Diary o' a Contest Rocketeer:

3-24-08: Got me box o' parts . Begad! Will post pics later.

3-26-08: Here are me parts. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Nay much for large nose cones, but looks like I can make somethin' up if need be.

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3-27-08: There was about three sheets o' paper inserted in t' box when I got it. Now I can't seem t' find those sheets.

3-31-08: I found those sheets o' paper I misplaced along with another tube coupler/tube and a mixin' cup... do I have t' retake t' picture o' all t' parts?

5-24-08: Just wanted t' mention that I started buildin' me contest entry . Was kinda hopin' for longer 18mm tubing, matey, but I'll make due with what I have. If I can make it stable with t' length I have t' work with, me hearties, this may be a two stage rocket.

5-27-08: Pretty much finished buildin' me entry. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Goin' test fly it this weekend unpainted.

Question: Just went over t' rules again and it said good photos o' build process. Ahoy! I hope illustrations qualify for that because thats what I was doin' ><.

I thought about takin' photos o' t' build.... but me cheap camera is broke, and I did nay want t' get glue, paint, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, etc on me expensive gear.

5-29-08: Well, Construction o' me entry has been complete. I wanted t' get in some test flights at todays CMASS launch, but that has been postponed till Sunday, shiver me timbers, and I can't make it after church... Ahoy! Begad! so since t' next CMASS launch I will be able t' go t' is nay until after t' contest deadline, I will have t' test it on me own.

I am goin' test it as a single stage configuration first. Blimey! Probably with a B6-4. Avast! Blimey! It has an unique fin configuration, arrr, so I like t' see how it behaves before I try it with t' booster.

5-31-08: Minor setback - While cleanin' up I "bumped" t' rocket and crimped t' main body tube and sent one o' t' details flyin' across t' room. Arrr! T' Crimp be easily fixed by splicin' t' tube, arrr, ya bilge rat, insertin' a tube, and gluin' them back together. Avast! T' detail was like findin' a needle in a haystack, me bucko, but I found it after searchin' high and low.

6-01-08: Much t' windy today t' test fly me creation. Maybe tomorrow if I have time.

6-03-08: Got t' test flights done. Ahoy! I First I flew it single stage with a B6-4. Begad! Good flight, matey, did nay get very high. B6-2 would be a better choice. Second test flight be in its two stage mode. B6-0 and B6-4 was used. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Perfect flight but I did nay get a picture since t' guy pushin' t' button failed t' do a proper countdown ><. Today I started writin' t' documentation. Begad! Will paint me rocket soon . Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty!

On T' Pad - Nekkid	Test Launch - Single Stage

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6-17-08: Had an issue where t' Krylon black reacted t' t' humidity and fogged up. Begad! I am paintin' rust oleum over it, ya bilge rat, arrr, I hope it does nay have a reaction . My Drawings for me rocket are almost done, arrr, so that means I will have t' documentation done soon . Ahoy! Aye aye! Weather is forcasted t' be poor all this week, so gettin' a in-flight picture before the deadline may be an issue.

BTW, requirin' an in flight photo shouldn't be a requirement. Avast! For me, t' next launch where I can fly it on larger motors won't be till after t' contest is over, so that means I have t' fly it at t' local park, me bucko, which limits me to B6-0 in t' booster, and I only got one left. Ya scallywag! And its hard t' take a picture and launch t' rocket at t' same time, and its hard t' get someone t' help . Ya scallywag! So If I miss t' shot, I don't have any more B6-0's, arrr, which limits me t' C6-0's which I will loose t' rocket, or A8-0's...

I got a shot o' t' unpainted test flights with it single stage on a B6-4. Ahoy! Would that count? I also flew it two stage, ya bilge rat, but t' helper did nay know how t' do a proper countdown and I did nay get a launch shot o' it in two stages... T' paintin' and detailin' will be done this week, ya bilge rat, just at t' mercy o' weather t' get a finished launch in before the deadline (which for me be t' 27th, cause I am leavin' on vacation and won't be back till way after t' deadline).

6-20-08: My rocket is finished . Begad! I think me paint scheme came out extremely well. Ahoy! Arrr! Now I need t' finish the documentation...

Fully Illustrated Instructions

Designin' t' Avenger

Two stage rocket design which is me entry for t' "Box-of-parts" design contest.

T' parts for this rocket was limited t' whatever parts were present in t' Priority mail triangle that I got. Upon openin' t' box, me bucko, I noticed thar be only a limited number o' large tubes, ya bilge rat, and a large collection o' smaller tubing. Also lackin' was amount o' quality o' good sheet balsa, shock cord material, arrr, launch lugs larger than 1/8" or parachutes larger than 12." Pokin' around I noticed I had a Custom Eggloft cone, which I decided right off the bat I wanted t' use. Ahoy! I also noticed I had a 2" wide strip o' aileron balsa stock. Aye aye! I wanted t' use that to. Well, blow me down! There was also quite a collection o' BT20-50 centerin' rings which I decided would be used for detailing. Ya scallywag!

Now t' challenge; design a rocket worthy o' placin' as high as possible in t' Box o' Parts contest usin' the materials I have at hand. I had t' design a rocket that was light enough t' be safely launched from a 1/8" launch rod (although I could make larger LL with t' paper included) and recovered safely from a 12" parachute with a typical rubber shock cord. Aye aye!

After drawin' several designs, arrr, I finally came up with a basic plan that I liked. Aye aye! I thought about layin' out the design in Rocksim, me bucko, shiver me timbers, but decided against it because Rocksim does nay handle "Tail-Ring" designs well. Arrr! Aye aye! I did end up usin' Rocksim t' help determine what span t' Pylons need t' be so I could create t' templates. Begad! For t' most part, buildin' t' rocket be easy. Avast, me proud beauty! However, me bucko, gluin' t' fins made from t' aileron stock be a bit tricky t' align properly, and gluin' t' tubes on t' tip was even more challengin' t' get aligned right.

To finish t' rocket, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, I used Bondo Glazin' and Spot putty t' fill in t' joints betwixt t' aileron fins and the tubes. Avast! Blimey! Then I applied several coats o' Rust Oleum Light Gray Automotive primer, sandin' betwixt each coat. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Once I was satisfied, t' rocket was sprayed with a base coat o' Gloss White. Then t' Fin Tip Tubes and t' center rin' o' the nosecone was painted Red. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' top section o' t' nosecone was then painted Yellow and t' Base part was painted Black. Usin' a small paint brush, shiver me timbers, t' Guns were painted Black, and t' missiles was then detailed with a Silver nose, ya bilge rat, and the tail end Silver, Red, and Black.

So far t' Avenger was flown three times. First time I launched it with a B6-4 in t' single stage mode. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! The rocket did nay go as high as I thought it would, so t' 4 seconds was t' long but t' parachute did deploy in time. Ahoy! Aye aye! A B6-2 would be a better choice for a single stage B motor flight. Well, blow me down! Begad! T' second flight was in two stage mode. Begad! Ya scallywag! A B6-0 in the booster, and a B6-4 in t' sustainer. Avast, me proud beauty! Great Flight and I be happy t' see that a 12" parachute was t' perfect chute size for this rocket since it gently drifted towards t' end o' t' field and landed betwixt two trees.

T' most recent flight was a two stage flight with a B6-0 in t' booster and A8-3 in t' sustainer. Ya scallywag! It was a perfect flight and recovery. Well, blow me down! One o' t' Guns peeled off a layer o' paper, me bucko, matey, but I do nay know if that be damage from recovery or handling.