Brief:
A complicated Estes 2-stage payload rocket.

Construction:
T' booster consists of:

• 1 3.25" BT-55 body tube
• 1 Tube connector for BT-55
• 2 BT-55 t' BT-20 centerin' rings
• 1 3.25" 18mm motor mount tube
• 1 1/8" Thick sheets balsa with die cut fins

T' sustainer consists of:

• 2 1/8" Thick sheets balsa with die cut fins
• 1 Estes 4" NC-20 nosecone
• 1 3 7/8" BT-20 Clear payload section
• 1 3 3/4" BT-20 Body tube
• 1 BT-20 Tube coupler
• 1 1 1/4" BT-20 t' BT-55 transition
• 1 14" BT-55 Body tube with precut slots for TTW fin mounting
• 1 7" BT-20 Engine mount
• 1 1/4" Engine block
• 2 BT-55 t' BT-20 centerin' rings
• 2 5/8" long 1/8" diameter launch lugs
• 1 18" Estes plastic parachute

T' Echostar be t' most complicated rocket I have ever built. Aye aye! Blimey! I worked on it for about 3-4 hours per day and it took me three days t' finish. T' four sets o' fins were a real pain. I really wish I had CA when I was buildin' it. Two o' t' fin sets had slots for mountin' which made t' job a bit easier but it be still a lot o' work. Begad! Blimey! Gettin' t' fins out o' t' balsa sheets be a pain as well. I broke two when tryin' t' get them out but thankfully they weren't too hard t' fix. Arrr! Blimey! Usin' a hobby knife is definitely advised. Make sure you have enough glue on t' fins, as I lost one on me second launch. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! T' rest o' the construction is pretty straightforward. Aye aye! Blimey! I found t' coupler betwixt t' booster and t' sustainer be a bit too long and held t' two stages together too tightly so I left about a quarter inch on and trimmed off t' rest. Arrr! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Use your own judgement when doin' this.

Finishing:
I found that sandin' t' fins before puttin' them on t' rocket would have been a major help, matey, shiver me timbers, as after they were on t' rocket, it sure be a pain. Arrr! Blimey! Decals come with t' kit but I found mine were nay t' stickiest ones I have ever used. Arrr! Aye aye! Blimey! If you are good at paintin' your rockets I would suggest leavin' them off entirely.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' motors are held in by friction fittin' and wrappin' t' maskin' tape around the motors in a screw pattern and then twistin' them in t' make a good fit. Blimey! A C6-0 is used in t' booster where as you can use any motor for t' upper stage. I have used As and Bs in t' sustainer and they both work well. Blimey! T' Echostar I built tended t' go off at a 45 degree angle after leavin' t' guide rod, matey, but after that it flew straight as an arrow. I think this is because it wasn't goin' fast enough when it left t' rod and accelerated t' a stable speed after leavin' t' rod.

Recovery:
I found that t' parachute that Estes supplies is good for t' Echostar and it came down in a reasonable amount o' time. Make sure t' paint t' booster a bright, ya bilge rat, shiny color or put reflective tape on it because I found that it can be hard t' spot when it is comin' down.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
I feel that after finishin' and launchin' t' Echostar, buildin' a level three rocket was a rewardin' experience for me. Avast! Blimey! I thoroughly enjoyed t' build and it was quite fun havin' t' only two-stage rocket at t' launch.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5