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, 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. Blimey! Ahoy! 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. Avast! I used this t' make t' engine block. 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. Arrr! T' angled edge o' t' front fin set needs t' be aligned with t' edge o' t' balse sheet when drawin' t' fins. Begad! Begad! Otherwise, me bucko, matey, t' fins will split when you cut them out. Avast! I used a 1/4" length o' Estes' standard 1/8" diameter launch lug.

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

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A8-3 Stability Test #1

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

2. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! B6-4 Stability Test #2

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

3. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! C6-7 Orbital Test

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

Rocket #2

1. Avast! A8-3

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

Summary:

PROS: Cheap t' build and fly. Blimey! Goes t' high altitudes with larger engines.

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