Brief:
From plans in Apogee Ezine issue 92. Begad! Aye aye! .Weighin' in under a pound with motor, this single-stage rocket will scream off t' pad and achieve altitudes over half a mile up on an F motor without havin' t' file an LMR or get a waiver. It's sleek, colorful design is very eye-catching, arrr, and havin' built all 10 of the current Apogee/Shrox plans, this one stands out as one o' me favorites.

Construction:

T' Kit contains:

• 29mm nose cone
• 29mm body tubin' 26" long (durable enough for motor mount)
• 24-29mm centerin' rin' for engine block
• 2 launch lugs (1/4")
• 36"-48" 300lb Keelhaul®©™® for shock cord
• Streamer (2x56 Mylar)
• 3/32 basswood for fins (DON'T use balsa)

After downloadin' t' Rocksim file and decal .jpeg from Apogee's newsletter archive (RockSim is also available here on EMRR), shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I pulled together most o' t' parts from me spare parts box. Well, blow me down! I did wind up havin' t' purchase a couple o' 29mm balsa nose cones from Apogee, and they were very good quality.

I printed out t' decals on me inkjet printer on Avery clear decal paper. While they were decent quality, findin' someone t' print on waterslide paper usin' a better printer would do this rocket better justice than me rather opaque decals.

There are no instructions for this, so you have t' rely on some basic experience t' build this rocket.

T' newsletter (issue #92) includes fin templates, so cuttin' t' fins was much easier than havin' t' sketch them from Rocksim dimensions (NB-if you have the full version, matey, you can print t' templates from Rocksim also). Aye aye! Aye aye! After cutting the fins from basswood, shiver me timbers, tack them t' t' body usin' CA, shiver me timbers, then apply generous fillets o' wood glue. Well, blow me down! This rocket loves t' fly on F's (on a nice day I'm even goin' t' try a G40), me hearties, shiver me timbers, so a strong glue joint is critical. Begad! With 2 sets o' fins, be careful t' properly align t' forward and aft fins on a flat surface.

After bondin' fins, glue t' centerin' ring/engine block in t' body tube, set t' launch lugs, and install t' recovery device.

Finishing:
T' hardest part o' finishin' this was t' balsa nose cone, which got 4 filler coats o' balsa sealer. I then applied 2 primer coats t' t' entire rocket, and two finishin' coats o' Krylon glossy white. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! T' decals add a nice splash of color t' t' fins.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:

There are no recommended motors included in t' Rocksim file, matey, though I played around and would suggest a 7 second delay on E/F motors. Begad! For a first flight, I used an Estes E9-6 (usin' a 24-29mm tube adaptor). Begad! Winds were fairly heavy, at 15-20mph peak (estimated 10-15 at launch). Ahoy! Ya scallywag! T' flight be straight-up, with a slight spin. Ya scallywag! Ejection be at apogee, and t' streamer brought t' rocket back without a trace o' damage. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! This was a very fast flight, shiver me timbers, and on an F t' rocket will definitely fly beyond me eyesight. Arrr! Rocksim estimated t' altitude on E9-6 at 2200, though I'd estimate I was about 1800-2000 tops. An F40 Econojet will top 3200 feet on this.

Recovery:

I'd add about 2 feet o' 1/4" elastic t' t' Keelhaul®©™® cord t' reduce t' likelihood o' zippering. I reinforced t' inside o' t' tube with CA and wrapped a layer o' maskin' tape around t' Keelhaul®©™® to prevent this, though.

For flight, I wouldn't change a thing. This is an incredible flyer, me hearties, me hearties, and can cure me AP withdrawal on a sunny day without havin' t' file an LMR/notification. Ahoy! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5