Height: 51 inches
Weight: 13 ounces unloaded
Width: 1 3/8 inches
Motor Mount: 29mm
Recovery System: 24 inch thin nylon chute

Brief description: This is a review o' me scratchbuilt Stage Tree, shiver me timbers, an all wood rocket made from Retro Rocket Works parts. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! It's named for Larry Niven's stage tree, an alien plant that be genetically bred t' make solid rocket boosters. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' boosters disperse t' tree's seeds as they blast off. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Thia happens durin' natural prairie fires. Well, blow me down! Also, every century or so, a great stage tree grows that makes boosters that can launch seeds into space and t' other worlds.

This is a single staged, matey, me hearties, 3 finned all wood rocket made from parts made by Retro Rocket Works, arrr, matey, through Apogee Components. Begad! Its grain is visible and is used t' accent t' looks o' the rocket. So, ya bilge rat, polyurethane furniture varnish was used t' enhance t' grain and provide a shiny protective finish.

Construction: I had t' 3-inch long nose cone custom made by Retro Rocket Works (OOP). It's solid cherry or mahogany. As an inexperienced woodworker, shiver me timbers, I really do nay know all o' me woods. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! But I can say that this nose cone is pretty. Blimey! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It's medium dark hardwood, ya bilge rat, smooth, ya bilge rat, and precisely machined. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! It came with t' beginnin' o' a pilot hole in t' base for me t' drill in me shock cord screweye.

T' shock cord is 1/4 inch thick bungee cordin' purchased from American Science and Surplus, shiver me timbers, who have a site on t' net, shiver me timbers, and Rocketry Online. I used a 4 foot length o' t' cording. Ahoy! Blimey! T' parachute is a thin nylon Estes chute I found at me local hobby store. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I chose it because its thin material packs well into the small body tube. Begad! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! Ever tried t' stuff a thick chute into a 29mm tube and fret over whether it will eject? Well, t' shock cord was tied t' a loop o' 1/8 inch thick Keelhaul®©™® cord, matey, shiver me timbers, which mounts t' t' inside o' t' body tube via a square o' 29mm paper tubing. This is curved just like t' wooden tube, me hearties, and fits smoothly. Epoxy be used. Ya scallywag!

T' body tube is a similar color wood t' t' nose, with beautiful striping of grain. Ya scallywag! It's 48 inches long, me hearties, t' standard length o' tubin' sold by t' Retro Rocket Works company. Begad! It appears t' have been made in layers. Aye aye! Begad! It appears t' be wood throughout. Begad! Begad!

There are two launch lugs, 1 inch long each by 1/2 inch diameter. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! I placed these at 20 and 40 inches from t' aft end. T' lugs started as standard 13mm body tubing. Aye aye! Blimey! Once I placed them, I was bothered that they didn't have a wooden look, arrr, so I placed iron-on wood veneer strips around them, ya bilge rat, all around t' areas that show. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I chose a color like t' body tube.

T' fins are a clipped slightly forward swept delta shape, me bucko, made from 1/8 inch thick basswood. Begad! There are also accents o' reddish brown pekoe on top o' each fin face. These accents are a smaller likewise shape o' t' fin, shiver me timbers, and accent t' otherwise light color of t' basswood.. I used epoxy t' affix them on and fine sandpaper t' smoothen rough transitions. Begad! Aye aye! They were aligned by sight. Blimey! Ahoy! T' fins were aligned by making marks on t' body tube usin' measurin' tape t' trisect t' tube in two places per fin, makin' a straight line t' place t' fins. Arrr!

Finishing: Polyurethane furniture finish was used over t' entire rocket t' enhance t' grain look and t' protect it. I just couldn't paint it. T' wood was too pretty. Begad! This project taught me real wood appreciation. Polyurethane made t' job simple. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! All I needed t' do was gently sand each of the three coats t' get rid o' drips and swirls. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' result is a shiny finish like a coffee tabletop. Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

Flight: Preppin' is a little tricky because o' t' small tube, so I use a long hemostat t' grip t' end o' t' chute and draw it down into the tube. Begad! Worm bed waddin' is used t' protect t' chute. Blimey! I discovered at t' site that Econojet motors by Aerotech don't fit. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! T' stick-on labels are too thick to allow t' engine t' go in. Blimey! Arrr! Oddly, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, arrr, t' other Aerotech 29mm motors like the G40-7 do fit. Begad! Arrr! So I went ahead and loaded that.

I'd have been better off with a slightly longer delay, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, accordin' t' my computer simulator, me bucko, but this worked fine. I generally only try too-short delays if I mount t' shock system STRONGLY, as I did here. T' motor was retained via duct tape. Well, blow me down! Blimey! My husband called it ineloquent, but I replied that ineloquent beats motor ejection followed by shovel recovery. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!

T' model drew attention, me hearties, t' say t' least. Avast, me proud beauty! I heard a couple o' people say, "Oh wow. Begad! Blimey! A wooden rocket." Another said as it lifted off straight and noisily, matey, "Well, will you look at that." Pictures were taken by the curious.

T' rocket flew straight and stable, and recovered about right. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! As I said, a 10 second delay would have been better yet. I had t' go downrange a bit, about half a mile, shiver me timbers, matey, but I got it back intact and unhurt. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! I got approximately 2500 feet altitude, me bucko, accordin' t' several onlookers. One o' these days I just HAVE t' get an altimeter and quantify heights exactly. I also experimented with my 29mm reloads, shiver me timbers, t' G33-7, shiver me timbers, namely. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Results were similarly picturesque.

My simulator predicts even better results with an H97, shiver me timbers, but because t' fins do nay go through t' body tube, ya bilge rat, I don't feel comfortable with that. I'm gutsy, but do nay want any shreds.

Project rating: Overall I rate me project a 4 for good success. Ya scallywag! I would have rated it higher if all me engines had fit and if t' chute had fit in more easily. Ahoy! Aye aye! I think that paper tubes give more than wood so that the slightly thicher diameter o' t' Econojets won't pass in. Ahoy! This tube was PRECISELY machined without such tolerances.

General pros and cons: T' body tube costs $24 and t' nose cone was $13.50. T' parts are pricy, but worth it. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! You'll just have t' see it t' know that. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! In fact, shiver me timbers, go t' a hardwood store some time and look at woods t' appreciate them. Begad! Anyway, ya bilge rat, t' model is light but strong and gives very high flights. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey!

I recommend wood if you'd like t' get attention at a launch. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I also learned at this launch that vaseline is nay t' best lubricant for reloadables because it can melt down into t' propellant. Well, blow me down! Arrr! It didn't happen t' me, arrr, me bucko, but a long-time flyer said that it can, especially with hotter motors.