Brief:
This has been an interestin' year for me. Avast! I call it "Rocketry On A Budget". Ahoy! Avast! A box o' parts be donated by Jonathan Stewart from Plano Texas. Ahoy! Arrr! I thank him for his generosity. Begad! Begad! I received me box on March 4, 2009.

Construction:
An inventory o' t' parts:

• A) BT-5 12" long
• B) BT-5 size 3-½" long party hornpipe tube
• C) BT-20 14-½" long
• D) BT-50 4" Clear Tube
• E) BT-50 12-½" long
• F) BT-55 14" long
• G) BT-56 11" long
• H) BT-55 12" long
• I) BT-60 3" long
• J) BT-60 10 ½" long
• K) BT-80 15 long
• L) 2 BT-5 "Pod" assemblies 5" long each (nose cones glued in each end)
• M) 4 BT-5 Nozzles assemblies, arrr, ya bilge rat, 2-1/4" long each
• N) 4 BT-3 Pod assemblies 2" long each
• O) 20/50 Balsa Transition adapter
• P) 55/60 Plastic Transition Adapter
• Q) Balsa Conical Nose Cone for BT-5
• R) Plastic Nose Cone for BT-55
• S) Balsa Nose Cone for BT-20
• T) 2 (Usable) BT-50 Balsa Blocks
• U) 4 Engine Hooks (different sizes)
• V) "Street Marker" Conical Cone, matey, 2" at base
• W) 1 Clear Plastic "Half" Bubble 2-½" long
• X) 6 "Pre-cut balsa Fins
• Y) 5 Launch Lugs 1/8" X 1"
• Z) 1 Launch Lug 3/16" X 4"
• AA) 4 Cardstock Tubes, 3/16" X 5-½"
• BB) 5 Popsicle Sticks
• CC) 3 Golf Tees
• DD) 2 Screw eyes
• EE) 1 Bamboo Skewer 5-½" long
• FF) 4 Black Plastic "Landin' Feet"
• GG) 1 Yellow Plastic Dome 3" diameter
• HH) Various Fiber Centerin' Rings
• II) 2 Black Plastic "Angle" Pieces
• JJ) 1 20 size Engine Block
• KK) 10 Various Plastic "Tips, ends and points"
• LL) Orange Plastic Streamer 54" X 2"
• MM) 3/8" wide Black Shock Cord--long!
• NN) 5 small plastic "Missiles"
• OO) 4 White plastic Star Wars guns
• PP) 8 small orange plastic "Tips"
• QQ) 1 Plastic Candy Container
• RR) 6 plastic "Plugs" Many holed
• SS) 24" Nylon Parachute
• TT) 36" Nylon Parachute
• UU) 1 sheet Basswood 1/8" X 4" X 24"
• VV) 1 sheet Basswood 1/8" X 4" X 16"

Some o' t' tubes have been pulled from older painted models. Begad! Blimey! There is some epoxy glue residue and paint. Avast! Blimey! I'll have t' cut off some o' t' rough edges and fill some imperfections. Begad! Blimey!

With so many small, decorative pieces sent, shiver me timbers, me hearties, it made t' best sense t' build a sci-fi fantasy spaceship.

It seemed thar be too many parts in t' box! Blimey! Rather than just gluin' everythin' t' t' main tube, I'll try to combine as many (recognizable) parts into sub-assemblies and then attach them t' t' model.

Most all construction is documented on the PDF instructions and patterns. Begad! All parts listed above are referenced in t' file by t' same reference letter(s), too. Ya scallywag! This PDF is the Assembly View

I had opened t' box when everythin' had first arrived. Begad! I be a little overwhelmed. Avast! Begad! I wanted t' incorporate as many interestin' parts as possible but t' try and do it with some sort o' consistent decorum. Blimey! I also had the "Surprise Items" t' consider. Arrr! For instance, how do I add four popsicle sticks? They have t' be recognizable but still stay with t' flow o' t' design.

I visualized many o' t' body tubes and one adapter together on t' floor. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! From t' aft forward: T' large diameter BT-80 "engine compartment" (K) will connect t' t' trimmed Yellow Plastic Dome (GG). Avast, me proud beauty! Larger coolant "vanes" (UU) will be cut t' fit t' dome and tube transition. This would continue t' t' BT-55 (F). Ahoy! Next is the Plastic 55/60 adapter.(P) T' ends will be trimmed and coated with epoxy t' protect t' plastic interior from the ejection charge. Arrr! Aye aye! T' adapter connects t' t' BT-60.(J) This tube is slotted. I'll add 2 forward fins and "guns" (X) here. Avast, me proud beauty! T' "Street Marker Conical Cone" (V) will top off t' model. Ahoy! It'll require heavy fillin' and trimmin' t' work.

I re-drew t' model for t' third time. I played with variations and came up with "Butterflied" rudder tips. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' wings would have down turned win' tips. "Engines" (M, N, & A) will fit into t' angle formed by the win' tips.

A ram-jet style nose cone was made out off part Q. Begad! I cut ½" off t' tip with a razor saw then sanded t' cuts flat with a sandin' block. Begad! More sandin' followed until it achieved t' right visual balance. This will be joined t' a shortened BT-5 (A) and be glued t' t' middle o' t' rudder's butterflied top. Ahoy!

T' balsa cone (S) be split down t' middle then sanded t' t' contour o' a BT-60. Ahoy! These would be used t' make side engine intakes on both sides o' t' rudder. Arrr! Arrr! T' BT-20 (C) was split lengthwise down t' middle t' fit t' two sides from t' split nose cone.

1-1/4" was cut off t' BT-56 (G) t' make a coupler. Well, blow me down! It was split lengthwise and slid it into t' BT-55. Aye aye! The overlap was marked then trimmed t' fit snugly. Aye aye! Avast! It took some "shimming" t' make these two (close diameter) tubes fit. Ahoy! T' butt-joint was hidden under t' aft tubing.

T' Red plastic Sanford Pen Casin' (KK) be cut into thirds. Avast! Arrr! Two were centered in t' front o' t' win' engine assemblies. T' remainin' third piece would go out t' end o' t' rudder tube.

T' 6-½" long BT-5 tube (A) be cut into equal thirds. Arrr! Arrr! Blimey! I needed two win' "engine tubes" and one rudder ramjet tube.

I used t' four white plastic engine nacelles on either side o' t' engine tubes. Begad! Blimey! T' front end was cut down, I didn't want an exhaust nacelle on t' front o' t' engine.

Centerin' rings were cut out o' t' shippin' box for t' stuffer tube inside t' aft BT-80 tube. Well, blow me down! T' interior BT-55 tube was offset t' t' top o' t' BT-80. Begad! Blimey!

T' Stuffer tube be made out o' two pieces o' BT-55 and 56 (parts F and G) joined by a coupler made from a short piece o' t' supplied BT-55. Begad! Aye aye! Blimey!

T' engine will be a D12 fittin' into a BT-50 motor mount tube. Avast! (Part E). A 3" piece o' BT-50 be cut for an engine mount. T' BT-50 was notched for t' suppled engine hook (U). Aye aye! T' end o' t' hook extended 1/4" beyond the engine mount tube. Begad!

There be plenty o' centerin' rings but no 50/55 rings. Ahoy! Ahoy! From t' shippin' box, I made a 1" wide centering ring. I kept wrappin' t' cardboard strip round until it made a slip fit into t' BT-55 stuffer tube. Begad! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I'll lay white glue t' plug t' open holes in t' corrugated cardboard.

There was no Keelhaul®©™®, so I made a standard Estes style tri-fold mount.

T' engine mount be glued inside t' shorter BT-55 tube until t' BT-50 engine tube be even with t' aft of the 55 tube.

It be obvious t' cut t' cone (V) down t' fit t' BT-60 upper tube. I decided t' cut it at an angle so t' tip would be angled down, me hearties, much like t' old SST Jetliner when it was in flight. However, after trimmin' it looked too saggy at t' front. Ahoy! Ahoy! I trimmed and sanded t' tip back at an angle. T' hole in t' nose cone tip was now an enlarged oval. I cut a piece o' scrap BT-55 (H) and CA'd it t' t' tip. Avast, me proud beauty! T' edges were sanded down t' match t' new conical shape. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! The nose cone adapter be easier than I would have thought. I took a piece o' BT-60 (I) and split it. Aye aye! It was set into the upper BT-60 and t' overhang "tab" was CA'd in place. T' adapter be simply glued t' t' cone edge, centerin' it all around. Arrr!

T' transition dome (GG) was t' hardest t' cut out. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Even after cuttin' and makin' an inside transition angle, the match wasn't close enough for me. Avast, me proud beauty! I built up t' open gaps with strips cut from scrap BT-55. Begad! Avast! I sanded t' fill pieces smooth with sandpaper wrapped around a BT-50 tube scrap.

T' form t' 55/60 plastic transition (P), t' original 3" long BT-60 was cut off t' transition piece. Blimey! I coated t' inside with 15 minute epoxy t' protect it from t' ejection charge.

T' upper parachute tubin' (J) was a left over tube from a kit, already laser slotted for through t' wall fins. I'll have t' patch t' holes and fill t' seams. BT-60 scrap (I) was cut t' 1-½" t' make an inside tube coupler. Begad! Avast! This gives an inside wall t' glue t' patch pieces onto. Ahoy! After t' coupler be glued in place, me bucko, ya bilge rat, scrap body tube strips were white glued in t' slots. Begad!

Three transitions vanes were cut from t' 1/8" basswood (UU). Avast! Arrr! Two transitions had t' be matched, the curved aft dome (GG) and t' upper plastic transition.(P) Also, ya bilge rat, matey, me bucko, on t' two smaller outside vanes, me hearties, me hearties, t' dome angle had to be sanded t' an angle t' match t' curve. Begad! This and t' dome were t' hardest parts o' t' build. Avast, me proud beauty!

Two wings, shiver me timbers, rudder, ya bilge rat, matey, and win' tips were cut from t' 1/8" basswood. Ya scallywag! (TT)

T' black plastic angles (II) were used for t' win' cannon housings. I made "plugs" out o' laminated scrap 1/8" basswood. Avast! T' white Star Wars "guns" (00) were shortened and glued into 1/8" holes drilled in t' plugs.

T' plastic candy package (PP) was sanded t' t' BT-80 body tube contour. I used only ½" o' two ends of t' BT–5 pod assemblies(L). Begad! Blimey! They were both sanded t' t' BT-80 curve and t' flat front o' t' candy package. T' assembly was centered t' t' bottom o' t' BT-80 then super glued in place. Well, blow me down!

Finishing:
Finishin' t' rocket, matey, ya bilge rat, I did t' best I could without too much complex masking. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' built rocket be painted gloss white, arrr, t' aft engine compartment painted black. Begad! Blimey! T' popsicle stick vanes were first painted white, me bucko, then glued onto the black engine tube.

I had plans for usin' many o' t' decals that were sent. Well, blow me down! Begad! While thar were plenty o' decals included, me hearties, most all were older and unusable. Some rolled off t' paper onto themselves, others cracked. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! I know thar are decal solvents and repair solutions available, shiver me timbers, matey, but I didn't have time t' order and fly t' model by t' deadline. Avast, me proud beauty! I wanted t' use what be supplied. Well, blow me down! I did t' best I could without too much complex masking. Arrr! I'm nay complaining, ya bilge rat, Mr. Stewart sent plenty o' parts for a fun build. Aye aye!

T' first time, ya bilge rat, I pieced together some yellow decal stripes on t' wings and rudder. Arrr! Begad! Others stayed together enough for t' rolled up edges t' be tacked into place with white glue. As t' decals dried, they pulled up on the edges. Begad! I tried re-tackin' them down again, but t' next day they lifted again. Begad! I let things sit for a few days while I tried t' think o' a solution. Blimey! I removed most o' t' lifted decals.

On t' USPS Priority Mail Box were names and logos. Ya scallywag! I lightly scored t' eagle logo, names, ya bilge rat, and navy blue stripes with a razor blade. Arrr! T' thin top layer o' paper was peeled off. Aye aye! Usin' t' USPS logos changed t' theme and back story of t' model.

I lightly wet t' peeled paper back with a sponge and carefully scraped off what was left o' t' brown cardboard layer and glue.

From thar be was pretty simple, a thin coat o' white glue and placement. Ya scallywag! I did lay some water on t' body tube where t' paper art was t' go. Blimey! Aye aye! It helped with t' positionin' as I could slide t' glued paper into position.

Flight and Recovery:
T' first launch was scheduled for June 6, 2009. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' weather be clear, but t' launch area was waterlogged! Many days o' rain in central Florida had left t' launch field too wet and unusable.

I usually don't fly with t' "Big Boys" in Bunnell, Florida, but I went t' t' NEFAR Half-Blast for the first flight on June 13. I flew two small test models before t' Postal Express. Begad! T' loadin' was typical, shiver me timbers, a D12-3 and wadding. Begad! I was nervous as it be a heavy build with lots o' nose weight.

Launch was show and straight maybe t' 350 feet. Arrr! Blimey! I be concerned t' angled nose cone might effect t' vertical trajectory, but it didn't seem t' affect it at all. Arrr! Blimey! It slowed and blew it's chute just prior t' apogee. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! Someone said there was a zipper. There couldn't be a zipper, thar wasn't any Keelhaul®©™® to cut through t' body tube. Aye aye! Avast! T' shock cord be hangin' from about halfway down t' body, me bucko, matey, nay from t' nose. It was hung up around t' toothpicks on t' center o' t' BT-55.

Upon landing, arrr, matey, t' nose cone broke cleanly away from its adapter. Begad! One o' t' forward fins was gone, shiver me timbers, broken above the fillet joint. T' snap back o' t' ejection must have hit t' forward fin. Ahoy! Both are repairable, and I'll fly it again at t' June 27 R.O.C.K. launch. Aye aye!

All repairs were made for t' local NAR, ROCK Section o' Orlando launch on June 27, 2009. Ahoy! As always, I grabbed a smaller rocket and did a low level test flight t' get a feel for t' field and conditions. I noticed t' plastic dome on t' Postal Express transition was loose, and I hit it with a few drops o' CA glue. Aye aye! T' remembered t' earlier flight on a D12-3 thinkin' ejection was a hair early so I loaded up a D12-5.

Launch was slow and ejection occurred after apogee, arrr, on t' way down. Blimey! T' chute ejected but was wrapped once around t' shock cord. Well, blow me down! It never fully opened but slowed t' descent with no damage.

A short rain held up launchin' for 15 minutes. Arrr! I loaded up again, me bucko, this time with a D12-3. Aye aye! Begad! This seems t' be the best available engine. Well, blow me down! If someone were t' make a D12-4 engine it would be close t' perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! This was t' best launch yet. Aye aye! Begad! Straight up, me bucko, matey, full parachute and no damage on landing.

Summary:
PROs: Lots o' fun buildin' with supplied parts. Quite a learnin' experience. When doin' an out-of-the-ordinary build, you change directions many times and pick up a few new techniques along t' way.

CONs: Some small parts break off. If I had t' resources, shiver me timbers, matey, me hearties, it would have flown higher with an E or F engine.