Brief:
T' LOC Aura kit was modified for an L1 attempt with an H engine and an altimeter bay added.

Modifications:
Nose cone and electronics bay modifications:

I cut 1" off t' body tube t' create t' small electronics bay for t' Pico-P1 altimeter. Ya scallywag! I then cut t' sleeve on t' nose cone and glued t' 1" cut section o' body tube t' create an extended nose cone with a compartment for t' small altimeter. I put a bulkhead on t' bottom with an eye bolt and epoxied a bolt offset through t' compartment t' secure it.

Through t' wall (TTW) fins:

I cut new fins with TTW tabs and glassed them with epoxy t' strengthen them. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I added a centerin' rin' and small balsa strips on t' outside o' t' engine tube that would hold t' TTW fin tabs. Begad! Avast! After attachin' t' added centerin' rin' and balsa strips on t' engine tube, ya bilge rat, I inserted t' whole assembly in t' body tube alignin' t' strips with t' slits I cut in t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Everythin' be epoxied in place.

Engine retention:

Before insertin' t' engine tube, me hearties, I placed 3 small #4 bolts through t' back o' t' aft retainin' ring. Avast! Arrr! These bolts should stick out at least 1/2" t' stick out above t' aft engine casin' cap t' accommodate nuts and retainer later.

Construction:
Kit included a thick wall body tube three 1/8" plywood fins and a thick plastic nose cone. Ya scallywag! I replaced t' engine tube for a longer one t' accommodate a 29/180 engine casing. I also cut new fins out o' 1/8" ply o' t' same shape but added tabs for through t' wall mounting. In short t' extra parts were:

• New engine mount tube
• New fins with TTW tabs
• Extra centerin' rings
• Extra bulkheads with offset holes (for baffle)
• Nuts, bolts and eye bolts
• 12" parachute t' replace t' streamer

Finishing:
I used a simple paint scheme with custom decals.

Flight:
I used an AeroTech RMS H238-L for this rocket. Ya scallywag! Because o' t' airframe's small size, arrr, it makes t' rocket almost all engine! This thin' will take off o' t' pad like it was shot out o' a rail gun. Ya scallywag! Begad! Because o' it's higher than normal descent rate, matey, arrr, it won't be too far o' a walk t' retrieve it as long as it's nay too windy.

Pros: It's nay t' most challengin' modification build, matey, me bucko, but it's fun because you know you're pushin' t' flight envelope. Ya scallywag! T' modifications I made included a baffle which helped because t' space was cramped with t' parachute. This, along with fashionin' engine retention makes it a very rewardin' and complete rocket build.

Cons: T' possibility that you will lose this rocket and never ever see it again is very high! Blimey! You're out an expensive engine casin' and somethin' you put a lot o' time and care into building.

Recovery:
I used t' stock shock cord. Begad! Blimey! For recovery, you must load it up with colored talc our you'll never see it at deployment.

No zipper, me bucko, broken fins or ejected engine casing. Ya scallywag! Here's some o' t' lessons I learned:

• I would nay recommend this unless it's totally clear. Well, blow me down! T' high cloud cover we had made it almost impossible t' track. T' thin white trackin' smoke blends into t' clouds.
• T' less wind t' better but if thar be any you'll want it comin' from t' opposite direction (or any other direction) o' t' sun. Arrr! It will weathercock into t' sun and you'll probably lose it.
• You must use colored talc powder (the kind used t' fill line levels.) This be t' only reason someone spotted this rocket at ejection.
• I'd suggest at least three people dedicated t' trackin' it with binoculars.

I forgot t' sand t' launch rod and a little sticky from some maskin' tape be on it. T' rocket tore t' rod off t' pad. It broke t' plastic mount and basically tried t' take o' with t' pad still attached t' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! When it took off it shot off t' pad like a cannon and weathercocked into t' wind probably 1/4 mile down range. Everybody gave it up for lost until me Dad spotted t' puff o' blue talc we loaded in prior t' t' chute. Arrr! He kept his eye on it all t' way down. It landed about 250yds downwind o' t' pad.

T' Pico altimeter measured 5,289ft. Avast, me proud beauty! It may have been higher but when I put t' batteries back in t' Pico I had t' microscopic thin' flipped over t' wrong way. I smartly flipped it over t' count t' flashes. Ya scallywag! Blimey! It could have been 6,000+ but because o' me mistake I'll go with what I saw. Avast! Even with t' accuracy range o' t' small Pico, I'm pretty sure it was over a mile (because I probably missed a flash that would have added another 1,000.) At any rate, me bucko, matey, with t' tryin' t' take off with t' pad and weathercockin' downrange I'll stick with t' 5,289ft even though it RockSim'ed at over 6,000ft for this set-up.

I'm happy it worked out. I'll be waitin' until t' conditions are exactly right until I launch it again with any H size engine. Aye aye! Begad! Clear skies, arrr, me hearties, low wind and lots o' deadlights on it.

Summary:
Drag race any other HPR level 1 rocket with this thin' and it will be no contest! It's sturdy and will last for many flights. Ya scallywag! However, shiver me timbers, t' odd are that someday you may lose it and never see it again.