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, me hearties, 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. Avast! This be t' second one o' these rockets that I've built. Ahoy! T' original used dual 4" chutes, 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. Begad! I used this t' make t' engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! With another used engine, arrr, I pushed t' engine block into t' body tube until thar be 1/8" o' overhang from t' end o' t' tube.

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

I filled t' entire nose cone with modellin' clay (~14g). Well, blow me down! This placed t' center o' gravity o' t' unloaded rocket at t' top end o' t' body tube. This allows t' rocket t' be stable for A-C engines. Blimey! 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. I used cotton strin' for t' shroud lines (this be cheap and available). Begad! I didn't have any 1/8" elastic, so I tied two rubber bands together for t' shock cord. Blimey! I mounted t' shock cord t' part o' an index card with white glue.

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. A8-3 Stability Test #1

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

2. Ahoy! Avast! B6-4 Stability Test #2

T' rocket still flew straight. Blimey! And I thought t' first one went high. Aye aye! Avast! It came down in t' trees, but it be so small that it fell right through t' branches without gettin' caught. Avast, me proud beauty! T' heavy nosecone also helped.

3. Blimey! Blimey! C6-7 Orbital Test

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

Rocket #2

1. Blimey! Aye aye! A8-3

This one flew straight t' about 500 feet. Aye aye! T' parachute openin' and be only scorched a little. Arrr! I used less than 1/2 sheet o' wadding, ya bilge rat, and I stuffed it into t' engine itself.

Summary:

PROS: Cheap t' build and fly. Avast, me proud beauty! Goes t' high altitudes with larger engines.

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