| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2015-08-17 |
| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After t' second launch o' me Estes Firestorm, shiver me timbers, me hearties, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Ya scallywag! Because t' tree be on t' edge o' a clearin' and was hangin' from a small branch, I attempted t' get it back. Ya scallywag! 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. Arrr! Eventually t' shock cord gave way, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! While t' body be rotted from several summer storms, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. Blimey! T' nosecone, however, me hearties, was still stuck as t' parachute be firmly wound around t' branch. 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, shiver me timbers, all that be needed was a new body tube in order t' re-create t' rocket. Arrr! Avast! I decided t' increase t' length a bit and ordered an 18-inch BT-60 from LongLongJonRocket.com.
Because t' fin can be pre-glued into t' original body tube, me bucko, thar be a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Aye aye! This, ya bilge rat, however, ya bilge rat, matey, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Ya scallywag! Avast! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. Begad! Avast! 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, shiver me timbers, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Avast! 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! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, 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, ya bilge rat, I used a 12" chute. Ya scallywag! This size was perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. Avast! It is, however, arrr, a clean-lookin' and dependable craft.
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Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?