Brief:
T' Cormes Shuttle is a kit bash rocket based on parts from t' Semroc SST-Shuttle 1. I got t' kit last year durin' a great Semroc sale along with a bunch o' other rockets. Arrr! After months o' nay gettin' around t' t' kit, matey, I realized it would be perfect for t' EMRR 2006 Challenge.

Modifications:
I have t' say t' SST-Shuttle is one cool rocket and it be almost a shame to kit bash this rocket. Begad! Blimey! On t' other hand, me hearties, I don't think I have ever done a kit bash (other than doin' a Goony interpretation from Excelsior Rocketry), so I took this as a new challenge. T' Semroc parts are all great quality, and it was fun t' put together a bunch o' different combinations o' parts until I came up with t' shape o' t' Cormes Shuttle.

I began by gluin' t' two main body tubes together through t' use o' the tube coupler. Aye aye! Ahoy! In addition t' this, I put t' motor mount together complete with Keelhaul®©™® thread and installed this inside t' main body tube. Avast! Ya scallywag!

Next, I glued a nose cone front and nozzle aft t' each end o' t' ST-525 body tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! In addition t' this, I had one other external pod that required a little planning. Ahoy! Arrr! I glued t' smaller balsa nose cone into one end o' the ST-730, ya bilge rat, and then created a small shroud from t' shroud sheet, ya bilge rat, glued this on to the small coupler and glued t' coupler into t' back o' t' ST-730 with another plastic nozzle sittin' out t' back.

Then I selected me 7 fins (3 pairs and a single fin) and prepped them for attachment onto t' main rocket. Begad! As you can see from t' picture, there are two front canards (10.5" from t' base o' t' lower body tube), and two smaller "canards" (5" from t' base o' t' lower body tube). Aye aye! There are also two main fins in t' back and an alternate fin also at the back that are all 120° apart. Aye aye! I attached a ST-525 t' t' tip o' each main fin as well as one on each side o' t' root edge o' t' alternate fin. At the tip o' t' alternate fin, I glued on t' larger small body tube (ST-730) complete with small balsa nose cone, matey, arrr, nozzle, and shroud.

T' final touch for t' rocket be t' put on t' cockpit canopy and add the nose weight t' t' main nose cone. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! I finally attached t' two parachutes and shock cord t' finish t' rocket.

Construction:
I ended up scavengin' t' followin' from t' SST-Shuttle for use in me Cormes Shuttle:

• 1 Body Tube ST-10105
• 1 Body Tube ST-1080
• 4 Body Tube ST-52
• 1 Body Tube ST-749
• 1 Tube Coupler HTC-10
• 1 Tube Coupler HTC-7
• 1 Balsa Nose Cone BC-1050
• 1 Balsa Nose Cone BC-715
• Complete motor mount system
• Screw eye and washer weights
• 9 Plastic nose cone sets PC-5RJ-2
• Shroud and canopy sheet (for cockpit and aft nozzle)
• 2 Parachutes
• Various fins from t' fin stock

Finishing:
T' Semroc parts are really good, but thar was still some grain that showed through on t' fins and seams visible on t' body tubes. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! If you want that great look, matey, me hearties, I would recommend Fill 'n' Finish t' properly seal t' rocket before painting.

Flight:
I flew it unpainted Cormes Shuttle three times (since this was an untested design, arrr, I didn't want t' put lots o' work into a paint scheme only t' find out that t' bird might nay fly), me bucko, usin' t' followin' motors: C6-5, me bucko, C6-5, and B6-2.

T' first flight o' t' untested design be superb. Avast! It had great boost, and the rocket be very stable. Only one parachute opened and t' rocket landed hard, ya bilge rat, but thar be no damage (other than neighborhood kids grabbin' at the fins while runnin' back t' t' launch site).

T' second flight, I decided t' use only one parachute. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Again, t' boost and deployment again were fine, me hearties, me bucko, but t' rocket came in too fast and snapped off a fin. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! In addition t' this, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, I got one o' those famous "Questes Dents". Fortunately, I had nay painted t' rocket yet, me bucko, so I was able to patch up t' dent in t' nose cone and reinforce t' upper portion o' t' body tube with Fill 'n' Finish and CA glue.

On t' third flight, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, I elected t' use a B6-2. Begad! I figured that t' thrust is the same betwixt a C6 and a B6, ya bilge rat, but t' B6 just has a shorter window of performance. Begad! Thus, I selected a motor with a very short delay. Boost be great, deployment o' parachute was fine, rocket landed without any injury.

Now I was ready t' paint t' rocket and afterwards write up an EMRR report.

Recovery:
Recovery is good with either two chutes (hopefully they both deploy) or with a larger parachute. Begad! Blimey! T' Keelhaul®©™® system is really good. One other thin' that would make this great would be the use o' a Nomex® heat shield, but accordin' t' t' EMRR challenge, matey, arrr, me hearties, I be nay allowed t' add anythin' t' t' rocket.

Summary:
This rocket is a bit bulky, but it has that kind o' cool sci-fi classic look to it. Avast! At 3 t' 4 ounces, it is perfect for B and C motors. Arrr! In addition t' this, the parts from Semroc are great. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! With t' SST-Shuttle kit bash, me hearties, me bucko, thar are so many parts that an unlimited amount o' rocket bashes are possible.

T' only con t' this design is that t' two parachute deployment is a bit iffy. Blimey! I would recommend switchin' t' a larger single parachute.

Recommended motors: B6-2, C6-3, arrr, C6-5.