Brief:
From plans in Apogee Ezine issue 92. Begad! .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, shiver me timbers, colorful design is very eye-catching, 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), I pulled together most o' t' parts from me spare parts box. Aye aye! I did wind up havin' t' purchase a couple o' 29mm balsa nose cones from Apogee, me hearties, 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, me hearties, 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, ya bilge rat, you can print t' templates from Rocksim also). Ya scallywag! After cutting the fins from basswood, tack them t' t' body usin' CA, matey, ya bilge rat, then apply generous fillets o' wood glue. This rocket loves t' fly on F's (on a nice day I'm even goin' t' try a G40), so a strong glue joint is critical. Aye aye! With 2 sets o' fins, be careful t' properly align t' forward and aft fins on a flat surface.

After bondin' fins, arrr, 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, ya bilge rat, which got 4 filler coats o' balsa sealer. Ya scallywag! I then applied 2 primer coats t' t' entire rocket, me hearties, and two finishin' coats o' Krylon glossy white. Avast! Begad! 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, shiver me timbers, though I played around and would suggest a 7 second delay on E/F motors. Arrr! For a first flight, I used an Estes E9-6 (usin' a 24-29mm tube adaptor). Winds were fairly heavy, at 15-20mph peak (estimated 10-15 at launch). Ya scallywag! T' flight be straight-up, with a slight spin. Ya scallywag! Ejection be at apogee, shiver me timbers, and t' streamer brought t' rocket back without a trace o' damage. Begad! Blimey! This be a very fast flight, shiver me timbers, and on an F t' rocket will definitely fly beyond me eyesight. Avast, me proud beauty! Rocksim estimated t' altitude on E9-6 at 2200, though I'd estimate I was about 1800-2000 tops. Ahoy! Blimey! 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. Aye aye! 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. Ya scallywag! Avast! This is an incredible flyer, and can cure me AP withdrawal on a sunny day without havin' t' file an LMR/notification.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5