Brief:
T' Renegade is a cool staged rocket featurin' a tumble recovery for t' booster and a parachute recovery for t' 2nd stage. It also flies great as a single stage rocket.

Construction:
T' kit came with a whole lot o' parts, includin' two lengths o' BT-60 body tubes (one o' them be much shorter, ya bilge rat, o' course, shiver me timbers, me hearties, for t' booster section), a tube coupler, matey, shiver me timbers, a couple different types o' nose cones, me hearties, me hearties, two BT-20 engine mount tubes, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, two short BT-5 tubes and two BT-50 tubes for t' boosters, shiver me timbers, 8 fins, arrr, a decal sheet, 4 centerin' rings, arrr, elastic shock cord, ya bilge rat, a 12" parachute, as well as some other little couplers and adapters.

T' instructions were very easy t' follow and all I used was Elmer's white glue. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This actually be me first rocket ever. Arrr! My wife gave it t' me as a birthday gift and I was thrilled with its looks. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Buildin' t' model went well but thar was one thin' that lookin' back, I would have changed: t' "boosters." T' "boosters" that attach t' t' booster section fit betwixt fins on either side and are easy t' attach, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but after t' glue dried I tried t' fit t' two stages together and found it t' be a tight fit since those pesky "boosters" were nearly touchin' t' upper stage. Begad! Aye aye! This really became a factor once a couple layers o' primer and paint were applied. Ahoy! Aside from t' "boosters" though, shiver me timbers, everythin' else be fine with kit assembly and all parts fit perfectly.

Finishing:
I primed t' entire rocket with grey primer, then painted t' whole thin' with a blue-black pearl paint. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! After t' paint was dry I put on t' decals, ya bilge rat, matey, arrr, then sprayed it all down with Krylon clear coat. Aye aye! Decals went on fine, me hearties, but I had t' do a little trimmin' on t' fin decals. Again, me hearties, t' paintin' is where t' "boosters" were a problem. It was difficult gettin' paint down into t' spaces betwixt t' "boosters" and t' fins/body tube. Begad! Anyway, arrr, it worked out. Begad! Paintin' t' "boosters" prior t' attachin' them t' t' lower stage would take care o' that headache.

Construction Rating: 4

Flight:
Motor retention is friction fit with maskin' tape. T' prep it, ya bilge rat, you use Scotch tape and tape t' booster motor onto t' bottom o' t' upper stage motor. Then you fit it into t' upper stage. Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! Once that is securely in place, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, you slide t' lower section into t' upper part (the booster section has a motor block in t' lower engine tube t' prevent t' motor from fallin' out t' back). Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Blimey! I first flew this baby on a C6-0 in t' booster and a C6-7 in t' upper body. Ahoy! Blimey! I wanted t' see it fly, ya bilge rat, arrr, and that's what it did. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Rather slow lift-off due t' t' weight and a great first flight t' an unknown altitude.

Next flight be on t' same configuration and it again flew perfectly. Arrr! Since those first few flights I have always used a C6-0 in t' booster section but have tried B6-4s and C6-5s in t' upper section as well. I have flown it many time as a single stage on C6-7s and C6-5s. Ahoy! I even tried it once on an A8-3, shiver me timbers, but that be a nail-biter and t' chute barely deployed with 20 feet t' spare. Begad! Luckily I flew it over a grassy baseball field and it suffered no damage.

This is a picture o' t' Renegade launchin' after bein' modified. Begad! T' booster is bein' powered by 3 Estes D12 motors, and t' sustainer flies on a C6. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Flight was spectacular t' well over 1200'. Ya scallywag! Booster suffered damage t' one fin durin' launch, but it is repairable and will fly again

Recovery:
T' shock cord attaches t' t' inside wall o' t' body tube with regular white glue. I have never had it pull away or fail in any way and this rocket has flown over a dozen times. Well, blow me down! T' upper stage recovers via a small 12" parachute. Ahoy! Begad! It comes down faster than I would like, but I have nay lost any fins yet and we fly in t' desert in southern New Mexico where t' dirt is rather unforgiving.

T' booster uses a tumble recovery but it is so stable that it comes down rather straight and fast, causin' me t' wince every time. Begad! T' booster section began showin' serious signs o' wear after about t' 4th flight, when t' BT-50 tubes began crumplin' slightly. Ahoy! Arrr! I still flew it and it did fine. Blimey! Finally, however, arrr, t' shock from t' 8th tumble recovery caused t' motor mount centerin' rings t' fail and break away. Ahoy! T' booster section itself was fine, except t' BT-50s were also destroyed. Well, blow me down! Fins were all still good and t' upper stage was still intact.

Flight Rating: 3

Summary:
I like this rocket and it looks cool when fully assembled for staged flight. Arrr! It is nice t' be able t' fly it as a single stage in case you are out o' booster motors (or money). It flies great either staged or single and all flights are fairly straight. Begad! T' abuse that t' booster takes is a drag. Some form o' a streamer recovery would be great if you could swin' that one.

Overall Rating: 4