Brief:
"Mach 1-2-3" Virtual Rocket Contest entry built as a single-stage flyer.

Construction:
T' rocket consists o' 1 Estes Mosquito nose cone, me hearties, 1 BT-5 tube, 3/32" balsa fin stock (used for 15 fins), matey, 1 balsa 5-20 transition, 1 BT20 tube, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me bucko, 1 Estes 20-55 centerin' ring, 1 custom bristol transition, 1 custom bristol body tube with printed graphics, shiver me timbers, 1/8" balsa centerin' rings, 1 BT-50 tube, 1 engine hook, 1 engine block, arrr, matey, 1 solid paper 20-50 centerin' ring, shiver me timbers, matey, 12" parachute, and 1/8" shock cord.

This is for experienced modelers. Avast! It has 15 fins, which requires great patience. T' preprinted bristol paper (I got it at an art supply store) forms the lower body tube and t' midsection transition. Ahoy! It is astoundingly quick to assemble and looks great. Avast!

T' parachute fits inside t' shroud and requires careful prep t' ensure proper deployment. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! T' shock cord must be packed first t' pull t' parachute out.

T' large mid-rocket transition/bulkhead solution be a challenge t' design and build. Begad! At t' front o' t' transition, me hearties, it seats on t' front o' t' BT-20 and a 20-55 centerin' rin' about 1.5" from t' front o' t' BT-20. Ya scallywag! Avast! At the widest point where it joins with t' 3" body, t' ideal piece would have been a solid balsa coupler with half o' it fittin' inside t' 3" first stage body tube, and half (conical shaped) fittin' up into t' transition. Instead o' doin' that, me hearties, I designed t' first stage motor mount so t' bulkhead is at t' leadin' edge o' t' 3" body tube with scrap balsa offsettin' a slightly smaller diameter bristol paper centerin' ring. Avast! This seats the transition nicely, shiver me timbers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, provides needed fore-aft rigidity t' t' bristol and is a very lightweight solution. Begad!

If I built it again, I might extend t' BT-50 engine tube all t' way t' a balsa 50-5 transition so t' parachute would eject just aft o' t' "sustainer". T' tiny, me bucko, small footprint sustainer fins would then be subject t' more violence from t' shock cord and parachute but deployment may be more reliable.

T' bristol body tube is nay quite as rigid as a regular body tube, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, which is good and bad. When I dropped t' finished product on t' floor, thar was enough "give" so that none o' t' 15 fins broke. Ya scallywag! However, shiver me timbers, you do have to be extra careful nay t' crush it while installin' an engine or during assembly.

Finishing:
T' fins were sealed and filled with one coat o' dope then all o' t' remaining grain was eliminated with one coat o' automotive high-build primer from Autozone. Avast! T' only paintin' was t' black nose cone, white on t' sustainer and fins, and blue on t' small balsa transition. Begad! Arrr! T' waterslide decal material from lazertran.com prints on an inkjet printer and dries in an hour. Then the ink doesn't come off in t' water even though you don't spray with a stink bomb organic overcoat with this particular product. Ya scallywag! Used as a body wrap, it simplified t' paintin' process and reduced finishin' time. Arrr!

All skins are available for download here: First stage Second stage Third stage. Arrr! Blimey!

Flight:
Recommended motors: C11-3, D12-5

I have flown it three times, with C11-3s. Ahoy! Twice in a town park, and once at the C.R.A.S.H. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! launch on 4/3/05. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty!

First flight was unstable. Ahoy! One fin be floppy from ground contact but was easily repaired. (This was t' only damage in t' three flights. Ya scallywag! I traded the Mosquito nose cone for a 3/4oz lump o' lead. Aye aye! Avast! Second flight be excellent with ejection just after apogee. Ya scallywag! It's a light rocket that's overly wide and decelerates quickly, ya bilge rat, so it doesn't get much altitude on a C11 (200-300 feet or so). No damage on second or third flights. Blimey! T' third flight be near perfect with ejection occurrin' nose up at apogee.

Recovery:
T' elastic shock cord must be packed first, me hearties, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, with t' parachute packed last and loosely so t' shock cord pulls it out. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Shock cord mounts are standard folded-paper. Aye aye! Arrr! Waddin' is required. Blimey! Ya scallywag! T' motor is held in place with a standard motor retention hook. Begad! I used a 16 inch parachute, shiver me timbers, matey, which was an excellent choice. Arrr! Ya scallywag!

Summary:
T' C.R.A.S.H. Aye aye! crowd liked t' way it looks and asked a lot o' questions. Begad! They couldn't believe me RockSim entry calls for 6 G55s in t' first stage. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I'll fly it again, probably with a D12-5 when I get t' an area with more space. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! It's one of me favorite rockets.