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

T' rocket patterns were all contained on two pages, one be t' body tube and nose cone and t' other was t' fins. Arrr! Ya scallywag! 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. T' instructions show a parachute, but I went with a streamer. Ya scallywag! You will also need clay nose weight and a piece o' 1/4" foam board. Interestingly, ya bilge rat, 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. Avast, me proud beauty! There are a few unique characteristics about this rocket (when compared t' other paper-only rockets) that include t' hexagonal shape, me hearties, t' nose cone and t' fins.

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

After t' clay is in, t' cap is glued in place. Avast! Blimey! Then usin' a template, arrr, me hearties, arrr, you are t' cut out a nose cone shoulder from a 1/4" thick piece o' foam board. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is then glued onto t' cap. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! 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. Arrr! T' simple way is t' cut out t' pattern and glue them together. Ahoy! Begad! 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. Avast! Well, me hearties, blow me down! Then a piece o' transparent colored film is placed into t' fin when it is doubled over. 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. Begad! Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' body tube has a glue tab that is used t' make t' seam. Begad! This makes t' seam raised a bit.

T' instructions tell you t' make a thrust rin' from paper (did nay provide a pattern). Ya scallywag! Begad! 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, me bucko, arrr, I used 32 inches o' 1/32" Keelhaul®©™® for me shock cord. It be attached usin' t' 3-fold paper method (a pattern was provided) t' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! It was tied t' t' eye-screw.

I added a 24" x 3/4" Nomex® Streamer. Arrr! Aye aye! I cut this from a roll o' Nomex® that I had purchased from t' now defunct Rogue Aerospace many years ago.

Overall, me bucko, for CONSTRUCTION I would rate this rocket 2 ½ points. Even though it is a "free" rocket, arrr, t' online instructions suffered from incompleteness and language translation. Avast, me proud beauty! Now on t' other hand, shiver me timbers, t' pictures were great! Blimey! You can see some o' them throughout t' review. Avast! Blimey! In addition, me bucko, 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. Blimey! T' motor is friction fit into t' motor mount until it hits t' thrust ring. Ahoy! I added a couple o' balls o' waddin' and rolled t' streamer. Everythin' was ready.

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

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

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

For FLIGHT/RECOVERY, arrr, me bucko, I would rate this rocket 4 points. I'm strugglin' with t' ratin' on this because t' Tricarrow flies very well. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It is super stable and flies straight as an arrow. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! O' coarse t' second flight broke apart. I'm givin' it a 4 t' recognize that failed flight, me hearties, but wonder if it was 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. Begad! Arrr! As a "free" rocket it provides a bit o' unique fun havin' t' build it from paper. Ahoy! T' instructions are marginal, arrr, but again with t' pictures it can be understood. Blimey! Aye aye! T' flights appear t' be great . Aye aye! . Ahoy! . Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! nay mine, but I'm sure I'm t' exception. T' nose cone is excellent, ya bilge rat, with t' foam board shoulder and eye-screw. Begad! All-in-all an average. Arrr! Might try buildin' this one again with t' see-through fins.