My second "paper build" from one o' t' free rockets downloaded from Internet was t' Model Minutes Tricarrow (See me "Free" Paper-Rocket Comparison Page). Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! This one has two PDF's t' downloaded and print. Begad! I printed it on 110lb Card Stock (Georgia Pacific brand purchased from WalMart). Ahoy! T' instructions are nay downloadable and are only on t' web. Blimey! They also do nay appear t' be finished as t' "Balancing" and "Preparation for Takeoff" do nay have any information. Well, blow me down! Blimey! But, movin' on . . .

T' rocket patterns were all contained on two pages, arrr, me hearties, one was t' body tube and nose cone and t' other was t' fins. Aye aye! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! On t' first page thar be a colored and non-color pattern for t' body tube and nose cone.

You will need t' provide a recovery system. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! T' instructions show a parachute, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but I went with a streamer. Begad! Ya scallywag! You will also need clay nose weight and a piece o' 1/4" foam board. Avast, me proud beauty! Interestingly, you will also need t' provide a launch lug (I think they should have provided a template for one)

Model Minutes recommends usin' a transparent wood glue for assembly.

CONSTRUCTION:

A few highlights o' t' buildin' process are below. Ahoy! Arrr! There are a few unique characteristics about this rocket (when compared t' other paper-only rockets) that include t' hexagonal shape, t' nose cone and t' fins.

T' nose cone is probably t' hardest item t' build. Ahoy! It is hexagonal in shape and has a cap that needs t' be cut around carefully. Begad! Blimey! T' hexagonal shape makes it fairly easy t' form a symmetrical cone. Well, blow me down! Once shaped and before gluin' t' cap over, t' nose cone is filled with modelin' clay. T' instructions say 'oil based'. Well, blow me down! I used Plast-i-Clay Modelin' Clay that I purchased from Ben-Franklins. Avast! Begad! This has t' be done carefully so that t' nose cone does nay become deformed.

After t' clay is in, shiver me timbers, t' cap is glued in place. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Then usin' a template, arrr, you are t' cut out a nose cone shoulder from a 1/4" thick piece o' foam board. Arrr! Aye aye! This is then glued onto t' cap. Aye aye! Lastly you add a eye-screw that is long enough t' screw through t' 1/4" foam board and into t' clay.

T' fins can be finished two ways. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' simple way is t' cut out t' pattern and glue them together. Avast! They are simply a doublin' over o' t' paper and then where they attach t' t' body tube and folded outward. T' second way is t' cut out t' fins and also t' cut out t' center section. Well, blow me down! Then a piece o' transparent colored film is placed into t' fin when it is doubled over. Well, blow me down! Model Minutes suggest lettin' t' fins dry in a book t' help keep them flat.

T' body tube is also hexagonal and so a light scribe on t' lines helps you achieve a symmetrical shape. Avast! T' body tube has a glue tab that is used t' make t' seam. Ahoy! This makes t' seam raised a bit.

T' instructions tell you t' make a thrust rin' from paper (did nay provide a pattern). Aye aye! They also tell you t' make a launch lug from paper (did nay provide a pattern) or t' use a straw.

For t' recovery system, I used 32 inches o' 1/32" Keelhaul®©™® for me shock cord. It was attached usin' t' 3-fold paper method (a pattern was provided) t' t' body tube. Begad! It was tied t' t' eye-screw.

I added a 24" x 3/4" Nomex® Streamer. Avast, me proud beauty! I cut this from a roll o' Nomex® that I had purchased from t' now defunct Rogue Aerospace many years ago.

Overall, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this rocket 2 ½ points. Aye aye! Blimey! Well, me bucko, blow me down! Blimey! Even though it is a "free" rocket, t' online instructions suffered from incompleteness and language translation. Blimey! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! Now on t' other hand, me hearties, t' pictures were great! Blimey! You can see some o' them throughout t' review. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! In addition, arrr, I believe t' hexagonal shape is a great way t' start with "paper building" techniques.

FLIGHT/RECOVERY:

Model Minutes did nay indicate an expected weight or recommended motors. My rocket weighed in a about 0.6 ounces.

My first flight be on an A8-3. Avast, me proud beauty! T' motor is friction fit into t' motor mount until it hits t' thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I added a couple o' balls o' waddin' and rolled t' streamer. Ya scallywag! Everythin' was ready.

T' flight was impressive as I was surprised at how stable and straight it flew. Aye aye! I actually expected trouble because me doubled-over fins were nay a perfectly flat as one would hope. Ahoy! But t' large fins certainly makes t' rocket stable. Avast! Aye aye! Ejection on t' A8-3 be early since it was still clearly headin' upward.

T' second flight was on a B6-4. Aye aye! Blimey! Again straight off t' pad. Just when thrust stopped somethin' happened. Begad! Blimey! A fin tore from t' rocket and it flipped and flopped in t' trackin' smoke until ejection and then fell t' t' ground. Interestingly t' fin did nay tear at t' joint, rather, it tore from about 1/2" out from t' body and down. Ya scallywag! Nay what I would expect.

Thought o' repair never entered me head, matey, so I salvaged t' recovery system and threw away t' rocket.

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, I would rate this rocket 4 points. I'm strugglin' with t' ratin' on this because t' Tricarrow flies very well. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It is super stable and flies straight as an arrow. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! O' coarse t' second flight broke apart. I'm givin' it a 4 t' recognize that failed flight, but wonder if it be because me fins were nay so straight (see picture above - look close) and that put too much stress on them or what?

I give t' rocket an OVERALL ratin' o' 3 points. Aye aye! Avast! As a "free" rocket it provides a bit o' unique fun havin' t' build it from paper. Begad! Blimey! T' instructions are marginal, but again with t' pictures it can be understood. T' flights appear t' be great . Avast, matey, me proud beauty! . Aye aye! . Avast! Well, me hearties, blow me down! nay mine, arrr, but I'm sure I'm t' exception. T' nose cone is excellent, me hearties, with t' foam board shoulder and eye-screw. Blimey! Ya scallywag! All-in-all an average. Aye aye! Might try buildin' this one again with t' see-through fins.