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, 1 BT-5 tube, 3/32" balsa fin stock (used for 15 fins), shiver me timbers, 1 balsa 5-20 transition, 1 BT20 tube, ya bilge rat, 1 Estes 20-55 centerin' ring, 1 custom bristol transition, matey, 1 custom bristol body tube with printed graphics, me hearties, 1/8" balsa centerin' rings, ya bilge rat, arrr, me hearties, 1 BT-50 tube, 1 engine hook, matey, ya bilge rat, 1 engine block, ya bilge rat, 1 solid paper 20-50 centerin' ring, arrr, 12" parachute, ya bilge rat, and 1/8" shock cord.

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

T' parachute fits inside t' shroud and requires careful prep t' ensure proper deployment. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' shock cord must be packed first t' pull t' parachute out.

T' large mid-rocket transition/bulkhead solution was a challenge t' design and build. Ya scallywag! 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. Avast! At the widest point where it joins with t' 3" body, ya bilge rat, me hearties, ya bilge rat, 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, 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. Aye aye! Arrr! This seats the transition nicely, me bucko, provides needed fore-aft rigidity t' t' bristol and is a very lightweight solution.

If I built it again, me hearties, 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, 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, which is good and bad. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! When I dropped t' finished product on t' floor, ya bilge rat, thar was enough "give" so that none o' t' 15 fins broke. However, 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. Arrr! Begad! T' only paintin' was t' black nose cone, me bucko, white on t' sustainer and fins, ya bilge rat, and blue on t' small balsa transition. Ahoy! 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. Aye aye! Used as a body wrap, it simplified t' paintin' process and reduced finishin' time. Avast!

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

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

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

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

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

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