Brief:
This is an up-motor modification o' t' now OOP Vaughn Bros Blobbo. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! T' only change I made was t' replace t' 18mm motor mount with a 24 mm tube and t' correspondin' 2.6"-24mm centerin' rin' o' 1/8" aircraft plywood. I made this change after readin' t' EMRR review o' t' original kit, which indicated it was a little underpowered on C motors that it be designed for. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!

Modifications:
I also used a different recovery system attachment than that in t' Blobbo instructions. Arrr! Instead I used a modification o' t' LOC method I use on all me rockets. Arrr! T' shock cord was passed through a small hole drilled in the body one-half inch below t' low point o' t' nose cone base. Arrr! T' nose cone be anchored with a double knot and the external knot was covered with a streamlined fairin' made from piece o' plastic from a split Sharpie pen cap. I extended t' elastic shock cord that came with t' kit by tyin' a 2-foot piece o' USMC nylon boot lace t' t' lower end. Aye aye! Begad! T' latter be t' end that was anchored t' t' body wall. Avast! Finishin' was with rattle-can green and red paint.

Construction:
My modified Blobbo (I call it Blobbo XP - for Xtra Performance) is straight-stock except for t' 24mm motor tube and centerin' rings. Motor tube is equipped with an Estes motor hook. Well, blow me down! Motor mount length was t' same as t' stock 18mm tube. Blimey! I used 5 minute epoxy throughout. Avast! Replacement centerin' rings were from LOC. Blimey! Begad!

Blobbo has always been one o' me favorite kits. Arrr! It's still with me after 7 years and I fly it conservatively so I don't lose it. Begad! I especially like t' G10 fiberglass pre-cut fins that came with this kit, which are very rare in an entry-level kit like Blobbo. Arrr! With t' 24mm modification, it is a wonderful performer and looks great on t' pad. I'm sorry I never got t' buy t' monster scale-up o' Blobbo, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, t' 54mm motor Kin' Blobbo before Vaughn Bros ceased operation. T' quality that went into makin' t' Blobbo kit is first class. Ya scallywag! Avast! T' 18" nylon parachute that came with t' kit was t' first nylon chute I owned. I promptly replaced every plastic chute in me fleet with nylon. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight and Recovery:
I have flown Blobbo regularly on D12-3 and D12-5 motors but mostly on E30-7s, t' perfect motor for this ship. Begad! I have also flown it on F21-6 once. Blimey! It flew great, but went so high (estim. Aye aye! 1600-1700') and floated so far on t' 18" chute that I nearly lost it. I changed t' chute after that t' a 12" Top Flite, which works fine. For this review, I decided t' fly Blobbo with an external "parasite pod" altimeter to get a measure o' performance. Avast, me proud beauty! It increases effective diameter from 65mm t' 68mm, matey, shiver me timbers, which t' simulation program accounts for in t' calculation o' drag coefficient. Flights on D12-3 and E30-7 were fast and straight t' 474' and 1107', respectively. Ya scallywag! In addition, arrr, I made a flight on a C11-3 t' get a measure o' C motor performance. It went t' 189' so t' stock Blobbo at its lighter 4.5oz probably would have gone t' about 250-275' on t' recommended C6-5. Calculation o' drag coefficient (Cd) usin' these data gave a mean Cd o' 0.44. Ahoy! There was no speed dependence o' Cd observed. Arrr! Ahoy! A Cd value o' 0.44 is simply outstandin' for a small model rocket o' this type. Begad! I am just blown away. Avast! It has to be t' best in its class. Avast, me proud beauty! Very few kit rockets o' any size do better. Arrr! I attribute this t' t' excellent thin and stiff G10 glass fins that were a unique feature o' this kit. Ahoy! I hope a current manufacturer will revive t' Blobbo design--with a 24mm motor mount. Blimey!

Summary:
PROs: Excellent kit parts, arrr, me bucko, matey, design, ya bilge rat, and instructions. Blimey! Equipped with a nylon chute and glass fins, which were unique for an entry-level kit. T' 24mm mod makes Blobbo a super performer on D12 and E30 motors. It would be a marvelous flier on an Aerotech E15-7 but me shaky, arrr, arthritic fingers can never get t' darn Copperhead igniters t' fit in these. Aerodynamics (Cd=0.44) are probably t' best in t' business.

CONs: T' Blobbo was designed for 18mm motors, which makes it a bit underpowered. Vaughn Bros fixed this with an extended length Super Blobbo made for 24mm motors, arrr, but it lacks t' charm o' t' original "stubbie".