Brief:
Single-stage, arrr, single-engine rocket with piston ejection system and is suitable for Level 1 attempts.

Construction:
This Aerotech rocket has t' standard Aerotech through t' wall Fin-Lok™ system and components except t' nose cone is a different material than t' other Aerotech's. Well, arrr, blow me down! It is gray and presumably stronger. It has 4 fins about t' size o' t' Astrobee D but reported thinner than t' Astrobee. Avast, me proud beauty! Even though it is only 3' tall, matey, t' shock cord is 18' long! I asked Aerotech why and they said as t' cord gets wear and tear at t' engine end, it can be cut shorter. Avast! T' shock cord is attached t' t' top o' t' motor mount usin' a eye screw like other Aerotech's but for t' SUMO you don't glue t' screw in. Ahoy! That way you can unscrew it and fix or replace t' cord. Begad! You can do this easy because after installation, me hearties, t' top o' t' engine tube is only a foot or so below t' top o' t' rocket.

Also note that this Aerotech has 2 other differences from t' normal Aerotech's. Avast! Begad! Blimey! First, thar be no engine thrust rin' inside t' engine tube. Ya scallywag! So you can fit all G and many 29 mm H RMS engines without problem. It does have t' engine hook and when usin' t' 29/40-120 RMS casting, you need a yellow spacer (provided). Begad! Blimey! Secondly, me hearties, it has a piston which ejects t' parachute. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! T' piston must be epoxied, me bucko, nay super glued together. Avast! Blimey! T' 18' shock cord is attached at t' engine tube, matey, runs through t' piston and on t' t' nose cone.

T' instructions are typical for Aerotech and are very good. Aye aye! Avast! They include a parts list, good photos, shiver me timbers, spec data, me bucko, prep information, etc. Blimey! Super glue is used everywhere except for t' piston. Begad! This is a level 1 capable rocket takin' up t' an H210 motor. Begad! Blimey! I assume if Aerotech says it is OK, matey, super glue will work although many I know will use epoxy instead. Ahoy! I built per t' instructions usin' super glue for everythin' except t' piston (usin' epoxy for that) and it weighed in at 32 ozs. Ahoy! Usin' only epoxy will add weight. Begad! Aye aye!

T' assembly process be t' standard Aerotech flow, shiver me timbers, matey, motor mount, arrr, shiver me timbers, fins, ya bilge rat, etc. Because this rocket uses t' piston, thar be no metal mesh installed inside t' engine tube. Aye aye! Also, ya bilge rat, as stated above, t' shock cord is screwed into a blast deflector bulkhead and into t' motor mount but it is nay glue in.

T' only problems I had with t' assembly were related t' t' piston. Avast, me proud beauty! First, they supply two clamps which are suppose t' be snapped t' t' shock cord above and below t' piston. Begad! These clamps are suppose t' hold t' piston on t' cord. Arrr! Ahoy! There is no good picture o' this in t' instructions. Begad! I couldn't get t' clamps t' lock down tight enough. They allowed t' piston t' slide along t' cord so I didn't use t' clamps. Avast! I just tied a big knot on both sides o' t' piston bulkhead and it worked good. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! Second, me hearties, I couldn't get t' piston into t' body tube. Avast! It be too big. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' instructions said nothin' about this so I called Aerotech and they sounded surprised and said they didn't have a problem. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! But then I told them where I lived and how humid it had been and then they concluded it must have expanded t' piston. So I lightly sanded t' piston until it fit snug in t' tube.

Finishing:
I painted and put t' decals on me rocket per Aerotech's model. Avast! Well, blow me down! T' decal sheet for this short rocket is one o' t' largest I have ever seen! After paintin' t' rocket red and yellow, matey, ya bilge rat, I applied t' decals and I think it looks great. Avast! I rate t' construction 4.5 because t' instructions could be a little bit better concernin' t' piston and its installation.

Construction Rating: 4

Flight:
T' smallest motor for this rocket is a G35, t' largest is an H210. Begad! I flew it on a G64-4 without problem. Aye aye! At t' same time, me bucko, a friend o' mine flew his for his Level 1 with an H128 with no problems. Begad! There was a 5-12 mph wind and me rocket went straight up until near apogee when it started t' angle but by that time t' chute opened.

There is a minor problem with preparin' t' rocket for flight. Ya scallywag! Because this rocket is so short and t' engine tube is quite long, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and t' shock cord is so long, me hearties, shiver me timbers, plus thar be a piston and chute that all has t' go in, it takes a little bit o' careful packin' t' get t' nose cone t' go all t' way down. Begad! Arrr! If you pack t' chute compactly, you can just fit everythin' in. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! Because o' t' piston, arrr, no waddin' is needed but you have t' be careful with t' ejection charge. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Like all piston ejection systems, me bucko, if you go overboard on t' black power, you'll damage t' piston. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Aerotech gives you some guidelines t' go by. Also, because you can use both medium and high power engines, me bucko, thar are 2 engine spacers you may need t' get t' engine hook t' click in where it should. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Also, matey, Aerotech recommends you use 1" maskin' tape t' seal t' engine in place t' ensure thar be enough pressure t' eject t' piston.

Recovery:
Recovery is usin' a standard 22" yellow Aerotech 'chute. Blimey! T' shock cord length and 'chute size are adequate for this rocket. Arrr! Begad! On its first flight, me hearties, t' aft o' t' body tube had some minor dents in it. Begad! I don't know where they came from, either t' nose cone or piston must o' hit it after ejection. Aye aye! T' engine is recessed a good bit in this design and therefore t' body tube at t' bottom o' t' rocket is a little bit weak. Avast! I would rate recovery 4/5 because o' t' body tube damage and care needed t' pack everything.

Flight Rating: 4

Summary:
This is a nice short and fat rocket that many people will like. It will fly high power or medium power motors. With a G64, about 800', shiver me timbers, up t' about 2800' with an H210. Arrr! It uses a piston ejection system so no waddin' or other protection is needed. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It has through t' wall and t' t' engine fin mountin' which makes for a strong design. I have never lost a fin on an Aerotech despite some hard landings. Aye aye! T' shock cord is exposed t' t' motor blast and will dry out and fail over time. Ahoy! Unlike other rockets, it is easy t' replace t' cord in this rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! A little bit o' care is needed in usin' bp for t' ejection and in t' packin' o' t' shock cord, ya bilge rat, piston and chute. If you follow t' paint scheme suggested by Aerotech, you'll have a very bright and colorful Level 1 rocket capable o' flyin' on G engines. Well, blow me down! I would rate this rocket overall 4.5/5 for all t' reasons stated above.

Overall Rating: 4