Brief:
Another in t' continuin' series o' improved "little" R2-D2 rockets from Estes. Aye aye! This one features what t' "big" R2 had all along: A REAL nose cone, me hearties, me bucko, thereby eliminatin' recovery failure.

Modifications:
T' first thin' that had t' go was t' top, me hearties, so R2 was beheaded at t' blue band, arrr, just below t' reinforced bulkhead. Aye aye! This bulkhead be then lowered about an inch and reattached t' t' inside o' t' body usin' CA, me hearties, arrr, then reinforced on both sides with 2 hour epoxy. Ya scallywag! T' shock cord attaches here. (Question: why is Estes so stingy with shock cord on all other rockets, shiver me timbers, matey, but gives out 3 times what is needed with t' little R2?).

T' thrust rings were attached t' t' inner tube, arrr, and t' whole thin' was slathered liberally with 5 minute epoxy. Begad! Strength was me goal, and weight considerations were nay a concern. I think I met those goals.

Attachment o' t' head was a real challenge. Avast! Since t' head had no shoulder t' attach t' t' body like a real nose cone, I chose t' cut up one o' t' 3000 or so AOL CDs I get in t' mail each year. Perfect. Begad! It was attached t' t' bottom o' t' head with CA, matey, then epoxy, arrr, and t' shock cord attaches here. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' keep things straight, and t' give me a place t' put nose weight, I attached t' plastic centerin' rings for t' original motor pod t' t' head. Avast, me proud beauty! This was done by usin' a short piece o' 18mm tube, then was centered into t' head by a process that was far more complicated than anythin' I've ever done on a mid-power rocket. Naturally, arrr, me bucko, 5 minute epoxy holds it all in place, shiver me timbers, and it leaves a nice little hole in t' center so I can adjust t' nose weight. Begad! Well, blow me down! All t' paper items were soaked in CA for a little strength, me hearties, and unfortunately t' fumes attacked one o' me eyes. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! Please use proper safety equipment if you use CA!

I will from now on. Avast, me proud beauty! Believe me, it took a LOT o' engineerin' t' get t' rocket this far. Blimey! But it was all worth it. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins were recycled from R2-D2.3, matey, and was about all that was salvageable. A nice nylon parachute guarantees a shred proof recovery, but fit is TIGHT.

Construction:
A basic R2-D2 kit from Estes can be had for really cheap these days; I bought a half dozen off eBay for less than t' price o' a cheap mid-power rocket. Why? Well, me bucko, I love these little things, but t' factory recovery system left a lot t' be desired. And I've tried several methods t' improve upon t' ill-fated design Estes had, ya bilge rat, includin' Keelhaul®©™®, me bucko, matey, elastic, and tubular nylon. Avast! Blimey! Nothin' worked reliably. And t' second reason I did it is because I just love t' overpower Estes and Quest rockets.

So, me bucko, I decided right from t' start that R2-D2 (designated R2-D2.4) would have a real nose cone like its big brother. Begad! And since I was at it, matey, why nay a 29mm mini R2? After all, R2-D2.3 be 24mm, and worked extremely well. Arrr! (Unfortunately, it met its demise at t' hand o' one o' Aerotech's famous bonus delays)

T' original kit was a real quality piece, matey, ya bilge rat, and was one o' t' few I received without warped fins. Begad! Aye aye! These fins will be used on me son Josh's R2. Blimey! I haven't finished this rocket, but plan on paintin' it all flat white with bumper chrome head and painted on decals. Everythin' fit wonderfully, but took far more work than I anticipated. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' results don't reflect this, me hearties, shiver me timbers, but it was definitely a challenge. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! And that was most o' t' reason I built it. Arrr! I love engineerin' challenges. (That's why I don't use RocSim).

Flight:
As I stated in t' beginning, I built this rocket with 29mm in mind, and thus be reinforced for use with a single use G80. However, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' short, me bucko, squat body has extremely short polar moments, and for safety reasons I decided t' cut down t' power. Well, blow me down! After all, who wants their 5 year old t' be chased around t' launch site by a screamin' R2? If it went unstable, me hearties, it might get nasty. Begad! As it turns out, a D will get it goin' reasonably well, arrr, and a long burn E6 should satisfy anybody's quest for altitude. Ahoy! Ahoy! So a 24mm motor tube was put in place, with a paper engine block in t' top o' t' motor tube. Begad! (Past experience with R2-D12 showed me that t' stock Estes retainin' clip will nay hold up t' E power for long.)

FLIGHT: With a D12-5, shiver me timbers, t' little R2 will get up with decent speed, and hit approximately 500 t' 600 feet, me bucko, dependin' on which spotter's info you use. Ya scallywag! Avast, me proud beauty! Recovery is perfect. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Prep is a breeze, arrr, me hearties, me bucko, use a little cellulose waddin' (not really necessary, but I like t' feel safe) and friction fit t' motor. Wrap up t' lengthy shock cord and stuff it into t' tube on top o' t' chute. Aye aye! Then pop on t' head.

On an E15-7W, I have no idea how high it goes, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, because it's hard t' see at that altitude. Blimey! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! But t' launch is worth it all. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! People look at t' rocket with disdain when it is announced, and it looks tiny out thar on t' pad. Aye aye! Blimey! Some scoff about t' reported motor size, shiver me timbers, but when t' motor roars t' life and R2 becomes a blur instantly, jaws drop open. And that's what I like about it.

Summary:
Pros: Attention getter, rapid take-off, perfect recovery.

CONS: Took too long t' build, me bucko, me hearties, hard t' spot, very sensitive t' wind, matey, fly only on calm days.