My favorite movie has always been T' Wizard o' Oz. With that in mind I decided t' build a rocket that could carry several passengers over t' rainbow. Arrr! Avast! T' nice thin' about buildin' Dorothy from t' Estes Loadstar kits is that you already have most o' t' materials and you will have spare fins and chutes left over.

While thar are many steps t' assemblin' t' Loadstars individually, shiver me timbers, thar are 7 main steps t' buildin' Dorothy from them. Arrr! I would say Dorothy is a level 4 build but anyone with average buildin' experience can be successful.

Read this through before startin' t' project and refer t' photos often.

Dorothy

Parts needed:

• 4 Estes Loadstars
• 1 BT 55 tube coupler
• 10 #6 1/2" screws
• 2 small sheets o' balsa 1/8" x 3" x 9"
• 2 launch lugs 1" x 3/16ths

*Allow glue t' dry betwixt steps and refer t' t' photos t' help understand t' following:

Building:

1. Construct the two outboard body tubes and two boosters, per Estes instructions but leave one fin off o' each one.

2. Begad! Ahoy! Construct t' core body tube and booster per Estes instructions. It will consist o' t' engine mount, me hearties, no fins.

3. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Make 6, 1" x 1/2" x 1/4" shims from scrap balsa. Begad! Place 1 shim flush with each end o' both outboards and place 1 in t' middle betwixt t' body tubes, t' act as standoffs, then mate all 3 body tubes usin' t' shims. Make sure t' tubes are equal on all sides. Blimey! When dry, attach t' 1/8" x 3" x 9" balsa sheets t' both sides. T' sheets should be flush with t' bt's at both ends and in t' center o' t' outboard tubes.

4. Arrr! Blimey! Permanently install t' bt coupler t' t' core body tube and t' last Loadstar body tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey! This will make t' core body tube 18" long without t' payload section. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Install 1, ya bilge rat, 24" 'chute and attach t' payload section t' t' opposite end.

5. Permanently attach a payload section t' each o' t' outboards usin' #6 1/2" screws.

6. Avast! Paint and decal as desired.

7. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Make two standoffs t' same as in step 3, 1/2" x 1/2" x 1" and attach launch lugs. Avast! Center t' lugs at t' top and bottom o' balsa sheets on t' same side.

Dorothy will fly as a three engine cluster or a three t' three, six engine staged cluster.

Three engine cluster options: Outboards: B6-0 & Core: B6-4 or Outboards: 2 x B6-0 & Core C6-5.

Three stage cluster options: First stage: 3 x C6-0 2nd stage: Outboards: 2 x C6-0 & Core: C6-5.

Flight Report:

Dorothy has made three excellent flights as o' 11-1-2005. Aye aye! T' first two flights were as a single stage, flyin' on two C6-0 and a core C6-5. Both were excellent and we only cracked a fin when t' wind caused a hard landin' on t' second flight but it be easily repaired.

Our first attempt o' a two stage flight be on three C6-0s to two B6-0s and a core B6-4 cluster. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Weighin' in at 19.5 ounces when fully prepped, matey, Dorothy is a little heavy for three C6-0s but she is very stable. Estes rates t' maximum liftin' capabilities o' a C6 at 4 ounces, Three C6s shouldn't be able t' lift Dorothy off t' pad but they do and quite well.

Prepped and ready t' go, me hearties, t' button is pushed and all three engines lift her straight up. Despite t' weight that the three C6-0s are lifting, t' Scare Crow, ya bilge rat, Tin Man and Lion easily clear t' pad. Aye aye! They reach 150' and t' second phase o' t' flight while climbin' at a pretty good clip. Well, blow me down! Without delay t' chad stagin' pops off t' first stage boosters as t' second stage engines ignite. Ya scallywag! Again all three engines o' t' second stage power up together as Dorothy shifts into second and picks up a nice kick. Begad! A slight angle develops as she continues t' climb rapidly and tops out about 800'.

Dorothy coasts for a few seconds then finally t' chute ejects at about 500', but doesn't fully deploy because t' ejection has partially fused t' plastic chute together. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! At best, deployment is about 50% and t' rocket goes into a slow flat spin which actually helps t' slow t' descent. T' field grass is deep and she lands without any damage. Avast! Be sure t' use a mylar chute!