Brief:
This rocket is named for t' local hockey team and is decorated in Coyotes colors. It is single staged, but can fly on 1, me hearties, 3, 4, me bucko, shiver me timbers, 6, arrr, or 7 29mm motors. Ahoy! It has 3 fins, but if 6 were used, then flights on 2 and 5 motors are theoretically possible. Aye aye! Begad! This is based on t' notion o' symmetrically placing motors and fins. Thus far it has been flown with G motors, but I am looking into t' possibility o' usin' a central H motor or clusterin' 3 or 4 Kosdon H motors. Avast! I have used motors with low average thrust and long delays. Blimey! T' rocket recovers on a homemade purple 60-inch parachute.

Construction:
T' nose cone is an LOC 4-inch by 12 inch hollow plastic model. Thus far I have not placed any mass objects within, but have used 2-part polyurethane-epoxy foam t' mount a long piece o' wire that used t' be a metal shroud line from a military parachute, ya bilge rat, inside t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! This serves as t' attachment point for me parachute and t' shock cord. Experience has shown that high speed deployments break t' plastic loop on t' nose cone meant t' attach cords. The nose cone was obtained from Atomic Rockets in Phoenix. Magnum also carries them. T' 2-part foam can be found at Hobby Bench. Ya scallywag! Avast! Also, shiver me timbers, Space Modeling Solutions, matey, which has an ROL site, also carries it.

T' main body tube is also LOC, and is a 34-inch long, shiver me timbers, 4-inch diameter paper body tube. Ya scallywag! This was also gotten at Atomic Rockets. Blimey! T' seven motor tubes are all 17-inch lengths o' LOC paper 29mm motor tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Since these tubes come in 34-inch lengths, shiver me timbers, matey, halvin' them served well. Arrr! These tubes are affixed with 12-minute epoxy in a 6 around 1 pattern often called t' star cluster. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I used maskin' tape t' keep them together while t' epoxy dried. Ahoy! Arrr! Another viable way to do this and get straight results is t' epoxy three pairs separately first, me hearties, me bucko, matey, then apply t' pairs around t' central tube. Begad! This structure is then placed inside the main body tube with 12-minute epoxy and gaps filled in with t' 2-part foam. Blimey! If t' main body tube chosen allows t' 7 motor tubes t' fit loosely, a 6-inch section o' 4-inch paper coupler tubin' from LOC can be used t' tighten that fit. Begad! Anyway, push in these tubes until 12 inches still protrudes out the end o' t' main body. Begad!

T' fins are 3/8 inch thick Baltic birch and measure 7 3/4 inches in span, ya bilge rat, 8 1/4 inch root edge, and 1 1/4 inch tip. They were cut with a bandsaw. Aye aye! Blimey! T' fins are epoxied with first 12 minute, ya bilge rat, arrr, then filleted with 30 minute epoxy into every second groove betwixt t' motor tubes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! This is called wedge fin attachment by LOC, ya bilge rat, who, matey, with their 4-29SS, me hearties, inspired me t' create this bird. Begad! Blimey! T' leadin' edges and tips are all sanded t' a rounded edge. T' wood was found at a local hardwood store called, New Beginnings in Wood, shiver me timbers, and can also be found at Home Depot. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

There are 2 launch lugs, matey, and they are brass pipe fittings 1 inch long by 3/4 inch diameter. Ya scallywag! T' inside diameter has taken lightnin' rods t' 5/8 inch diameter with slack. These lugs were found at Home Depot. Avast! They were applied at 20 and 30 inches from t' top o' t' main body with 12-minute epoxy and the connection was later reinforced with 30-minute fillets. Begad!

T' homemade parachute is 60 inches in diameter and is made up o' 8 sloped triangular gores o' rip stop nylon. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! T' gores are sewn together with a 4-thread serger and t' spill hole and shroud lines are sewn and finished with a straight stitch. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' shroud lines are 1/8 inch polypropylene cording. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord is 10 feet o' wire wrapped bungee cord found at American Science and Surplus, shiver me timbers, which has mail catalogs and an ROL site. T' bungee is anchored via a u-bolt through a 1/4 inch thick 4-inch diameter birch centerin' rin' 20 inches down inside t' main body tube from t' top o' t' rocket. T' centerin' ring was bought from Space Modelin' Solutions and t' hardware from Home Depot. Fred Meyer grocery store also carries u-bolts. Begad! T' assembly was affixed in place with 2 coatings o' 12-minute epoxy, and t' underside o' t' rin' where the u-bolt was bolted be also reinforced with 12-minute epoxy.

About t' trickiest part o' t' assembly process is makin' sure that the fins are straight and nay angled. Be patient and do one at a time. Begad! Blimey! I sighted down t' body tube t' check alignment often, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with each fin. Begad! Blimey! T' result is a sturdy rocket even without fiberglassing. It also looks strong. Aye aye! Blimey! In fact, another modeler said that it "looked like trouble askin' t' happen". I added three vent holes in t' main body tube 20 inches from t' bottom o' the main tube t' prevent premature separation o' t' nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I did this with an awl.

Metallic green spray paint provided t' main color, arrr, and a sports shop provided me with Coyotes puck stickers for t' fins. A Monokote Coyote be also affixed t' t' body. Well, blow me down! When I decorated t' bird, me hearties, I applied sparklin' diffraction gratin' paper that is self adhesive. Blimey! This is great for looks and visibility. Aye aye! Blimey! It can be bought from American Science and Surplus. Ya scallywag! T' ones in Coyotes colors was found at Craft Mart and Michaels, two craft chains. Arrr! I also ran a loop o' this decor over t' launch lugs t' reinforce their connection.

Flight:
I ran this design through Rocksim 4 with t' prediction that it would not require mass added t' t' nose, even with 7 G motors. Begad! Blimey! Final preps included placin' 29mm wood bulkheads into all 6 o' t' outboard tubes so that only the central motor would do t' ejection o' t' chute. Avast! This was decided when I wanted t' eliminate t' chance o' pressure loss when t' outboards aren't used or if I'm usin' single use motors with short delays. Blimey! They can simply eject themselves. Blimey! T' bulkheads came from Space Modelin' Solutions, whose owner had just made centerin' rings for 29mm motors and had these left over! I happily epoxied them in at t' length o' an Aerotech G40.

Since this design was goin' t' be me special pride, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I decided t' put it t' a punishin' test t' be sure that it would be worthy t' show off. Aye aye! First, 4 G80's. Rocksim predicted 10 seconds as a good delay for t' central motor, so a G80-10T be in t' center. Begad! I had 3 other G80T's but they were delays o' 7. Arrr! Blimey! No problem, me hearties, since t' outer tubes had t' bulkheads. Blimey! Arrr! And for neatness and style, I added streamers t' t' motors for their fall. Begad! I used worm bed wadding, enough to fill t' body tube's diameter. Ya scallywag! I got this from Space Modelin' Solutions. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I placed a thin rin' o' maskin' tape around t' nose cone shoulder t' tighten the fit, arrr, but nay make it too tight t' pop. Avast, me proud beauty! I used 4 low current igniters from AAA Model Aviation Fuels and a car battery and relay system t' be sure all 4 lit. Blimey!

T' rocket screamed t' easily 2000 feet and deployed t' chute perfectly. T' rocket was arcin' down a little, so maybe 9 seconds would have been okay, with an altimeter. Arrr! Aye aye! T' rocket landed intact right at rangehead!

Next, ya bilge rat, I decided that it be time t' do t' true test, Seven motors. Aye aye! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I had 7 G40's, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and one had a 10-second delay. T' others were 7's. Arrr! Blimey! Like with t' first flight, I meticulously friction fitted t' central motor with maskin' tape so that it wouldn't eject, because it was its job t' deploy me chute. Arrr! Blimey! Looking back, ya bilge rat, me bucko, if I would change anything, shiver me timbers, it would be t' add a loop o' piano wire between tubes so that it could be bent over t' central motor as a retainer. Then I found 7 Igniterman igniters and wired them in parallel. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' liftoff was even louder and more fiery than t' first time and it soared out o' sight. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I listened for t' popopopop sound t' know that t' motors fired and proudly beheld me large purple chute. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This time I had t' walk a mile t' get t' rocket back, shiver me timbers, but it was glorious. This time, me bucko, 10 seconds seemed right.

Summary:
Easy t' find parts, me hearties, darin' and fun t' fly, shiver me timbers, with spectators lovin' it. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Can be flown on just 1 motor, or as many as 7. Unless you airstart any o' t' outboard motors, arrr, do use motors with t' same thrust characteristics and same propellant to be sure that all light at t' same time. I also suggest usin' a battery with enough current capability t' light all t' igniters at once as well. Begad! Blimey! I suggest that t' igniters all be t' same type too, so that you don't get some motors lightin' and others not, resultin' in a lateral flight.

Other:
Go for it, arrr, you clusterguys! If we never take chances, me hearties, we'll never know how much fun clusters are.