Brief:
This is a Phoenix built from 4x downscalin' t' original Estes kit. Avast! It is much less expensive t' fly as it uses 18mm motors and 1 sheet o' waddin' or less, compared t' t' original usin' 24mm motors and 14 sheets o' wadding.

Construction:

• Nose Cone - Reliant/Vikin' BT-20 (filled with modellin' clay)
• Custom 7" parachute made from a shoppin' bag
• Custom 7" shock cord made from 2 rubber bands
• 2 Sets o' 4 fins each made from 1/16" balsa
• 1/8" end section o' spent A engine motor (engine block)
• 1/4" long 1/8" launch lug

This design took about 2 days t' assemble. Avast, me proud beauty! This be t' second one o' these rockets that I've built. T' original used dual 4" chutes, and I painted some o' t' details onto it which I omitted from this design.

I started by cuttin' 1/8" off t' ejection charge end o' a spent A8-3. Blimey! Arrr! I used this t' make t' engine block. Arrr! Well, blow me down! With another used engine, ya bilge rat, I pushed t' engine block into t' body tube until thar was 1/8" o' overhang from t' end o' t' tube.

I used 1/16" balsa t' make t' fins. Aye aye! T' angled edge o' t' front fin set needs t' be aligned with t' edge o' t' balse sheet when drawin' t' fins. Avast! Begad! Otherwise, me hearties, me hearties, t' fins will split when you cut them out. Well, blow me down! I used a 1/4" length o' Estes' standard 1/8" diameter launch lug.

I filled t' entire nose cone with modellin' clay (~14g). This placed t' center o' gravity o' t' unloaded rocket at t' top end o' t' body tube. Ahoy! This allows t' rocket t' be stable for A-C engines. Arrr! T' center o' gravity should be at t' top o' t' front fin set.

I used a plastic shoppin' bag t' make a parachute about 7" in diameter. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! I used cotton strin' for t' shroud lines (this was cheap and available). Avast! I didn't have any 1/8" elastic, me hearties, so I tied two rubber bands together for t' shock cord. I mounted t' shock cord t' part o' an index card with white glue.

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. A8-3 Stability Test #1

T' rocket flew relatively straight. Ahoy! Blimey! Apogee was difficult t' determine from about 500' away. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey! T' chutes deployed but weren't really big enough t' do any good. No damage.

2. B6-4 Stability Test #2

T' rocket still flew straight. Avast, me proud beauty! And I thought t' first one went high. It came down in t' trees, arrr, but it be so small that it fell right through t' branches without gettin' caught. T' heavy nosecone also helped.

3. Arrr! C6-7 Orbital Test

T' rocket flew straight for 500 feet or so. Ahoy! Then it turned into t' wind and was lost from sight. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! We saw t' smoke trail around 1700 ft. Begad! or so down range. I guess you can't really distinguish an 8 inch rocket from t' sky at that point. Ahoy! No idea whether t' parachutes deployed. Aye aye! Begad! It probably landed somewhere.

Rocket #2

1. Avast! A8-3

This one flew straight t' about 500 feet. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' parachute openin' and be only scorched a little. Begad! I used less than 1/2 sheet o' wadding, and I stuffed it into t' engine itself.

Summary:

PROS: Cheap t' build and fly. Well, blow me down! Goes t' high altitudes with larger engines.

CONS: Turns into t' wind a little with C engines and disappears from sight.