Brief:
While t' Estes Condor was without a doubt me favorite regularly flown rocket as a kid, t' kit that headed up t' list o' great unflown rockets o' me fleet was t' Estes Andromeda. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Received as a 15th birthday present, me bucko, t' Andromeda had t' misfortune t' be on t' buildin' table when me flyin' buddies decided that they had better use for their time than model rockets. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! While I occasionally flew after this, matey, I never found myself on a field large enough t' make me feel comfortable launchin' t' big black bird. Avast! Blimey! Years later when I started college, matey, matey, me bucko, I gave t' Andromeda away t' t' younger brothers o' a friend. Begad! Blimey! (Sadly he has no recollection o' this.) When I discovered t' joys o' clonin' in 2001, me hearties, arrr, t' Andromeda was high on t' list o' rockets t' be cloned. While I started t' project in May o' 2001, it be only recently that I found myself with all o' t' parts needed t' complete t' project.

Construction:
Andromeda plans can be found here. T' parts list:

• 2 BT-20 main body tubes (18")
• 2 BT-50AH ram tubes (1 7/8")
• BT-50H parachute compartment tubes (7.75")
• BT-50S reactor body tube (4")
• BNC-50J (original Estes part)
• JT-20C tube coupler
• EW-49 shroud
• 3 AR-2050 adapter rings
• 3 5055 fiber centerin' rings (BMS)
• EH-2 engine hook
• 2 1/8" dowels
• WD-2 antenna dowel
• 2 LL-2A launch lugs
• screw eye
• 48" sewin' elastic shock cord
• medium snap swivel

Despite t' five years that passed betwixt t' start o' this project and t' rockets first flight, construction itself be surprisingly easy. Blimey! Begad! I had t' tubes together and t' fins ready for attachment on t' first weekend but without a source for t' AR-5055 fiber rings that were critical t' t' design. (I hadn't heard about BMS back then.) They had been made from cardstock on t' original Andromeda, ya bilge rat, me hearties, but I didn't trust myself t' cut even vaguely circular rings from cardstock. T' BMS pieces were a perfect fit and should have spurred me toward completin' t' project, arrr, but they got misplaced on me desk and didn't resurface for quite a while.

With t' embarrassin' five year anniversary rapidly approaching, me hearties, ya bilge rat, I made it a point t' hunt up t' parts needed for completion.

Finishing:
Lots o' tube surface for this one and an equally large area o' balsa, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so this wasn't a job I was lookin' forward to. Arrr! That said, me bucko, me bucko, it wasn't that bad when I finally got around t' it. T' worst part was tryin' t' hide t' seam in t' rather clumsily made paper transition, shiver me timbers, me bucko, but even that eventually reached "good enough" status. Arrr! Fillin' was done with thinned Elmer's Fill 'n' Finish, me hearties, after which t' whole rocket was sprayed with Valspar primer. T' ram tubes were sprayed with fluorescent orange from t' same no label can that I've been usin' for years. Well, blow me down! Once they dried sufficiently I slid expended 24mm motor casings into them and sprayed t' rest o' t' rocket with Valspar gloss black. Ahoy! A set o' 2001 vintage Jim Z decals will eventually complete t' look. Ahoy! With t' exception o' t' missin' foil sticker, (and t' bent BT-5 tube,) this could be me 1977 model all over again.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight and Recovery:
As with a lot o' me rockets, t' first flights took place without paint, but no one seemed t' mind. Blimey! Even in primer, me hearties, t' Andromeda is a head turner. While it seems almost too delicate t' fly, t' Andromeda is a surprisingly robust performer. Nay wantin' t' risk a B6-4 flight, I loaded it with a C6-5 and waited until t' breeze had died down before takin' it t' t' pad. Aye aye! T' first flight arced slightly and gently t' t' north as it left t' rod and climbed t' a respectable altitude for such a long rocket. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! Ejection occurred just as it began t' tip over, but t' chute fouled on t' large aft sail and t' whole rocket began t' fall in a horizontal position. Avast! Begad! With everythin' stickin' out in t' wind, shiver me timbers, t' descent be a surprisingly gentle one. Avast! It be fallin' toward a large section o' ankle deep grass, shiver me timbers, so I didn't think t' impact would cause much, if any, damage. Begad! It didn't, me bucko, me hearties, and I immediately swapped t' heavier nylon chute out for a Mylar one for t' next flight.

T' second flight was also on a C6-5, ya bilge rat, but it be flown toward t' end o' t' day when t' wind had shifted somewhat. Blimey! Arrr! Once again t' Andromeda arced into t' breeze, me hearties, me bucko, this time back over t' flight line. Ejection again occurred just as t' rocket tipped over, and for a moment it looked like another adventurous recovery because t' Mylar chute at first failed t' fill. Aye aye! Ahoy! Even with t' chute actin' as just a streamer t' descent was fairly gentle. Blimey! Ahoy! T' chute filled a moment later and t' rocket drifted t' within 20 feet o' t' pad for an almost perfect recovery.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
PROs: Truly classic futuristic design. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Surprisin' performance. Avast! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Loved this bird as a kid.

CONs: Fragile. Arrr! Aye aye! Never flew t' one I had as a kid. Blimey! Lots o' stuff hangin' out t' foul t' chute.

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5