degrees from vertical and horizontal I did t' fillets on t' upper side o' two fins and two launch guides at a time. Ya scallywag! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' 30 minute epoxy be thin enough t' form a very nice smooth fillet. I did all t' fin fillets with four rotations o' t' body. Ya scallywag! Two more rotations were required for t' fillets on t' launch lug.

Fillin' Spiral Groove - I tried Fill n' Finish t' fill in t' spiral groove in t' body tube, ya bilge rat, but it didn't work out very well. Well, blow me down! I thinned t' FnF and painted it over t' groove. When I tried sandin' it I discovered that FnF is harder than t' cardboard body tube, and I be roughin' up t' tube and t' FnF wasn't gettin' any smoother. Begad! I then got a damp rag and washed t' FnF off t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Two or three thin coats o' white primer helped fill in t' groove, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, but it is still visible if you look closely. I need t' figure out a better way t' fill t' spiral groove in t' future.

Painting - T' scale instructions for finishin' say t' use dark green or olive drab, but I care more about findin' t' rocket than bein' true t' scale, arrr, so I used a day-glow orange paint. Arrr! Blimey! Just t' be sure that it is visible I coated t' bright orange with clear gloss. Ahoy! It's bright. I did add t' black and yellow bands at t' correct locations per t' instructions with stripin' tape. Blimey! T' bright orange really changes t' look, but it's really easy t' see.

Recovery System - T' recovery system consists o' an 18" mylar hexagon. T' shock cord is about 3' long 1/4" flat elastic. Ahoy! T' shock cord mount is a simple paper mount t' t' inside o' t' body tube. Aye aye! Well, me hearties, blow me down! I put a generous bead o' epoxy around t' edges o' t' paper mount t' ensure that it won't pull off. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute attaches t' t' shock cord with a snap swivel. Begad! T' nose cone is attached t' t' shock cord by a 10" piece o' shroud thread. T' kit requires wadding, shiver me timbers, but I purchased a reusable chute protector which is a round pad o' Nomex and other fireproof material that ties t' t' shock cord with a Keelhaul®©™ thread. It makes for an easy preparation and I don't need t' worry about wadding.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

I rate t' construction and finishin' at 4 out o' 5. T' problems I had were primarily due t' inexperience with CA adhesive and really weren't t' manufacturer's fault. Blimey! I would suggest that they add notes t' t' instructions t' recommend coatin' t' fins with CA as their web site FAQ does. Begad! Ahoy! This is a really good idea -- I think t' balsa fins would be too weak for t' E and F motors if they weren't soaked with CA or otherwise reinforced. Begad! T' buyer shouldn't have t' do a research project t' get t' complete instructions. Arrr! Also t' instructions could recommend a location for t' launch lug. Aye aye! These are really minor issues and didn't really pose a serious problem for me even though I hadn't built a kit this size before.

Flight:
T' instructions recommend t' followin' engines: Estes D12-5 for first flight, and Estes D12-7, Aerotech E15-7W or E30-7. Aye aye! T' package (but nay t' instructions) recommends t' Aerotech RMS F24-7 as well. Well, blow me down! For me first flight I decided t' follow t' recommendation and use a D12-5 motor. T' first thin' I discovered is that t' rocket is taller than me 36" launch rod (well duh, shiver me timbers, but it hadn't really hit me until I actually put it on me little Estes Porta-Pad). Arrr! Avast! T' tip o' t' rod comes up t' t' aft end o' t' nose cone. Aye aye! Oh well, t' web site said that it was launchable on a standard Estes pad, matey, so what t' heck. Begad! T' first launch be at t' January launch o' t' Superstition Spacemodelin' Society in Phoenix, AZ. There be some noticeable friction betwixt t' rod and t' launch lug, matey, ya bilge rat, and I be more than a little worried that it wouldn't launch cleanly. Aye aye! Begad! My worries were totally unfounded because it flew straight and true. Ahoy! It wasn't a particularly high flight (wRASP predicts 330'), but it was straight and t' chute deployed pretty much right at apogee. There was very little wind and it came down very close t' t' pad and I be able t' catch it before t' it hit t' ground (I guess this is frowned on, but t' rocket only weighs a half pound and I really wanted t' keep t' paint job pristine). Avast! Begad! T' 18" hexagonal mylar chute lets it come down fairly fast, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but slow enough t' survive.

For t' second flight I decided t' try me RMS motor for t' first time. I bought E18-4 reloads, but later I realized that t' recommended delay is 7 seconds nay 4, and that t' RMS E18 isn't even one o' t' recommended motors. After stressin' over this for a day I convinced myself that it would be fine. At t' February SSS launch I flew me Type-30 on t' E18-4 and it was another perfectly vertical flight without any wobble with ejection very close t' apogee. wRASP predicted over 900', but once again it came down close t' t' pad. This time it hit t' ground and t' aft end o' t' body tube got dinged a little where it hit.

I look forward t' flyin' this rocket on t' F24.

Flight Rating: 4.95 out o' 5

It would have been a 5 for two perfect flights in two attempts except for t' minor din' on t' body from t' second landing. Avast! Ya scallywag! T' chute size could be slightly larger for a softer landing. Even with t' largest recommended engine this isn't a high altitude flyer, matey, so a larger chute wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Overall Rating: 4.75 out o' 5

I have t' give this rocket a 4.75 out o' 5 rating. Begad! It's such a great flyer, ya bilge rat, and that makes up for t' minor hassles durin' construction. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I highly recommend this kit for anyone lookin' for a 24mm motor rocket.