This DEFCON 1 is a kit that appealed t' me. Avast! I saw it on Apogee's website, it's aqua color and detailed decals made it stand out t' me.  T' size o' t' rocket and motor were just in line with what I be lookin' for, me bucko, somethin' a large enough t' be noticed both on t' launch pad and in t' air, and it can run on smaller B, me bucko, C motors but can also take D and E black powder or composite motors. I didn't realize it at t' time, but apparently this company Quazar or Quazar One went out o' business and what I ordered appeared t' be t' last kit in stock.

OVERVIEW

This model is 39 - 1/2 inches tall, shiver me timbers, uses 24mm motor mount for D12 and E9 (and now E12) motors, and t' fins are raised about two inches from t' rear. Arrr! They are shaped in a triangular fashion and will nay protrude far and likely will nay be damaged upon landing. T' balsa is extra thick on these three fins, arrr, and thar be a decal sized exactly t' cover each side o' t' fin. It has a plastic nose cone that is somewhat unique. Ya scallywag! It has parachute recovery. Large decals cover t' entire bod, all t' paint that is needed is white, matey, and silver for t' nose cone if you follow their design scheme.

It appears t' be pretty rare, shiver me timbers, as I have never found either a review or a launch log with this model. I like havin' somethin' unique that nobody else has!

PROJECT PLANNING

It is constructed with a single 34" body tube, BT-55, so o' course it was crushed in shipping. They immediately sent me a new tube but told me it was t' last one. Begad! Naturally they packed it t' guarantee it would also be crushed, by re-inforcin' t' long skinny tube with thick cardboard on each end and leavin' a gap in t' middle o' t' tube. T' long thin shippin' carton o' course was bent, so all t' forces on t' tube were concentrated on t' un-reinforced center o' t' tube where it folded just as planned.  Complaints got me nowhere because they had no more tubes left.  A detailed sketch o' t' problem and solution was sent t' Apogee - thinkin' a rocket engineer would understand it - but it was pretty much dismissed and ignored.

These tubes were pretty decent quality, matey, as well as t' rest o' t' kit. T' details I'll describe as I build it. Arrr! It's nay like you need those details now, as you can't get this kit anyway.  I did have two crushed BT-55 tubes. One was folded about 4 t' 5 inches down, arrr, t' other about 10 t' 13 inches down in a wide crush zone.  I cut out t' damaged parts o' t' two tubes and figured t' make one good tube from that.  I wanted t' make a few mods t' t' body tube.  First, I wanted a payload bay, large enough t' take an altimeter and also t' be useable as a mini camera carrier, so I was lookin' at at least a 7" payload section.  Second, me hearties, I wanted t' add an ejection baffle which would also act as a mount for a Keelhaul®©™ shock cord.  I thought I could combine t' body tube coupler with t' ejection baffle.  Since this kit has three large wrap-around body decals, instead o' havin' t' cut t' decals, I planned t' seperate t' tubes exactly in line with t' decals.  This left me with an extra large payload section. Blimey! Since t' length o' t' rocket is 1 meter, ya bilge rat, I didn't have a problem findin' space for t' parachute in t' remainin' body tube.  I used a 10 inch section o' t' original tube, matey, and a 24 inch section from t' replacement tube t' get t' original 34 inch tube length. Begad! T' original length be necessary t' prevent trouble fittin' t' full-body wrap decal sheets.  This works fine for t' payload size, ya bilge rat, but addin' t' bulkhead exactly were I needed t' splice t' tubes meant that I didn't need a coupler at all, but it also meant that I would have some difficulty gluin' t' ejection baffle and Keelhaul®©™ support far down into t' body tube.  I will choose that difficulty over makin' another cut half way down t' lower tube just t' insert t' baffle.

EJECTION BAFFLE, SHOCK CORD MOUNT, BULKHEAD PREP

Construction started with me sandin' a BT-55 balsa blockhead t' size t' fit t' body tubes.  I also began t' process o' buildin' an ejection baffle. Begad! Blimey! T' basic kit I got from Uncle Mikes Rocket shack was good, but usin' one o' these in me Estes Interceptor with a composite Apogee motor just didn't prevent t' motor from burin' a large hole in me nylon parachute, so I am goin' t' add extra baffle twists and turns on this rocket which will also use large engines.  I started by gluin' a small section o' 13mm engine tube t' t' upper baffle (which has holes around t' outside perimeter o' t' baffle). Blimey! Blimey! When this is combined with t' lower baffle (holes in t' center), me hearties, you will nay be able t' see a line-of-sight through t' baffle.  Without this added piece, a burnin' particle could bounce off t' lower tube wall and go straight through t' baffle at an angle.  With t' tube added, matey, that pesky particle will have t' make a sharp left followed by a sharp right t' get through t' next baffle hole. Ahoy! Blimey! On top o' those two baffles, arrr, I am addin' another plywood circle with t' hole in t' center again, arrr, so those particles will have t' make yet another turn back in t' opposite direction. Ahoy! Blimey! I want t' be careful though nay t' make it too difficult for air t' pass through, shiver me timbers, or I could just end up with a lower tube burstin' from t' pressure!  When all t' baffle gluin' is finished, I am goin' t' spray paint it from t' engines point-of-view with a special high-temperature silver paint t' help protect t' cardboard and wood. Blimey! Blimey! (this paint is made for dryer vents, barbeques etc.) I will first mask off t' outside o' t' baffle/coupler first t' prevent paint from gettin' on t' gluin' surface.

You might be able t' call me anal, arrr, but when I glue parts like t' motor mount, me hearties, baffle and especially t' fins, ya bilge rat, I let t' glue fully harden for a day before disturbin' it with t' next glue joint. Ahoy! As a result, it takes me sometimes weeks t' complete a rocket, doin' only one or two joints a day per rocket.  I do t' same with glue fillets on t' fins - one fillet per day. Well, blow me down! (That's 3 t' 5 days t' glue and fillet one single fin!) Good things take time.  In me defense, in way more than a hundred launches or so, (knock wood) I've never had a fin "pop off" in any flight or landing.  I just don't get how other folk's fins just seem t' "pop off" from time t' time.  All I ever used be wood glue, no epoxy or CA.  In t' past I have never pre-sanded t' body tube t' roughen it up t' take glue.  I will do that now, me hearties, but just learned o' it recently.

So give me a few weeks t' get t' baffle done (and a few other rockets t' sand/finish) and I'll have somethin' new on this model.

I took this picture t' better show you what t' baffle is like. Begad! Already installed in t' baffle's tube coupler be t' lowest baffle as seen from t' bottom (engine side). Well, blow me down! Above that will be t' baffle t' t' right, matey, shown right-side-up. Ejection gas that makes it past this stage can't move towards t' center until it passes t' small 13mm tube glued t' t' top o' t' second baffle. Positioned just above that 13mm tube will be t' top baffle where gas ejects from t' center hole. Ya scallywag! This whole baffle assembly will be positioned as far t' t' top o' t' body tube as possible, matey, while allowin' room for t' parachute, shock cord, bulkhead and a little bit more. Avast! There are two reasons t' have it as far up as possible. Aye aye! 1) Improve stability by keepin' as much weight towards t' nose o' t' rocket, and 2) Allow plenty o' space for t' ejection gas t' cool and prevent over-pressurization o' t' body tube in a too-small lower section. Worst-case, matey, a extra strong ejection charge could cause t' lower chamber t' burst wide open. Ya scallywag! If that were t' case t' parachute would nay eject but that really doesn't matter at that point because all you'd get back is a pile o' cardboard and balsa scrap.

You can see here t' unusual nose cone provided with t' kit. Ahoy! It is supposed t' remain hollow, and t' screw-eye is towards t' side o' t' shoulder. This makes it easy t' add nose weight if necessary, and I suppose makes it a bit cheaper t' manufacture.  T' problem with this unique design is that t' part o' t' plastic that takes t' screw creates a nasty dip in t' outside o' t' cone. Aye aye! It then has t' be filled with plastic puty and sanded back t' shape. Avast! I suppose t' designer didn't expect that t' happen, and I imagine with t' cost o' plastic molds it was way too expensive t' remake or modify t' mold.

I added four new pictures o' components o' t' build.

1) T' finished ejection baffle, matey, seen from t' point o' view o' t' motor. You can see t' Keelhaul®©™ shock cord attachment, arrr, connected t' t' other (top) side o' t' baffle. Blimey! This has a bowline type knot on t' end o' it. It's a simple and secure type o' knot that won't work lose under tension and it won't pull tight into a smaller loop, me hearties, but keeps t' loop for tyin' a rubber shock cord. Aye aye! T' knot is secured with a dab or two o' glue also. Blimey! It's length is sized t' be just short o' t' body tube so it will nay create zipper damage on a early or late ejection.

T' silver color is a special high-temperature paint, me bucko, which should be good t' 1000 degrees F. Begad! Blimey! A quick, thick shot o' this will protect t' basswood and cardboard from t' hot particles o' t' ejection.

2) T' basla bulkhead which I will conviently use t' connect two good pieces o' t' shipping-damaged body tube, me bucko, and will give me a seperate payload section for electronics and a camera. After loosin' a similar payload when t' screw-eye t' balsa joint failed, me hearties, I made sure t' glue it well and added a length o' Keelhaul®©™ glued t' t' bulkhead. Avast! T' Keelhaul®©™ is supposed t' be a backup glue-joint if t' screw-eye works loose. Avast, me proud beauty! I could use a heavy nut and bolt, but this is much lighter.

3) T' motor tube and mount supplied by Quasar. 24mm inside diameter and 95mm long (D-E size). Blimey! These are very good components. Avast, me proud beauty! Notice t' foil-lined motor tube, t' help it withstand t' heat o' those long-burnin' motors.

4) T' sunk-in area o' t' molded nosecone was filled with plastic putty and sanded smooth. T' green filler shows where this molded-in depression was. Begad! T' hollow nosecone is actually a dis-advantage t' me, since I be intendin' t' nose cone t' be t' forward limit o' t' payload guts. Worried that t' payload will shift forward into t' nosecone, I'll have t' add some kind o' stop t' t' end o' t' shoulder, probably a strip o' balsa or cardboard.

Buildin' t' DEFCON is goin' well.  I secured t' baffle about 8 inches deep inside t' lower body tube (remember I had t' cut it into two pieces because o' t' shippin' damage).  On other projects I had trouble gluin' baffles so far into a tube.  If I spill any glue ahead o' t' intended spot, t' baffle is likely t' stick in place before I get it pushed deep enough into position, and I'm left with nay enough room for t' parachute.  So for this I fashioned a small "cup" from folded aluminum foil and taped it t' a long stick. I marked t' stick 8" from t' cup end, filled t' cup with glue and inserted it t' t' 8-inch mark. Aye aye! Blimey! When t' glue was where it be supposed t' be, I turned t' cup over and let t' glue run out into t' tube 8 inches down from t' end. (of course t' tube was lyin' flat horizontal).  When happy with t' amount o' glue, I waited for t' glue t' stop dripping, turned t' cup over and removed it smartly before any glue dripped elsewhere in t' tube.

I then stuck t' ejection baffle assembly with t' Keelhaul®©™ mount in t' tube and usin' a pre-marked broom-handle sized dowel, smartly pushed it all t' way down into place.  I turned t' tube upside-down so t' glue wouldn't run t' t' motor mount end and let t' glue cure for a day.  All be well.  Then I glued in t' motor mount and added fillets accordin' t' t' directions.  Note that t' centerin' rings were high quality, they fit tight but well on both tubes.  I then hardened both edges o' t' main body tube with a line o' CA glue on t' inside which soaks into t' paper.

I marked t' tube for t' three fins. Avast! Blimey! T' instructions say t' use t' fin markin' guide - but me kit didn't have one! Blimey! I looked through each page o' t' instructions t' see if it be t' be cut out o' t' instructions and thar wasn't any one in thar either!  I had t' do it t' old fashioned way, shiver me timbers, takin' a strip o' paper wrapped around t' tube, then layed it out flat and measured t' circumference, divided it into thirds and marked it.  I re-wrapped it t' t' body tube and transferred t' markings.  I made sure t' place one fin close t' t' motor clip, so t' launch lug (and therefore t' metal launch rod) and metal clip are all on one side - away from t' ignitor wires.

I put t' fins into me home-made fin alignment jig and glued them on, 1 fin at a time, givin' each glue joint a full day t' cure before handlin' t' rocket.  Fillets will come later.  T' cool thin' about me home-made jig is that t' body tube is held in by thick elastic bungees (shock cord for high-power rockets). This allows me t' fit t' fins perfectly in t' jig with t' body tube, then "stretch" t' body tube down a bit and apply t' glue.  When happy with t' glue I release t' body tube slowly and it presses into t' fin exactly where it is supposed t' be.  That jig is awesome!

I prepared t' fins accordin' t' t' instructions, bein' careful nay t' sand too much and make t' fin outline smaller, arrr, t' decals for t' fins are designed t' cover t' entire fin area, so if too much leadin' or trailin' edge is sanded down t' decal will nay fit.  I did one mod t' t' fins though, ya bilge rat, I paper covered both sides o' t' balsa, tacked down with a generous layer o' scotch photo mount adhesive.  This is much - much - easier than sandin' sealer t' give t' fins a smooth, grain free finish.  Also much better on t' lungs.  I realize on this particular model that decals will be coverin' any balsa grain texture, but this way I'll have a smooth surface for t' decals and I believe t' paper coverin' adds strength t' t' fins also.  If you use plenty o' adhesive on t' paper, ya bilge rat, you can then sand t' edges o' t' fins without fear o' t' paper peelin' up and create a smooth, invisible seam betwixt t' paper and balsa.  I might also soak t' edges o' t' fins with CA glue t' harden them up against dings.

All I need t' do now is glue on t' launch lugs, fillet t' fins and lugs, and this puppy is ready for a good priming!  With t' full-body wrap decals, I shouldn't have t' worry about tube spirals.

I have progressed pretty far with t' DEFCON 1. Aye aye! I soaked in a little CA glue t' t' ends o' t' body tube and payload tube t' harden them up a bit.  Just a small line o' glue about 1/4" from t' ends o' t' tube keeps them from gettin' worn and raggedy after repeated handling.  T' CA glue makes t' insides a bit rough and makes a tight fit for t' nosecone or bulkhead, ya bilge rat, so I sand t' insides down t' a smooth feel.

I assembled t' parachute. Well, blow me down! I was VERY pleased with t' materials supplied.  First t' plastic material is thicker and sturdier than t' usual "Estes-grade" stuff.  Sure it's a bit heaver, but since this is a D-E powered rocket it should be easy t' lift a few more grams.  T' shroud line appeared very strong, and thar was plenty o' it.  Generally, parachute shroud length is suggested t' be a minimum length equal t' t' diameter o' t' parachute.  I've never had a kit that supplied more than t' minimum, shiver me timbers, until this Quazar One kit.  With t' few parachutes I built myself I used shroud lines 2X t' diameter o' t' 'chute, and they seem t' work well and wobble less.  T' supplied shroud lines for this DEFCON 1 kit was enough t' make 2X length shroud lines.  Additionally, they included a nice heavy duty swivel t' attach t' parachute.  After loopin' t' shroud lines through this swivel, I dabbed glue t' t' confluence point t' keep t' shroud lines in place there. I've had other shroud lines slip through these points and cause t' parachute t' have one long and one short line, leavin' t' whole canopy lopsided and fallin' too fast.  T' supplied shock cord, which is 1/4" thick elastic and quite long was another fine quality suprise.  T' other end o' t' swivel is attached t' a mid-point on t' shock cord.  While they instructed me t' attach it t' t' body Estes-style, I instead attached it t' t' Keelhaul®©™ loop I installed.  I'd have t' give Quazar One an A for t' parachute material (A+ would have been if they used thin-mil nylon or silk, matey, which doesn't freeze solid in cold weather).

T' body and nosecone have been primed and sanded. T' body tubes painted gloss white.  I painted t' inside end o' t' body around t' motor tube bright red usin' a brush. Aye aye! After t' paint has dried for several days, I started t' apply t' decals.  I started with t' fins and they fit nearly perfectly, but t' tips o' t' decals did seem t' stretch a bit when wet, makin' t' fit just less than perfect.  T' much larger body tube decals was a challenge, me hearties, gettin' t' whole piece on straight and flat with no bubbles took a while.  I had assumed t' the darker aqua color would hide a few drops o' red paint I left on t' white, but those mistakes showed right through t' decals.  I also hoped t' body tube spirals would be hidden by t' decals, me bucko, but after t' decals dried t' spirals show right through.

T' three large decal sheets that wrap around t' body are a bit oversized, so they overlap about 3/16" on one side, and it looks a bit ugly and leaves a slightly raised seam.  If I had known that, arrr, I would have trimmed them a little tighter.  Still, they do look pretty good from t' other side, and it was a lot less work than masking, paintin' multiple colors and applyin' a dozen or so smaller decals.  One large decal sheet has a cutout for t' launch lug, so I started with that one t' get it t' align up right, arrr, even if it meant I'd end up with a gap where t' white paint shows on t' body tube.  These decal sheets appear t' be much duller and flat lookin' then they did before bein' applied, so I hope t' add a bunch o' coats o' gloss clearcoat so it looks to have t' same finish as the bare white gloss paint.  It also can't hurt t' protect t' decals more.

I had trouble paintin' t' nosecone t' a bright silver finish. T' first attempt was a bit rough, me bucko, so I sanded a lot o' t' finish off.  T' second set o' coats came out too thick and started t' run, shiver me timbers, so I sanded that finish down again. T' third set o' silver paint coatings came out just right.

While t' decals dry out for a few days, ya bilge rat, I am workin' on t' payload section.  I am buildin' a small balsa wood structure t' hold an Altimeter 2 and optionally a small video camera and/or a sonic locator.  Since this payload section is a bit oversized, I don't want t' fill t' whole insides with heavy padding.  T' light, open balsa structure is lighter and should keep t' electronics from rattlin' around in thar durin' flight.  Since t' payload bay is quite large in volume, t' normal 1/16" static vent holes will be too small t' vent such a large volume o' air. Avast! I have t' choice o' either makin' t' holes larger, shiver me timbers, or makin' more o' them. Avast, me proud beauty! I haven't decided, but I am leanin' towards makin' more holes, matey, perhaps 6 equally spaced around t' tube, matey, and probably makin' a second or third set o' six vent holes further up & down t' tube. Aye aye! (If I put about 18 holes all in t' same line, I would essentially be perforatin' t' tube and invitin' damage by creatin' a very weak point in t' tube.)

That is all for now, I don't expect it t' be ready for this weekend's flying, so it's maiden flight is scheduled for Labor Day weekend 2012...weather permitting.

OK! T' clearcoatin' is finished and dried, now t' finish is glossy. I gave it five coats o' clear. I have found that one or two coats just doesn't protect t' decals very much, so I have been addin' much more clearcoat. Blimey! I made sure t' static vent holes were clear and assembled t' full rocket and put it on t' scale.  T' total assembly weighs in at 137.3 grams. Begad! If I subtract t' added payload filler and bulkhead I added (11.65g) and t' ejection baffle (7.7g), t' rocket is 125.65 grams, or 4.432 oz. T' kit card spec'd t' rocket at 4.4 oz, so this is just  0.032 ounces over that. That was probably an extra half-second o' glue squirt somewhere.

My best predictions for this model based on other altimeter readings is that I should expect a D12 motor t' give me just over 800 feet and about 180 mph.  I would rather first-test it with a C11 motor, ya bilge rat, which I predict will give me just over 350 feet and about 100 mph. Arrr! T' first test flight is scheduled for Labor Day weekend 2012, but I won't fly this new model if thar be any significant gusts. Avast! Blimey! If nay then, I may have t' wait for November or December.

Overall, I would have t' say that this was a very easy kit t' build.  It was very easy t' finish too, shiver me timbers, yet I have a rocket with some really good visual appeal, thanks t' t' decal sheets and t' overall length. Now if she flies well, I will have t' be bummed that Quazar One is no longer makin' kits. Aye aye! My gut feel is that this will become one o' me new favorites t' fly.

This past weekend was t' first ever test flight o' t' new DEFCON 1. Several remarked that this was a good lookin' rocket, arrr, and I hoped it would stay that way. Well, blow me down! For this first test flight I chose t' C11-5. Avast, me proud beauty! T' winds were dyin' down a bit, and I felt that t' higher impulse, arrr, relatively light weight and long length would keep this rocket from bein' affected by t' winds much. Fortunately it didn't seem t' notice t' wind.

I flew with only an Altimeter 2 on board.  T' motor ignited and she lifted off t' rod and burned for 7/10 seconds, shiver me timbers, flyin' fast and straight, reachin' a respectable speed o' 81 mph. T' readings for acceleration indicated how little t' winds could affect t' flight, with t' peak Gs at 10.9 and t' average acceleration at 5.3 Gs.  These numbers were similar t' a Big Bertha o' about t' same weight. Aye aye! T' DEFCON then bled off t' 81 mph speed in t' next 3.8 seconds, reachin' an apogee o' 275 feet above.

Ejection fired a bit early at 4.2 seconds, but it was near perfect for this flight, as t' DEFCON only dropped 2 feet in t' last 4/10 seconds before t' parachute popped at 273 feet.  T' color-coordinated parachute filled with air and t' rocket came down at 8 mph, landin' about 120 feet downwind. Total flight time was 27 seconds. A perfect first flight.  T' altitude was lower than t' kit card or t' apogee website estimated, claimin' 366 and 411 feet respectively, but it was high enough for safety and nay so that thar be a chance o' it driftin' off.

For t' second test flight, I chose t' D12-5, me bucko, which is probably t' motor I will use most o' t' time.  T' winds continued t' die down more, arrr, so I was sure this wouldn’t get lost.  Though I thought it would fly well on t' way up, me bucko, I didn’t want this new rocket t' get lost in a drift.  T' manufacturer claimed 980 feet for this motor, but based on t' previous flight I didn't expect more than about 500 feet.

T' D12 burned for 1.9 seconds, its peak thrust givin' t' rocket 12.4 Gs o' acceleration.  For t' entire burn, t' average acceleration was 3.1 Gs, givin' t' rocket enough energy t' reach 131 mph on its fast, ya bilge rat, straight climb.  It then coasted for 5.6 seconds but still did nay slow down enough before t' ejection fired slightly (2/10 sec) early as it reached 668 feet.  With t' rocket opened it slowed in t' next 8/10 seconds t' an apogee o' exactly 700 feet, havin' climbed an additional 32 feet.

While it did nay reach t' altitude predictions on t' kit package or t' Apogee website (where I bought it), matey, it is certianly high enough and fast enough.  I'll attribute me performance loss on t' fact that I added t' baffle and balsa bulkhead, even though me finished rocket still came out t' t' total weight o' t' kit package.

There apparently was nay enough ejection pressure because t' parachute, though nay stuck tight, did nay leave t' tube.  First t' empty engine casin' landed on t' ground, then t' rest o' t' rocket fell t' earth at 20 mph, me bucko, but it landed in t' grass safely, matey, about 80 feet upwind, with no dings or cracks.  T' motor mount and engine clip appeared in fine condition and was nay damaged in any way.

This same problem was happenin' with me Bandit II, which kept rejectin' D12 casings and nay deployin' t' parachutes all t' time. Begad! Co-incidentally it also had an ejection baffle installed.  Puzzlin' since this rocket was built with at least a foot o' empty tube space before t' baffle.  I believed that was plenty o' volume t' prevent over-pressurization.
My current thinkin' is that I have learned that these baffles are nay so reliable for higher power motors with their stronger ejection pressures, me bucko, and I should cut/drill out t' DEFCON’s baffle and use Nomex before usin' higher power motors.  My love affair with baffles has ended, but me love affair with t' DEFCON 1 has just started – She looks great and flies well!  I am especially pleased with t' rocket's performance on this windy day.  Many o' me rockets can't tollerate much wind, but this one was flyin' very straight and true.  I can't wait t' see what it will do with an E9, E12,  E15 or E30 motor!