Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Published: | 2015-08-17 |
Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After t' second launch o' me Estes Firestorm, me hearties, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Because t' tree was on t' edge o' a clearin' and was hangin' from a small branch, I attempted t' get it back. Avast! Blimey! This spanned a few weeks and involved everythin' from tryin' t' snag it with an extendable lightbulb-installin' pole t' attemptin' t' hook it with a fishin' rod. Avast, me proud beauty! Eventually t' shock cord gave way, me bucko, me hearties, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. Begad! Aye aye! While t' body was rotted from several summer storms, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. Aye aye! Arrr! T' nosecone, however, was still stuck as t' parachute be firmly wound around t' branch. Ahoy! One day I headed over and began tossin' sticks up at it, shiver me timbers, finally gettin' lucky and snappin' t' branch.
Since t' fin can and nosecone were undamaged, all that be needed was a new body tube in order t' re-create t' rocket. I decided t' increase t' length a bit and ordered an 18-inch BT-60 from LongLongJonRocket.com.
Because t' fin can was pre-glued into t' original body tube, shiver me timbers, thar be a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Ahoy! This, however, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Ya scallywag! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. Ahoy! Because o' t' added length, I opted for two regular launch lugs instead o' t' "twin loop" model that came on t' Firestorm.
After a bit o' spot putty t' cover t' spirals, me bucko, matey, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Aye aye! T' nose remained black.
T' first flight o' t' Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visitin' me bucko in Virginia. Ahoy! Blimey! T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, matey, me hearties, arrr, but did nay give t' rocket enough power t' fully arc over at apogee. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! Movin' up t' a C6-3 on t' second launch corrected this.
Because t' rocket is fairly light, I used a 12" chute. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! This size be perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. Begad! Blimey! It is, arrr, shiver me timbers, however, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, a clean-lookin' and dependable craft.
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Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?