While attendin' our first LDRS this year, arrr, me son Chris, me wife Kathy, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, and I, witnessed t' most impressive display o' large rockets we had ever seen. Begad! T' launch site in Orangeburg, ya bilge rat, South Carolina was unlike anythin' we have access t' in Pennsylvania. Blimey! T' wide open, flat, me hearties, grassy launch site was almost too good t' be true. Blimey! Couple that with a 10,000 foot above ground level FAA waiver, shiver me timbers, arrr, and you have a high power rocketeer's dream. Throughout t' four day event, me hearties, we watched rockets o' every conceivable size and weight, matey, powered by a variety o' motors from "A" through "M", take t' t' clear, shiver me timbers, blue, ya bilge rat, arrr, South Carolina skies. Arrr! When t' announcement was made at Sunday night's banquet about the location o' LDRS 20, shiver me timbers, Chris and I almost immediately started makin' plans to attend.

In addition t' plannin' t' trip t' Lucerne Dry Lake, California, arrr, I started plannin' a rocket project t' take along. Begad! Blimey! Since I achieved me Level 2 certification this past August 5th, a powerful, 54mm motor based, dual-deployment rocket be a must. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey! I decided t' modify a plan I had been workin' on for some time, ya bilge rat, which resulted in a 4 inch diameter, 8 1/2 foot long rocket. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! T' six-fin design which originally be called the "Six-shooter", arrr, had now become "Six Appeal".

T' rocket be built usin' 4" PML Quantum tubin' and a PML nosecone. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins were cut from .093" G10 fiberglass and will go through t' airframe and mount t' a PML extended Quik-Switch 54mm motor tube. Arrr! Ahoy! I cut t' fin slots myself by markin' t' tube, drillin' a 1/8" hole at each end o' t' slot, me bucko, me hearties, and usin' a steel straight edge and an X-acto knife. Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! T' Quantum tubin' was only slightly more difficult to cut than normal phenolic tubing.

A 10" section o' coupler tubin' and 3/16" plywood was used t' build t' avionics bay that will house a Missile Works RRC2 altimeter. Blimey! Blimey! T' altimeter, arrr, by t' way, me hearties, was won in a raffle at the LDRS 19 banquet. Avast! Blimey! T' ejection charge holders were made usin' PVC pipe plugs epoxied t' each end that will hold Robby's Rockets ejection canisters.

T' recovery system is a 20" Sky Angle parachute for t' drogue and a 52" Sky Angle parachute for t' main. Ahoy! Twenty-one feet o' tubular nylon for shock cords at each end o' t' avionics bay, along with Nomex heat shields and shock cord protectors.

After primin' and paintin' with gloss paint, me hearties, I applied custom made vinyl graphics. Ya scallywag! T' finished rocket weighs in a just under 10 lbs empty. T' picture (above and right) be taken at LDRS XX just prior t' a successful first flight, to 5,958 feet on an Aerotech K550.