| 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, matey, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Avast! Because t' tree be on t' edge o' a clearin' and be hangin' from a small branch, I attempted t' get it back. Well, blow me down! 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. Ahoy! Eventually t' shock cord gave way, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. While t' body was rotted from several summer storms, arrr, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. Begad! T' nosecone, me bucko, however, shiver me timbers, was still stuck as t' parachute was firmly wound around t' branch. Blimey! Well, blow me down! One day I headed over and began tossin' sticks up at it, arrr, 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. Well, blow me down! Blimey! 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 was a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Arrr! This, however, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Avast, me proud beauty! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. 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, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' nose remained black.

T' first flight o' t' Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visitin' me bucko in Virginia. Avast! Blimey! T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, arrr, 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, shiver me timbers, arrr, I used a 12" chute. Arrr! This size be perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. Aye aye! It is, shiver me timbers, however, a clean-lookin' and dependable craft.
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Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?