Brief:
When puttin' together me box o' parts I had no idea what t' expect and so crammed as much o' me rocket "junk" into t' box as possible. Well, blow me down! After startin' t' contest, however, I realized that I did nay have the experience or engine power t' cram everythin' onto one rocket. Begad! Because I had no idea what t' build I did what any modeler would do: procrastinate. Avast! Quite a while later I sat down and seriously began thinkin' about what t' build. After becomin' frustrated me younger brother (who's goin' into 2nd grade), me bucko, gave me his design o' what me rocket should look like. Avast! Usin' this design, matey, I brin' you t' Lucky 13!

Construction:
T' parts list:

• 1 10" BT-50 tube
• 2 2" BT-20 tube
• 1 nose cone for BT-50 from Gemini DC
• 2 2-3/4" nose cones for BT-20
• 3/16" balsa sheet
• 8 toothpicks
• foam egg carton
• 1 18mm engine mount
• 1 engine hook
• 2 centerin' rings
• launch lug
• Estes 12" parachute
• 10" elastic shock cord

I stared out by assemblin' t' motor mount inside t' main body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! I then designed t' rocket on t' trial version o' RockSim and used it t' create a fin template. I cut t' fins out o' 3/16" balsa along with t' cross fins. Ya scallywag! I rounded t' tops o' t' cross fins and glued them onto t' edge o' t' main fins. Avast! After this I glued t' two 2-3/4" nose cones onto t' 2" sections o' tubin' usin' plastic cement. Arrr! Blimey! Then I glued t' fins onto t' two tube pieces usin' epoxy and gave hefty fillets.

T' nozzle is a key part o' t' design because it utilizes t' foam egg carton. Arrr! I started by cuttin' off two of the end cups from t' carton because they are t' most round. I then cut them in half and glued them together using pins t' secure t' pieces. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! After t' nozzle dried I coated t' outside in epoxy. Then I trimmed t' nozzle and cut a hole in t' top for t' body tube. Ya scallywag! I again coated t' edges in epoxy t' protect them from wear and tear. Avast! I glued the nozzle t' t' bottom o' t' tube aligned with t' engine mount.

After t' nozzle was finished I glued t' fun units t' opposite sides o' t' rocket above t' nozzle. Avast! I used epoxy and made large fillets. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I then added tooth picks as decorations t' t' top o' t' rocket half an inch down. I spaces eight o' t' ten possible tooth picks evenly around t' tube.

While testin' t' rockets stability, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I found that it was unstable and added a good amount o' clay t' t' nose cone.

Finishing:
For t' paint scheme I decided on red and black. Arrr! I first gave it a quick coat o' red because o' ideal weather conditions, arrr, but after t' flights I primed and sanded it before givin' it a coat o' red. Ya scallywag! Usin' a paint pen I colored the edges o' t' fins and toothpicks black. I then painted t' outer edge o' t' cross fins usin' black paint. I plan to add a "1" and "3" decal t' opposite fins soon t' finish off t' look.

Flight:
For t' first flight o' t' Lucky 13, I decided on a B engine because I did nay believe an A would have enough power. T' only Bs in me range box had four second ejection charges, so I chose a B6-4. Arrr! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! This let t' rocket achieve a significant altitude, but t' ejection charge be too long and went off 40 feet from t' ground. Well, blow me down! A better choice would have been a B6-2. Blimey! T' rocket was stable but at an angle because t' launch rod be tilted. Avast! Begad!

For t' second flight I chose a C6-3 engine which gave t' rocket a high flight and a perfect ejection.

Recovery:
T' elastic shock cord be attached usin' t' standard Estes method a few inches into t' tube.

On t' B6-4 flight t' recovery was too late for comfort. Avast, me proud beauty! However, matey, shiver me timbers, on t' C6-3 flight t' ejection charge was well timed.

After two flights thar be nay any damage from landing, but t' nozzle was melted due t' t' heat. Blimey! Blimey! This can easily be fixed by coatin' t' inside o' t' nozzle with epoxy as well as t' outside.

Summary:
PROs: Easy design and good for smaller fields. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad!

CONs: Foam melts if nay epoxied.