Rocket weather cocked as it came off the pad but gained good altitude. Parachute ejection was a couple of seconds after apogee. This is where the trouble started. Ejection charge melted through shock cord and rocket separated into three pieces. Nose cone and main body of rocket came down hard and fast while payload section drifted away under parachute never to be seen again. Had help in search for nose cone and was finally recovered by one of the kids at the field. Tip was broken off. Main body tube recovered intact. Rocket will be repaired and flown again but will no longer have a payload bay (the black section) unless I find a replacement tube.