Brief:
Usin' a BT-55 created a 1.8 upscale o' t' Estes Solar Warrior.

Construction:
In order t' build t' upscale Solar Warrior I used:

• 2 BT-55 tubes. Arrr! One for t' body tube and t' other be cut t' create the two pods as t' end o' t' wings. Begad!
• 1 BT-20 for t' motor mount. Ya scallywag!
• 1 sheet o' 3/32" balsa
• 1 PNC-55
• 1/8" launch lug
• 18 inches o' ¼ inch elastic for shock chord
• 60 inches o' 1.6" wide streamer material

Before I started me brother-in-law provided me with an enlarged fin pattern from a Solar Warrior kit I previously built. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! In order t' capture t' edges of the fins on t' copier t' balsa sheet was colored with a marker. Arrr! Usin' the pattern I cut out t' fins from t' balsa usin' a steel edge ruler and knife. Blimey! I decided t' cut me centerin' rings out o' balsa. Well, blow me down! I first drew an "+" on t' balsa and marked me BT-55 and BT-20 into four equal distances around the circumference. Begad! I pressed one end o' t' tubes against an inkpad and then used it t' mark t' balsa by linin' up me marks with t' lines o' t' "+". I then proceeded t' cut t' centerin' rings form t' balsa on t' inside o' the markings. T' centerin' rings were then sanded so that they would fit nicely in the body tube and t' motor mount tube would also fit correctly. Aye aye! Blimey! In order to ensure a clean straight cut for me body tubes I wrapped it a few times with good maskin' tape at t' desired point. Avast, me proud beauty! T' maskin' tape provided a nice straight guide t' cut against. Aye aye! I cut t' first BT-55 t' a length o' 17.55" for t' main body tube and t' second BT-55 was cut t' create t' two pods of 2.7" in length on t' side o' t' wing. I cut three inch o' t' BT-20 for the motor mount. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I cut a quarter inch o' t' end o' a spent 18mm motor casing for an engine block. Arrr! I did nay have an engine hook and decided t' friction fit my motor. Begad! Ahoy! Usin' t' same steps as t' original Solar Warrior. Avast! I finished it usin' wood filler t' create smooth fins and wings and painted it with Krylon yellow paint. Avast, me proud beauty!

Flight:
My first flight for t' rocket used an A8-3. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Lift off was slow but t' rocket may have reached only 40 feet in t' air. Begad! For me next flight I used a C6-3, arrr, it flew nice and straight and t' recovery be uneventful. Arrr! T' third flight on a B6-4 was good. Arrr! Again it flew straight and recovery yielded no damage. Ya scallywag! Avast! I flew successful on B6-4 and C6-3 twice more.

Summary:
Overall, I like t' design o' t' Solar Warrior. Avast! Blimey! I have also built one usin' a BT-5 and am in t' process o' up scalin' it 3 times usin' LOC/Precision parts.