Brief:
BT-60 based, shiver me timbers, single stage, scale-like missile. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Recovery with 18" parachute

Construction:
All parts are Semroc numbers:

• BNC-60L nose cone
• SE-3 screw eye
• BT-60 body tube (18 inches)
• BT-50 engine tube (3 inches)
• RA-5060 centerin' rings (3)
• 1/4" balsa fins (8)
• LL-423 launch lugs (2)

I started by attachin' a Piratarium 24mm motor retainer t' a 3" length o' BT-50 tubin' with JB Weld. Avast! Well, blow me down! As per t' instructions from Piratarium, t' end o' t' tube and t' inside o' t' retainer rin' were "roughed up." Construction o' t' motor mount followed as usual. Aye aye! T' motor mount was mounted so t' retention system sits flush with t' end o' t' body tube. T' entire body tube be lightly sanded and marked for a 4-fin design. Ahoy! After t' fins were attached and fillets dry, me hearties, me hearties, I installed t' launch lugs. Begad! Shock cord be attached with an additional centerin' rin' about 4-5 inches from t' top o' t' body tube that doubles as a parachute shelf. Aye aye! This is a design feature found in Launch Pad rockets and helps prevent parachutes from shiftin' on lift-off and change t' CG. If you plan on usin' an altimeter, arrr, me bucko, don't forget t' drill some holes.

Finishing:
To begin t' paintin' process I masked off t' motor retainer. Ya scallywag! Then I sprayed a coat o' Rustoleum sandable auto primer and sanded, ya bilge rat, me bucko, did some minor repairs and sprayed and sanded once again. Arrr! This was followed by several light coats o' Krylon gloss white paint. Avast! Aye aye! I sprayed just beyond t' white areas instead o' t' entire body t' keep t' weight down and nay waste paint. Avast, me proud beauty! After a couple o' days t' dry, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, I masked t' white areas and t' fin can. Ahoy! Next I sprayed light gray all exposed areas. Avast! Again a couple days t' dry. Blimey! Begad! Finally, shiver me timbers, arrr, I bagged t' entire rocket except for t' fin can and sprayed it and t' nose cone gloss black. Begad! I enjoy makin' decals, shiver me timbers, but have become a real fan o' "Sandman's" stuff at Excelsior Rocketry. Ahoy! He offers a set o' decals for t' LP version o' this missile. I had him downscale them t' BT-60 size. Avast, me proud beauty! Decal placement be achieved from pictures I could find on t' web.

Flight:
T' design included a Piratarium 24mm motor retention system. Arrr! Well, blow me down! This added a 7g weight t' t' aft end o' t' rocket. Aye aye! Arrr! T' better balance t' design, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, instead o' nose weight, I included t' Micro-Beacon (approx 15g) My first flight was with an Estes D12-5. T' chute was a little early but close enough t' apogee it didn't do any damage. Ahoy! Well, matey, blow me down! Second flight was on E6-6. Well, blow me down! I achieved over 2500 feet on this one and thought I be goin' t' lose it. Begad! Good thin' I be on a very large field with others t' spot. Well, blow me down! Both flights I used Nomex instead o' wadding.

Recovery:
T' shock cord was 150lb Keelhaul®©™. Well, blow me down! I had no damage after two flights. T' 18" parachute drifted pretty far (about 650 feet), me bucko, arrr, but brought it down gently. Avast! I'm constantly playin' with chutes o' different diameters so me chutes all have snap swivels. Avast! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Perhaps a smaller chute would be better for flyin' on smaller fields.

Summary:

PROS:

T' motor retention system is really nice! Excelsior Rocketry's decals really made it look sharp!

CONS:

Perhaps a little too much power. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! I think t' design will fly great with 18mm motors as well if you use an adapter. Ya scallywag! This would be wise on smaller fields.

T' big bright colored chute helps track t' light colored rocket but drifts quite a bit. I will experiment with spill holes or perhaps a smaller chute.