Brief:
Single-staged, ya bilge rat, 3-finned rocket with 3 side pods that can also contain motors so that flights can be with 1 or 4 motors. Begad! Ahoy! T' rocket is nay designed with a payload section, so simultaneous ground startin' o' all motors or thermalite air ignition o' t' outboards is suggested.

Construction:
There is one main body tube o' kraft paper and 3 outboard kraft paper tubes for the side pods. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' main nose cone is hollow plastic, as are t' 3 nose cones meant for t' side pods. Begad! T' fins are 1/8 inch thick wood that appears t' be quality aircraft grade and nay warped. Blimey! They were pre-cut and all equal size. There are 2 centerin' rings made o' t' same quality wood, me bucko, and a 29mm motor tube. T' shock cord is o' two materials, ya bilge rat, a steel cable and flat black elastic. I made t' loop in t' wire (that goes through holes in t' forward centering rin' and crimped) part large so that t' cable would be too short t' extend above t' top o' t' body tube because me experience with thin or metal cords is that they can cut through body tubes readily if deployment is too fast. Blimey! The elastic part is tied t' t' loop. Well, blow me down! I also epoxied t' crimp t' be sure it would hold. Begad! Well, blow me down! After 3 flights, ya bilge rat, arrr, it has held well. Begad! I epoxied t' nose cones permanently into t' side pods. Begad! Thinkin' it over now, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I wish that I had instead mounted shock cords in t' pods. Ya scallywag! This would facilitate motor removal and would allow the use o' in-production black powder motors with delays, shiver me timbers, arrr, matey, and t' pods could put out streamers or tiny chutes for effect. Aye aye! Also, arrr, motors with delays wouldn't have t' be ejected in flight if t' nose cones pop off. Ya scallywag! Many RSO's in dry fields recommend against motor kicking.

I built this rocket two years ago, so I'm holdin' it as I write this. I remember clear, easy instructions with t' only tough part bein' t' cuttin' of the body tube t' allow t' fin tabs entry. Aye aye! T' result is a sturdy, nifty lookin' rocket that has taken its share o' punishment from non-certified motors and guinea pig tests when I started me clusterin' career.

Finishing:
I painted it gold with krylon spray paint and accented it with mylar book coverin' material from Office Max. Avast! While this looks nice, me bucko, arrr, I discovered that since books don't fly, ya bilge rat, that this material isn't meant t' take this sort of punishment. Arrr! Areas closest t' t' motor exhaust have scorched and shrunk away. But it still looks okay.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' central motor is best t' be an F or G type with a 7 second delay when the rocket is flown with just that motor. Arrr! With an adapter, shiver me timbers, I think a D or E can work fine, because t' rocket is nay too heavy for it. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! An E15-7 or a D12-5 would be fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! When t' outboards are filled, shiver me timbers, arrr, use D11-P's for them and a longer delay in t' center, like a G40 or 80 with a 10 second delay. If t' fin can is internally foamed, shiver me timbers, then I don't see why nay t' try a G125-10 as well. Since these are very unlike motors, arrr, I recommend nay tryin' t' ground start them all, but rather t' cut thermalite wicks t' same length (and thus burn time) and retain one end in t' 3 outboard motors with an Estes igniter plug and secure the other end well into where t' flame from t' central motor would light it. I find that with t' "rapido" thermalite I have, ya bilge rat, 2 inch wicks burn fast enough that durin' t' last part o' t' central motor's burn time or right durin' upward coasting, t' fuse lets t' outboards airstart.

Preparation is easy, with worm bed waddin' enough t' fill t' diameter of the tube t' 1/4 inch. Avast, me proud beauty! I lightly taped t' nose cone shoulder t' tighten t' fit a little so it wouldn't drag separate. Arrr! This rocket has so far been a guinea pig in three flights. Aye aye! Aye aye! First, with a motor that is nay certified, arrr, t' US Rockets G45-8 Firestarter. Aye aye! Well, matey, blow me down! It was a solo motor flight. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This was t' maiden voyage, me hearties, and I feared t' worst as flames shot out t' aft end and I thought that t' rocket would burst into flames. Well, blow me down! But it didn't. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! It finally took off on a straight dense trail o' black smoke and tons o' spittin' orange sparks. Blimey! Recovery went just fine, matey, but small areas o' t' mylar accentin' were burnt and curled. Well, blow me down!

Four (4) E15-7's be tried next. Well, blow me down! These motors came from Rocket Vision and had handy thrust rings. Ahoy! Begad! I applied an adapter and centerin' rings t' align the 24mm E15 into t' central mount. Blimey! I lit all 4 simultaneously on t' ground, and it flew VERY nicely. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! Really, ya bilge rat, an 8 or 9 delay in t' center might have been even better.

T' first airstart was tried next, arrr, with a central Aerotech G40-10W and three (3) Estes D11-P's lit with three (3) 2-inch thermalite rapido wicks dipped in Igniterman primer and pyrogen (just t' be sure o' ignition) and held into the D11's with t' supplied igniter plugs. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket flew straight at first, but laterally slightly because it be windy outside. Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! But all 3 outboards audibly lit right before t' G40 burned out. Well, blow me down! Avast! Blimey! It was neat. Begad! Blimey! Recovery be just right.

Recovery:
T' rocket is prepped again t' show me friends at SSS me G40 and 3 outboard D11-P's again. Avast! They like airstarts, matey, me bucko, so I plan t' do it again. Blimey! Ahoy! I haven't redone the finish, because t' wear on it gives character. T' chute isn't at all scorched and t' shock cord isn't damaged. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! No real cons. Blimey! T' rocket is nicely designed t' take some punishment. Arrr! Arrr!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Fun, shiver me timbers, easy, good for t' price. But I might add a small payload section t' allow the use o' timers t' light t' outboards when thermalite can't be gotten. Well, blow me down! I'd also recommend fiberglassin' t' side pods onto t' airframe because I managed to torque one off while removin' spent motors. Blimey! Ahoy! It was easy t' re-epoxy, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but glassin' would be stronger. Avast, me proud beauty! I'd also nay use metal shock cords unless they are short enough nay t' zipper t' body tube.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5