| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2015-08-17 |
| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After t' second launch o' me Estes Firestorm, arrr, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Because t' tree was on t' edge o' a clearin' and be hangin' from a small branch, I attempted t' get it back. Arrr! 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. Eventually t' shock cord gave way, arrr, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. While t' body be rotted from several summer storms, me bucko, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. Avast, me proud beauty! T' nosecone, however, was still stuck as t' parachute be firmly wound around t' branch. Well, blow me down! Begad! One day I headed over and began tossin' sticks up at it, finally gettin' lucky and snappin' t' branch.

Since t' fin can and nosecone were undamaged, all that was needed was a new body tube in order t' re-create t' rocket. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! 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, matey, matey, thar be a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Arrr! Avast! This, matey, however, ya bilge rat, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Begad! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. Well, blow me down! Because o' t' added length, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, 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 hearties, me bucko, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' nose remained black.

T' first flight o' t' Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visitin' me bucko in Virginia. T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, ya bilge rat, but did nay give t' rocket enough power t' fully arc over at apogee. Movin' up t' a C6-3 on t' second launch corrected this.
Because t' rocket is fairly light, arrr, I used a 12" chute. Begad! This size be perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. Begad! It is, however, 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?