Brief:
This is a Phoenix built from 4x downscalin' t' original Estes kit. It is much less expensive t' fly as it uses 18mm motors and 1 sheet o' waddin' or less, shiver me timbers, compared t' t' original usin' 24mm motors and 14 sheets o' wadding.

Construction:

• Nose Cone - Reliant/Vikin' BT-20 (filled with modellin' clay)
• Custom 7" parachute made from a shoppin' bag
• Custom 7" shock cord made from 2 rubber bands
• 2 Sets o' 4 fins each made from 1/16" balsa
• 1/8" end section o' spent A engine motor (engine block)
• 1/4" long 1/8" launch lug

This design took about 2 days t' assemble. Ahoy! Blimey! This be t' second one o' these rockets that I've built. Avast! T' original used dual 4" chutes, shiver me timbers, arrr, and I painted some o' t' details onto it which I omitted from this design.

I started by cuttin' 1/8" off t' ejection charge end o' a spent A8-3. I used this t' make t' engine block. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! With another used engine, me hearties, I pushed t' engine block into t' body tube until thar was 1/8" o' overhang from t' end o' t' tube.

I used 1/16" balsa t' make t' fins. Ya scallywag! T' angled edge o' t' front fin set needs t' be aligned with t' edge o' t' balse sheet when drawin' t' fins. Avast! Otherwise, t' fins will split when you cut them out. Ahoy! I used a 1/4" length o' Estes' standard 1/8" diameter launch lug.

I filled t' entire nose cone with modellin' clay (~14g). Begad! Arrr! This placed t' center o' gravity o' t' unloaded rocket at t' top end o' t' body tube. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! This allows t' rocket t' be stable for A-C engines. T' center o' gravity should be at t' top o' t' front fin set.

I used a plastic shoppin' bag t' make a parachute about 7" in diameter. Begad! I used cotton strin' for t' shroud lines (this was cheap and available). Well, blow me down! I didn't have any 1/8" elastic, matey, arrr, so I tied two rubber bands together for t' shock cord. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I mounted t' shock cord t' part o' an index card with white glue.

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. Aye aye! A8-3 Stability Test #1

T' rocket flew relatively straight. Apogee be difficult t' determine from about 500' away. T' chutes deployed but weren't really big enough t' do any good. Begad! No damage.

2. Avast! B6-4 Stability Test #2

T' rocket still flew straight. And I thought t' first one went high. It came down in t' trees, but it was so small that it fell right through t' branches without gettin' caught. Begad! T' heavy nosecone also helped.

3. Avast! Aye aye! C6-7 Orbital Test

T' rocket flew straight for 500 feet or so. Well, blow me down! Then it turned into t' wind and be lost from sight. We saw t' smoke trail around 1700 ft. Avast, me proud beauty! or so down range. I guess you can't really distinguish an 8 inch rocket from t' sky at that point. Arrr! No idea whether t' parachutes deployed. Avast, me proud beauty! It probably landed somewhere.

Rocket #2

1. Avast! Begad! A8-3

This one flew straight t' about 500 feet. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! T' parachute openin' and be only scorched a little. Ahoy! Aye aye! I used less than 1/2 sheet o' wadding, me bucko, and I stuffed it into t' engine itself.

Summary:

PROS: Cheap t' build and fly. Goes t' high altitudes with larger engines.

CONS: Turns into t' wind a little with C engines and disappears from sight.