Brief:
This is a single staged 3" airframe rocket with a 38mm motor mount from Texas based designer Danny Cantu o' DG&A Rocketry. Aye aye! Ahoy! It was me second rocket intended for frequent H powered flights and t' rocket which replaced my retired L1 cert rocket, me bucko, t' BSD 38mm Sprint. For this particular review I decided t' write an article coverin' t' entire life o' a rocket, as opposed to a review o' a rocket I have only flown two or three times. Arrr! Avast!

Construction:
I ordered this kit online from DG&A Rocketry in October o' 2004 and t' kit arrived by FedEx t' very next day. It contained pre-marked LOC airframes, shiver me timbers, RWW nose cone, me hearties, shiver me timbers, excellent quality 5-ply birch fins and centerin' rings, shiver me timbers, rail buttons, shiver me timbers, me bucko, tubular nylon recovery harness, a high quality nylon parachute, very nice decals, me hearties, rail buttons, me bucko, and top notch, me bucko, fully illustrated, me hearties, and easy t' follow instructions. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! I had mentioned in me order that I be wantin' a durable "payload workhorse" and much t' me surprise, Danny tossed in a free 3" electronics bay kit. Ahoy! Aye aye! Blimey!

Buildin' this rocket be quite simple and almost exactly like t' build of my BSD 38mm Sprint--a nearly identical rocket with exception o' t' fin shapes. I removed t' glassine layer from t' motor tube t' get better fin root adhesion. Arrr! Begad!

Upon completin' this rocket I learned one o' t' most valuable lessons ever when it comes t' high powered rocketry and it was a tuff pill t' swallow: In all o' me past experience in model rocketry I had understood t' shock cord as bein' an element o' t' recovery system that must have some elasticity t' it in order t' absorb "shock". Avast, me proud beauty! My L1 rocket from BSD had included a heavy duty elastic strap as part o' t' recovery system and I be somewhat "shocked" (pardon t' bad pun) that t' WASP only included a 20 foot piece o' tubular nylon, me bucko, which upon visual inspection does nay appear t' have much "shock" absorbency. Begad! Thanks t' much more experienced club members who patiently participated in a lengthy discussion regardin' shock cord material in high power rocketry, arrr, matey, I was taught that t' recovery harness if long enough does nay require much elasticity as long as that your ejection event is somewhat near apogee with single deploy and that t' harness itself dissipates the kinetic energy o' t' separated airframes often without t' need for more elasticity. Aye aye! Many people showed me t' different techniques that they use and I learned that thar be a very large variety o' opinions and preferred methods of recovery harness selection which include a variety o' materials such as elastic, me bucko, tubular nylon, tubular Keelhaul®©™®, sliders, ya bilge rat, matey, etc. with varyin' combinations o' materials. Begad! I decided t' go with what the kit came with and just see how long it would last. Begad! Ahoy!

Durin' t' discussions o' shock cords, arrr, I learned that usin' U-bolts, particularly stainless steel is a wise decision in construction as t' eye bolts that come with most kits are nay forged which can allow them t' stretch out over time and ultimately fail. Aye aye! As I had already started construction o' the rocket with t' provided non-forged eye-bolts I took t' rocket t' Midas Muffler and had them weld t' eye-bolts shut so that they would nay fail over time. Avast, me proud beauty!

Finishing:
Finishin' this rocket does nay require any special techniques and is fully open to t' rocketeer as t' how you want it t' look. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! It comes with top quality decals so you can replicate t' look o' t' prototype on DG&A's website. Originally this rocket was day-glo orange over white Kilz primer and as you will learn, this rocket had several different looks throughout it's life. Begad!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
This rocket has had 19 flights

First flight be on October 23rd, me hearties, 2004, ya bilge rat, at Rushin' Park in Katy, ya bilge rat, Texas with the Challenger 498 Rocket Club. Arrr! Begad! Its very first flight was almost its last. Avast, me proud beauty! I had selected a Cesaroni G60 and attempted t' set t' delay at 6 seconds. Begad! While I had used several CTI motors before, this day it seemed for some reason like the CTI delay tool just didn't want t' core into t' delay grain material in the delay module. Begad! Ya scallywag! I felt like somethin' was wrong and should have stopped preppin' t' motor at that point. Aye aye! I launched it anyway though. Ahoy! T' rocket went up nicely but then looked like a guaranteed core sample. Begad! In fact, I didn't even want t' watch as it looked like it was goin' t' slam into t' street nose first at high speed. Other club member and I were sure that this was goin' t' be recovered as a wreckage, but by sheer luck, t' ejection finally went off less than 30 feet from impact. Ya scallywag! T' main airframe swung around and thudded into soft mud within a few feet from t' asphalt pavement and I was amazed t' find that it had no damage. Begad! Ya scallywag! I discovered later what t' problem was when settin' the delay. T' CTI delay tool can also used t' set t' delay on a Loki Research 38mm motor. Avast! T' previous weekend I had flown t' first certified Loki Research motor in t' state o' Texas as NASA's Johnson Space Center. Arrr! Arrr! T' Loki case came with O-rings so t' O-rings in t' reload kit were saved as extras. Arrr! In order to keep them in a safe place, I put t' extra Loki O-rings inside me CTI delay tool and they were still there! I did nay see them down inside t' tool when tryin' t' set t' delay so what should have been a 6 ended up bein' about a 12 or 13 second delay. Begad! That blunder almost cost me a nice rocket on its very first flight. Begad!

Second flight was on October 23rd, 2004, me hearties, in Katy, me hearties, shiver me timbers, Texas. Arrr! It was lightly rainin' now. Well, blow me down! Arrr! I used a CTI Pro38 G79 and set t' delay t' 10 seconds. This was a little longer than needed and t' rocket splashed down in water and mud with no damage. Arrr! I dried it out smartly with towels.

T' third flight was also on October 23rd, me hearties, 2004, me bucko, in Katy, arrr, Texas. Blimey! Ahoy! There was moderate rain now. Begad! This launch be pretty crazy. Blimey! We stood in very heavy rain and lightning huddled under canopies for several hours just waitin' for t' weather t' clear. It stopped rainin' briefly and we had been lookin' forward t' flyin' so much that when it started rainin' again, me hearties, me hearties, ya bilge rat, we just gave up on waitin' for better weather and launched all day, ya bilge rat, even in t' rain. Arrr! On this third launch it was rainin' pretty hard. Blimey! I used a CTI G79 set at 8 seconds and that be perfect, however, t' rocket splashed down again, matey, but this time in a gully full of rushin' water that be several feet deep. Begad! I yanked out t' recovery system and dried out t' rocket with towels again. Blimey! Avast! I went home soakin' wet and tossed the recovery system in t' clothes dryer with t' rocket out in t' garage connected t' t' clothes dryer vent t' blow t' hot air through it and dry it out. Well, blow me down! It suffered no visible damage from t' two splashdowns and was ready to fly again t' next day. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

T' fourth flight be on October 24th, arrr, 2004, me bucko, me hearties, in Houston, Texas at NASA Johnson Space Center. Well, blow me down! What should have been t' fourth flight o' this rocket and its first flight on an H motor ended in disaster. I had selected a Cesaroni Pro38 H143SS, ya bilge rat, matey, me hearties, set t' delay, and then got distracted. It was a fairly large launch with a lot o' people there. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! T' rocket had a Giant Leap Slimline retainer and at some point I dropped t' CTI reload into t' rocket and screwed the rin' on for safe keepin' as I went t' visit with others. Begad! I had nay put the reload into t' Cesaroni aluminum case. Begad! I went off and talked t' other folks, even did a shift o' operatin' timers for some NARRRRR contest flights, and then came back t' t' rocket about an hour or so later. Begad! I checked me recovery system which I had already packed, saw t' motor in place and thought t' myself, "This is ready t' rock & roll!". Well, blow me down! Well, me bucko, blow me down! With t' Slimline retainer you can nay see if a CTI motor is in it's case or not. Avast, me proud beauty! I loaded t' rocket onto the rail, awaited countdown and, shiver me timbers, well, ya bilge rat, it be nay a pretty sight. T' rocket started smokin' and just sat there. Aye aye! T' ejection charge blew t' nose cone and chute and flames started t' erupt out o' t' fore end o' t' ship. Avast! A large amount o' black smoke from t' Smokey Sam motor ensued. Avast! T' main airframe just basically sat thar and smoldered and burned t' t' ground right in front o' my eyes. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Finally, me bucko, t' airframe collapsed as safety crews put it out with fire extinguishers. Aye aye! When inspectin' t' remains at home that night, me bucko, I found that the entire motor tube and rings were gone with just ash and cinder left in their place. Avast! I had used AVES epoxy putty as external fillets and nay only did they survive t' fire, matey, matey, but t' fins are still attached well enough t' stand on them. T' booster however, shiver me timbers, was a total loss. Avast, me proud beauty! After tellin' other club members what I had done, I be somewhat relieved t' learn that this mistake is so common that the Texas clubs have what is called a "Hall O' Flames" listin' the names o' dozens o' others that had made this same mistake. Well, blow me down! This was me entry. Ahoy! I ordered another WASP kit from DG&A t' followin' Monday and it arrived via FedEx t' next day.

T' fifth, sixth and seventh flights were on October 31st, 2004, in Houston Texas at NASA Johnson Space Center. Well, blow me down! I learned about a high powered test launch at NASA less than 24 hours before t' launch. Avast! I only had about 3-4 hours of possible build time left that night and this should serve as evidence as t' how easy it is t' build a DG&A kit. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Within 4 hours I finished a complete rebuild o' t' new WASP kit, less t' nose cone and payload bay. I used those from t' original and t' WASP V1.5 be born. Avast! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! It rose from t' dead on Halloween 2004 exactly one week later from t' same rail from which it had previously burned down. Aye aye! Blimey! I started t' day with t' same motor it should have used t' last time, a CTI Pro38 H143SS, then followed up with 2 more flights on CTI Pro38 H153s. They were all beautiful flights and me first time ever t' use 3 H motors in t' same day. Avast, me proud beauty! It be a nice way t' turn t' page on the unfortunate disaster at t' pad t' previous weekend.

Eighth and Ninth flights were on November 13th, 2004, at Katy, Texas. Well, blow me down! Two more nice flights usin' CTI Pro38 G79s. Arrr! I learned that when usin' an X-shaped parachute that unless you are usin' a swivel, t' chute will tend t' self reef, causin' a constantly increasin' descent rate. Arrr! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Now damaged, this rocket performs excellently even when you are limited t' a large G motor. Well, blow me down!

Tenth flight be on December 11th, ya bilge rat, matey, 2004, me bucko, shiver me timbers, again in Katy, ya bilge rat, Texas. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Out for another perfect flight on a CTI G79. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey!

T' eleventh, twelfth and thirteenth flights were flown on December 27th, 2004, arrr, at Katy, matey, Texas. Avast, me proud beauty! It was another trio o' nice G flights on a CTI G79 and two G69's. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty!

Fourteenth and fifteenth flights were flown on January 8th, 2005, shiver me timbers, at Hearne Texas Municipal Airport. Avast! Blimey! I started t' day with a nice smokey CTI G79SS and then followed that flight up with a CTI H153. Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! At this point it just seemed that this rocket was die-hard with no need for any repairs at all since t' 4th launch. Begad! Blimey!

T' sixteenth and seventeenth flights were on January 15th, matey, 2005, at NASA Johnson Space Center. Aye aye! Blimey! T' first flight on a Loki Research H144 was beautiful. It be me first time t' use a Loki motor in this bird. Arrr! As t' day drew t' a close, matey, ya bilge rat, I decided t' try t' get just one more H flight in and t' recovery system failed. I was usin' a CTI Pro38 H153 and at apogee several people said, "We have a separation". Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! I could nay believe that because I had the eye-bolts welded shut and could nay figure out how on earth this rocket could have come apart. I felt I knew it very well. Blimey! T' airframe tumbled with no recovery system and sort o' glided due t' t' shape o' t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! It landed with no damage at all. Begad! Begad! T' nose and payload bay drifted a long way under canopy. Upon recovery o' both sections, me bucko, I discovered that t' tubular nylon shock cord or more proper "recovery harness" had burned in half from the ejection charge. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! I had added at least an extra gram o' BP t' t' charge and even while I be usin' a Nomex® heat shield on t' harness, it appeared as though t' tubular nylon harness must have been layin' right on top o' t' motor's forward end causin' t' extra ejection charge t' sever it. Blimey! It's amazin' t' me that thar be no other damage. Since I had t' remove t' airframe t' access t' recovery harness mount, I replaced t' harness with tubular Keelhaul®©™®. T' new airframe stretched t' bird by two more inches, thus WASP V1.52 was born. Blimey!

Flights eighteen and nineteen were on January 29th, 2005, ya bilge rat, again at NASA Johnson Space Center. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Sportin' a new orange and white paint job, shiver me timbers, t' WASP V1.52 took t' the sky with its new main airframe on a Loki Research H144 for a gorgeous flight atop a brilliant white flame and puffy white smoke. Begad! T' Loki H144 is a beautiful motor. T' final flight t' date be on a Cesaroni Pro38 H153. Ahoy! The motor failed and blew t' nozzle out takin' part o' t' case with it. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! The grains came out at about 900 feet and lit on t' way down for an interesting rain o' fire, me hearties, and since thar was nothin' left t' ignite t' delay charge, arrr, the rocket slammed into t' ground at full speed after fallin' from over 1000 feet. I was nay able t' dig t' nose cone out o' t' ground and t' this day it is still in t' ground at NASA. T' rocket suffered massive damage t' it's new airframe, yet t' fin can is still intact. Blimey! A rebuild is possible but I have not started on it yet. Blimey! Some day this year this rocket will rise up again for it's twentieth flight, matey, as t' WASP V1.6.

Recovery:
While I only used t' supplied parachute a few times, it is good quality and worked fine. I experimented with different types o' parachutes with this rocket, like t' Perfectflite X-Chute from Quickburst and t' TAC-1 from The Motorman (aka C.L.E. Ya scallywag! Enterprises).

I also learned that tubular nylon will fail over time. Avast! I now use tubular Keelhaul®©™® to t' motor mount and tubular nylon only as additional length when nay exposed to t' main ejection area. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
If you want a nice, me bucko, arrr, simple, yet high performance and reliable L1 range rocket that you can learn from and depend on, this is it. Ya scallywag! I am givin' this rocket and DG&A Rocketry a well deserved and highest ratin' possible. Blimey!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5