Brief:
This is an up-motor modification o' t' now OOP Vaughn Bros Blobbo. Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! 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. Begad! I made this change after readin' t' EMRR review o' t' original kit, shiver me timbers, which indicated it was a little underpowered on C motors that it was designed for. Ahoy! Blimey!

Modifications:
I also used a different recovery system attachment than that in t' Blobbo instructions. Aye aye! Blimey! Instead I used a modification o' t' LOC method I use on all me rockets. Arrr! Blimey! T' shock cord be passed through a small hole drilled in the body one-half inch below t' low point o' t' nose cone base. T' nose cone was 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. Ahoy! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! 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. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' latter be t' end that was anchored t' t' body wall. 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. Blimey! Begad! Motor tube is equipped with an Estes motor hook. Aye aye! Motor mount length be t' same as t' stock 18mm tube. I used 5 minute epoxy throughout. Blimey! Replacement centerin' rings were from LOC. Arrr! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty!

Blobbo has always been one o' me favorite kits. It's still with me after 7 years and I fly it conservatively so I don't lose it. Avast! 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. Avast! With t' 24mm modification, it is a wonderful performer and looks great on t' pad. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I'm sorry I never got t' buy t' monster scale-up o' Blobbo, t' 54mm motor Kin' Blobbo before Vaughn Bros ceased operation. Ya scallywag! T' quality that went into makin' t' Blobbo kit is first class. Begad! T' 18" nylon parachute that came with t' kit be t' first nylon chute I owned. Arrr! I promptly replaced every plastic chute in me fleet with nylon. Begad!

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

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

CONs: T' Blobbo be designed for 18mm motors, ya bilge rat, which makes it a bit underpowered. Arrr! Vaughn Bros fixed this with an extended length Super Blobbo made for 24mm motors, shiver me timbers, but it lacks t' charm o' t' original "stubbie".