Brief:
Another in t' continuin' series o' improved "little" R2-D2 rockets from Estes. Begad! Blimey! This one features what t' "big" R2 had all along: A REAL nose cone, arrr, thereby eliminatin' recovery failure.

Modifications:
T' first thin' that had t' go was t' top, me hearties, me hearties, so R2 was beheaded at t' blue band, ya bilge rat, just below t' reinforced bulkhead. Ahoy! Blimey! This bulkhead was then lowered about an inch and reattached t' t' inside o' t' body usin' CA, then reinforced on both sides with 2 hour epoxy. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord attaches here. (Question: why is Estes so stingy with shock cord on all other rockets, but gives out 3 times what is needed with t' little R2?).

T' thrust rings were attached t' t' inner tube, shiver me timbers, and t' whole thin' be slathered liberally with 5 minute epoxy. Begad! Strength was me goal, and weight considerations were nay a concern. I think I met those goals.

Attachment o' t' head was a real challenge. Since t' head had no shoulder t' attach t' t' body like a real nose cone, arrr, I chose t' cut up one o' t' 3000 or so AOL CDs I get in t' mail each year. Arrr! Perfect. Ahoy! It be attached t' t' bottom o' t' head with CA, then epoxy, and t' shock cord attaches here. Ya scallywag! T' keep things straight, shiver me timbers, and t' give me a place t' put nose weight, shiver me timbers, arrr, I attached t' plastic centerin' rings for t' original motor pod t' t' head. Ya scallywag! This was done by usin' a short piece o' 18mm tube, then was centered into t' head by a process that was far more complicated than anythin' I've ever done on a mid-power rocket. Naturally, 5 minute epoxy holds it all in place, and it leaves a nice little hole in t' center so I can adjust t' nose weight. Avast! All t' paper items were soaked in CA for a little strength, me hearties, and unfortunately t' fumes attacked one o' me eyes. Avast, me proud beauty! Please use proper safety equipment if you use CA!

I will from now on. Believe me, me hearties, arrr, it took a LOT o' engineerin' t' get t' rocket this far. Ahoy! But it was all worth it. Well, blow me down! T' fins were recycled from R2-D2.3, me hearties, and was about all that was salvageable. Well, blow me down! A nice nylon parachute guarantees a shred proof recovery, but fit is TIGHT.

Construction:
A basic R2-D2 kit from Estes can be had for really cheap these days; I bought a half dozen off eBay for less than t' price o' a cheap mid-power rocket. Why? Well, arrr, I love these little things, me hearties, but t' factory recovery system left a lot t' be desired. Begad! And I've tried several methods t' improve upon t' ill-fated design Estes had, includin' Keelhaul®©™®, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, elastic, me hearties, and tubular nylon. Avast! Nothin' worked reliably. Arrr! Ya scallywag! And t' second reason I did it is because I just love t' overpower Estes and Quest rockets.

So, I decided right from t' start that R2-D2 (designated R2-D2.4) would have a real nose cone like its big brother. Avast! Aye aye! And since I was at it, why nay a 29mm mini R2? After all, arrr, R2-D2.3 was 24mm, me bucko, and worked extremely well. Begad! (Unfortunately, ya bilge rat, me hearties, it met its demise at t' hand o' one o' Aerotech's famous bonus delays)

T' original kit be a real quality piece, me hearties, and was one o' t' few I received without warped fins. Begad! Well, blow me down! These fins will be used on me son Josh's R2. Ahoy! I haven't finished this rocket, arrr, but plan on paintin' it all flat white with bumper chrome head and painted on decals. Everythin' fit wonderfully, arrr, matey, but took far more work than I anticipated. T' results don't reflect this, but it was definitely a challenge. And that be most o' t' reason I built it. Avast, me proud beauty! I love engineerin' challenges. (That's why I don't use RocSim).

Flight:
As I stated in t' beginning, I built this rocket with 29mm in mind, arrr, and thus was reinforced for use with a single use G80. Begad! However, t' short, squat body has extremely short polar moments, and for safety reasons I decided t' cut down t' power. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! After all, who wants their 5 year old t' be chased around t' launch site by a screamin' R2? If it went unstable, ya bilge rat, it might get nasty. Ya scallywag! As it turns out, ya bilge rat, a D will get it goin' reasonably well, and a long burn E6 should satisfy anybody's quest for altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! So a 24mm motor tube be put in place, me bucko, me bucko, with a paper engine block in t' top o' t' motor tube. Begad! (Past experience with R2-D12 showed me that t' stock Estes retainin' clip will nay hold up t' E power for long.)

FLIGHT: With a D12-5, shiver me timbers, t' little R2 will get up with decent speed, me hearties, and hit approximately 500 t' 600 feet, ya bilge rat, matey, dependin' on which spotter's info you use. Begad! Recovery is perfect. Blimey! Avast! Prep is a breeze, matey, use a little cellulose waddin' (not really necessary, but I like t' feel safe) and friction fit t' motor. Wrap up t' lengthy shock cord and stuff it into t' tube on top o' t' chute. Ahoy! Then pop on t' head.

On an E15-7W, me bucko, me bucko, I have no idea how high it goes, arrr, because it's hard t' see at that altitude. Begad! But t' launch is worth it all. Blimey! People look at t' rocket with disdain when it is announced, and it looks tiny out thar on t' pad. Ya scallywag! Some scoff about t' reported motor size, me bucko, matey, matey, but when t' motor roars t' life and R2 becomes a blur instantly, jaws drop open. And that's what I like about it.

Summary:
Pros: Attention getter, me bucko, rapid take-off, perfect recovery.

CONS: Took too long t' build, hard t' spot, shiver me timbers, very sensitive t' wind, fly only on calm days.