Rachael wanted a new rocket, but wanted somethin' different. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! She looked through t' Estes catalog and thought t' Gemini DC was cool with two parachutes. Her and I talked about a lot o' ideas, arrr, and a few days later she presented me t' plans for t' Oriole II. Blimey! I helped with t' measurin' and cuttin' and painting, but Rachael figured out how it would work.

T' Oriole looks and flies normally, arrr, but at ejection it breaks into 3 pieces and comes back on streamers. Well, blow me down! Blimey!

Parts List

Nose assembly
NC-55 (conical Black Brant style)
6 " elastic shock cord
1.5" x 24" streamer
clay noseweight
Upper Stage / Piston assembly
BT-55 – 9"
BT-5 – about 7.5" long (cut t' fit)
TC-55 tube coupler
1/16" balsa centerin' rings (to center BT-5 in BT-55) – you need 5 o' these
3/32" balsa bulkhead disks (to fit BT-55) – need 2
8" elastic shock cord
1.5" x 24" streamer
a small amount o' scrap balsa
Booster
BT-55 – 9"
Standard motor mount with engine hook
1/8" Launch lugs – need 2 - 1" long and .5" long
18" elastic shock cord
1.5" x 24" streamer
3/32" balsa fin stock

Part 1 – Nose Cone

Add some clay t' t' nose cone t' make it heavy enough t' come down faster, glue t' nose cone base on.

Tie shock cord t' t' nose cone and tape a streamer t' it.

Part 2 – Booster

Build t' motor mount and glue it in.

Cut out t' fins, finish as desired.

Mark tube for t' fins and glue them on, arrr, add fillets.

Glue t' short launch lug at t' top edge o' one fin root, the long lug at t' base o' t' same fin root.

Make an Estes style paper shock cord mount and glue it into place as far down t' tube as possible.

(hint: glue in t' mount from t' engine end o' t' tube before gluin' in t' motor mount)

Part 3 – Piston (see t' diagram)

Take two o' t' centerin' rings and smear with with thin CA or yellow glue for added strength. Ahoy! Avast! Blimey! When dry, arrr, arrr, glue one onto t' end of the BT-55 coupler and fillet well. Begad! Glue t' second on and fillet. Begad! Sand to fit.

Take two more centerin' rings and t' two bulkheads (no hole). Arrr! Glue one centerin' rin' t' a bulkhead with t' grain at 90 degree angles. Begad! Do t' other t' same way. These are t' ends o' the piston.

You may want t' add small scrap balsa spacers t' the underside o' t' piston ends t' keep it from bindin' on t' glue fillets.

Glue one end o' t' piston t' t' BT-5 tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Insert it through t' BT-55 coupler you built above, and make sure it slides easily.

When it fits right, me bucko, remove t' BT-5 and glue t' coupler into t' upper tube (the one without t' motor mount). Well, blow me down! Glue t' last centering rin' into t' upper tube about 2.5" back from t' nose cone (leave room for t' nose cone shoulder). Let dry.

Insert t' BT-5 through t' centerin' rings, then glue the other end o' t' piston on. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! See t' diagram.

Make another o' t' paper type o' shock cord mounts and glue it onto t' face o' t' piston nearest t' coupler (opposite t' nose cone end). Attach a streamer.

Insert engine and igniter first and stand it on its fins. Avast! Add wadding, then load in t' booster shock cord and streamer. Aye aye! Now load t' shock cord and streamer from t' piston section and fit t' piston section on. Ahoy! Push down with your finger at t' nose end t' make sure t' piston goes all t' way down. Avast! Arrr! Now fold t' streamer and shock cord from t' nose into t' top end and place t' nose cone in place.

You want t' piston t' move forward before t' ejection charge separates t' body tubes, so make sure that everythin' comes apart easily, shiver me timbers, especially t' nose. Even if t' nose doesn't separate at ejection, me hearties, the clay in it will usually cause separation on t' way down. Be careful though, that cone is pointy!!!

Flight Tests

T' Oriole II has been flown many times. Avast, me proud beauty! An A8-3 motor is really too small and a C motor was way too much. Avast, me proud beauty! A lot o' t' fun for this rocket is seein' it when it comes apart. Aye aye! We use B4-2 motors in it now and it works just right. Avast, me proud beauty! Rachael did fly t' Oriole II at NARAM.