Brief:
If you're ired o' tryin' t' track your 13mm stock Screamer, shiver me timbers, consider upscaling to this biggie-sized BT-80 version. It no longer screams off t' pad quite as quickly, but is still a fun t' fly rocket and certainly an easy upscale cloning project.

Modifications:
Assumin' you've ever built a 3FNC kit, and can handle a motor mount with centerin' rings, arrr, you can probably build this one straight up without instructions (fin and centerin' rin' patterns are available in t' included Rocksim file). Ya scallywag! If you need directions or standard scale fin patterns, shiver me timbers, they're available on t' Jim Z plan site, me hearties, me bucko, a fantastic resource for anyone interested in clonin' t' classics.

I built t' motor mount assembly usin' a 10.5" length o' BT-50 and a pair o' centerin' rings. T' length o' t' tube is nay critical, me hearties, matey, me bucko, but should be fairly long t' help generate a decent ejection charge in t' large BT-80 body tube. Ya scallywag! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Also, matey, I was fairly anal retentive, and wanted t' be able t' use t' tube coupler as a reinforcement t' anchor t' motor mount in place, shiver me timbers, so the 10.5" length be carefully designed t' put t' upper rin' right against the coupler. I also used a 20/50 centerin' rin' (the regular thick cardboard Estes style) as a block, and a metal E-sized engine clip for retention.

I cut t' (3) fins from 1/8x6 balsa stock. Ya scallywag! Begad! Technically, arrr, t' 1/8 isn't quite a true 4.8x upscale, ya bilge rat, but I'd rather use up standard stuff I have layin' around that pursue more exotic materials. Avast! Avast! T' fins appear t' be a bit oversized for this upscale. Ya scallywag! They were oversized on t' original too, ya bilge rat, though t' upscale just makes this a little more pronounced. There certainly won't be a problem with stability, as t' margin is nearly 4:1.

I made t' body tube from short tube stock, matey, so had t' use two pieces and a coupler t' cover t' 24.5" needed. Avast, me proud beauty! I'd rather have used a single tube and avoided t' seam, matey, shiver me timbers, but this be a more convenient way t' help clean out the basement a bit, shiver me timbers, arrr, as I don't have any long BT-80 stock.

T' nose cone was a little hard t' come by, me bucko, as I don't think it's worth buyin' a Phoenix kit t' bash for this project. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I had called Estes last summer to order a few hard-to-find replacement parts, me bucko, and on a whim decided t' pick up a few odd cones, shiver me timbers, this one included. Begad! BMS also makes a decent balsa version, so if you're orderin' materials rather than usin' up spare parts, I'd consider usin' BMS, me bucko, which can cover t' cone, longer BT-80, me bucko, and even t' centerin' rings under a single shippin' charge.

One last upgrade I wound up reflectin' in this design be t' use of Keelhaul®©™® runnin' from t' motor mount up t' t' top o' t' body tube, me bucko, followed by elastic goin' t' t' cone. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! This is a much more durable and reliable method that the old tri-fold paper and elastic method. Avast! Ahoy! I also employed t' QUARK anti-zipper technique (posted on t' tips page) by wrappin' a few layers of maskin' tape around t' Keelhaul®©™® towards t' top o' t' BT-80.

Since I had procrastinated way too much on the EMRR 2005 Challenge, I was cornered into buildin' and flyin' this on t' only weekend remainin' before the deadline, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, leavin' me a few weeknights t' finish up t' multi-color paint scheme. Well, blow me down! For t' first flights, me bucko, t' rocket was practically naked, shiver me timbers, matey, gettin' just a couple quick coats o' primer.

T' finished version will be a Rustoleum red base coat, shiver me timbers, trimmed with gloss black. I'm beginnin' t' use more and more Rustoleum over Krylon. Aye aye! Avast! I find that it fills spirals and grains better, and is a much better finish, though does take considerably longer t' cure (I allow 2 days betwixt coats if masking). Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! I'll then apply t' excellent Excelsior water-slide decals, for a very nice looking finished clone.

Construction:
This project actually started about a year ago, me hearties, when browsin' t' Excelsior Rocketry site I noticed they offered a number o' BT-80 upscale decal clones. I decided t' pick up a set for t' Screamer, me hearties, me bucko, which had always been one o' my favorite 13mm designs. Aye aye! In fact, ya bilge rat, it was t' stock Screamer that wound up getting me me NARTREK bronze after a number o' failed attempts with competition-style streamer duration birds. Blimey! Once I had picked up t' decals, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' rest o' t' parts scavengin' was pretty simple:

• BT-80 body tube(s) 24.5" long (I used two tubes from a Red Arrow parts pack, shiver me timbers, along with a TC-80 from same).
• PNC-80K nose cone (Estes Phoenix/replacement part)
• BT-50 motor tube (10.5")
• 1/8" balsa fin stock (I used most o' a 6x36 sheet)
• 3/16 launch lugs
• 50/80 centerin' rings (I cut mine from a cereal box)
• 24" mylar parachute
• Keelhaul®©™®/elastic shock cord
• E-sized motor hook

Note that t' original Screamer used a streamer, matey, matey, arrr, but due t' t' weight of this and t' fairly fragile balsa fins, I upgraded t' a 24" chute. Well, blow me down! I think it would also get by fine with an 18" chute on windier days.

Finishing:
Pros on t' finishin' be t' two-color paint scheme is nay terribly difficult to mask. Ya scallywag! Plus, arrr, ya bilge rat, t' Excelsior decals are very good quality reproductions.

Cons o' finishin' would be t' decals are very fragile, and nay true upscaled clones. Avast, me proud beauty! For example, thar are trim pieces for t' fins that were not included in t' decal set. Aye aye! T' decal set did include, though, matey, an extra checkerboard pattern, matey, ya bilge rat, plus they've added a "super" t' go along with the screamer nametag. Blimey! Also, a bit tongue in cheek, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' "mini brute" ladybug has been upgraded t' "maxi brute" on this set.

Flight:
Rocksim estimates for a D12 a 4 second optimal delay. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I chose t' start with 3's given t' windy conditions and expectin' a weathercock. Ahoy! Blimey! T' first two flights were on D12-3's, matey, and t' flight was slow and straight, only a little bit o' a turn into t' wind. Ahoy! Blimey! T' apogee be perfect, ya bilge rat, so I did nay try 5's.

Since t' altitude was pretty wimpy (I'm guessin' about 250 versus the Rocksim estimate o' 535), I followed up with an E9-4. Arrr! Begad! This is a great motor for this bird, offerin' a very long, arrr, slow ascent t' about 500 feet. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' delay be a little bit early, matey, arrr, and I'll probably try a 6 on t' next flight.

O' course, this is no longer worthy o' t' Screamer name, matey, as it's a larger, more lumberin' oaf o' a cousin. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! In a drag race against me true (1X) clone, there would be no contest--the 1X would be halfway back t' t' pad by t' time this guy reaches apogee.

Recovery:
Pros--slow, steady flight, ya bilge rat, fun t' watch.

Cons--slow, steady flight, nothin' like its namesake. Arrr! Well, blow me down!

Summary:
This one has nostalgic appeal t' me, shiver me timbers, as I really like flyin' t' original. It's a fun and easy upscale, thanks t' t' readily available decals. Arrr! If you like the low and slow flights o' Estes BT-80 style rockets, this one will appeal to you. If you're lookin' for a true "screamer" on 24mm motors, shiver me timbers, this would need t' go on a serious diet before consideration.