Brief:
This is a Phoenix built from 4x downscalin' t' original Estes kit. Aye aye! Blimey! It is much less expensive t' fly as it uses 18mm motors and 1 sheet o' waddin' or less, 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. Begad! This be t' second one o' these rockets that I've built. 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. Arrr! Well, blow me down! I used this t' make t' engine block. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! With another used engine, 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. Avast! 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, matey, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, t' fins will split when you cut them out. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! I used a 1/4" length o' Estes' standard 1/8" diameter launch lug.

I filled t' entire nose cone with modellin' clay (~14g). Blimey! 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. 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. Ya scallywag! I used cotton strin' for t' shroud lines (this was cheap and available). Arrr! I didn't have any 1/8" elastic, ya bilge rat, me hearties, so I tied two rubber bands together for t' shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! I mounted t' shock cord t' part o' an index card with white glue.

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. Blimey! Blimey! A8-3 Stability Test #1

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

2. B6-4 Stability Test #2

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

3. Aye aye! C6-7 Orbital Test

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

Rocket #2

1. Arrr! A8-3

This one flew straight t' about 500 feet. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! T' parachute openin' and was only scorched a little. I used less than 1/2 sheet o' wadding, 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.