Brief:
While buildin' t' Estes SpaceShipOne, I encountered a problem when t' plastic cement recommended by the manufacturer melted and deformed t' tail cone. Aye aye! T' their credit, and typical o' their customer service, Estes sent me a replacement model immediately after I shared with them what had occurred.

Lookin' at t' undamaged parts from t' original kit, I decided that I would use them t' create a variation on the original. Begad! Arrr! This one would be longer and have a larger motor mount. Begad! I dubbed it t' SpaceShip2000, me hearties, me hearties, or SS2K.

Modifications:
This build wasn’t too complicated. I began with t' motor mount and glued it into t' lower tube. T' BT was marked for two sets o' fins and a launch lug. I’ve learned t' hard way how important it is t' mark a narrower lower tube first before gluin' it into a larger diameter upper tube. Once it was marked t' centerin' rings were attached and t' lower tube be glued into t' upper tube.

Next I made t' cardstock transition and attached it. Avast, me proud beauty! I’ve developed t' habit o' gluin' t' transition together with a glue stick and immediately puttin' it on t' rocket, matey, me bucko, me hearties, thereby helpin' t' lower portion t' maintain its shape. I also wrap cardstock around t' upper tube, tape it together, and slide it over where t' tube and transition meet. Blimey! Avast! This helps t' upper end o' t' transition dry in t' correct shape as well.

T' fins were put together accordin' t' t' instructions except for t' bevelin' o' t' root edge – I wasn’t interested in attachin' them t' t' body tube at an angle. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I was worried that t' amount o' fin extending past t' end o' t' rocket combined with t' unique nature o' t' same would make t' fins susceptible t' damage but they have held up fine.

Knowin' this would likely go fairly high, I painted it black for visibility’s sake. Ahoy! Begad! Both t' primer and spray paint came from Wal-Mart. I didn’t put any o' t' decals on it because I didn’t want t' take t' time t' do so on a rocket that may or may nay be stable and likely would be lost because o' t' motors I intended t' use.

Construction:
My primary components were:

• BT, me hearties, PNC, and balsa fins from t' SS1 kit
• 29mm BT – 11”
• Cardstock transition
• BT-50 – 3” for motor mount
• 2 sets o' cardstock centerin' rings
• ¼” launch lug and balsa standoff
• Elastic shock cord
• Hartle Engineerin' parachute

Flight:
This rocket has flown numerous times on both D12-5’s and E9-8’s. Aye aye! It has flown and recovered beautifully every time. It comes down nicely under an 18” Hartle Engineerin' chute.

Summary:
This is one o' me favorite rockets in me fleet. Begad! Ahoy! It was fun t' build and flies really well. Arrr! Ahoy! Its distinctive look causes people t' pay attention when it comes out and flies. For those who may have one o' these in their stash or find it on clearance somewhere, this is a great modification.