Brief:
Single-stage parachute recovery, me bucko, suitable and simple t' adapt t' a level 3 project.

Hosts a 3 or 4 inch motor mount and can fly on M and above class motors.

Engineered t' employ single event recovery, but can be set up for dual event deployment as well. Ya scallywag! There is ample room in t' payload compartment for several avionic devices.

Construction:
T' nose cone is Maximum Thrust Rocketry's own creation, and appears t' be cast fiberglass. Ahoy! It's very strong yet nay overly heavy. Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! This nose cone as well as t' payload section, was drilled t' accept 6 large wood screws that keep t' nose cone in place durin' flight.

T' airframe is ultra thick and strong paper tubes that are unglossed and take on epoxies and fiberglass readily. Arrr! These are t' same strong tubes I used and reviewed in me latest pair o' scratch cluster designs, shiver me timbers, Hazmat and Shockwave.

T' airframe be reinforced internally from t' top o' t' motor mount all t' way t' t' middle o' t' payload section with thick coupler tubes made o' t' same thick material, matey, matey, but without t' white coating. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! These were liberally soaked with West Systems slow epoxy and fitted into place. T' outside o' t' airframe be double fiberglassed with two layers o' cloth, me bucko, t' first heavy, t' other medium grade, adhered again with West Systems epoxy. T' grains o' t' layers were placed perpendicular t' one another. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! T' fin faces were glassed continuous with t' face adjacent with one large piece o' medium grade cloth. Blimey! T' top layer o' epoxy is Z Poxy finishin' epoxy.

There are 4 fins made o' Baltic birch honed t' an actually sharp airfoil shape. Ahoy! Blimey! They were expertly cut and matched well. Arrr! Blimey! They were nay warped at all. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Their size is impressive, matey, creatin' a 30 inch fin span betwixt adjacent tips when t' rocket was assembled.

T' motor mount is 4 inches and comes with a 3 inch adapter with 4 centerin' rings. Arrr! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I chose t' fiberglass and foam it permanently in place t' prevent any chance o' a free flyin' motor. Aye aye! T' main motor mount comes with 3 centerin' rings, me hearties, nice thick 1/2 inch birch. Begad! I used these t' reinforce t' airframe betwixt t' couplers. Ahoy! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! I also used 2 part polyurethane t' foam in t' gaps in t' airframe inside where t' fins were. All joints o' t' fins t' t' motor tube and t' t' inside o' t' body tube were fiberglassed with strips o' medium grade cloth and West Systems slow epoxy. Arrr! T' fiberglassin' o' t' main body be extended over t' aftmost centerin' rin' t' add extra strength. Ahoy! T' main body tube was further affixed t' t' aft centerin' rin' with 4 wood screws under t' fiberglass.

T' shock cord is 20 feet o' 1 inch wide tubular nylon. Well, blow me down! As per t' recommendation o' both me TAP advisors, I installed a parallel redundant shock cord twice as long, shiver me timbers, with a 20 foot length o' 1/2 inch wide tubular nylon quick linked t' 20 feet o' 1/2 inch thick bungee cord. Ahoy! Aye aye! Both cords are quick linked t' MASSIVE 4 inch u-bolts through bulkheads made o' 1/2 inch thick birch in t' booster and in t' payload section bulkhead.

T' instructions were hand-drawn but adequate. Avast, me proud beauty! Since this isn't for a new rocketeer, ya bilge rat, details are probably nay as important t' spell out. Ahoy! I also modified this kit anyway, t' suit me level 3 requirements and t' incorporate me past reinforcement ideas. T' instructions were in a simple, logical order and thar are a couple simple pictures that mainly illustrate t' big picture, me hearties, nay fine details.

I created me own motor retention system usin' a pair o' 5.5 inch by 1/4 inch thick centerin' rings from Space Modelin' Solutions. Aye aye! Arrr! I ordered these rings with 3 inch holes t' accept me Kosdon 76/6000 hardware. Ahoy! T' first o' t' pair o' rings was permanently epoxied and bolted t' t' aftmost centerin' rin' o' t' main body. T' motor's thin metal thrust rin' rested against this ring. then t' second rin' was screwed with 4 wood screws until it lay flat and tight against t' first ring. Two steel mirror hangers were screwed in through both rings and their hooked ends held t' motor 180 degrees apart from each other.

T' parachute is a decommissioned 15 foot white nylon military chute. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Blimey! It came with links t' add it right into t' recovery system.

T' rocket comes with two very thick and strong launch lugs that can take one inch rods and I glassed them onto t' rocket, but TAP members seemed t' prefer t' rail system, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so I came prepared with a set o' rail guides and a friend with a rail launcher. (Thanks, Marc Casanova!)

T' only difficult part be cuttin' t' grooves in t' body tube t' fit it over t' motor mount/fin assembly.

T' result is a strong rocket that can fly well unglassed, me bucko, me bucko, but I glassed it just t' be certain o' strength.

Finishing:
I used teal and purple Krylon spray paint for t' nose cone and fins and Monokote for teal, black, matey, ya bilge rat, and purple color fields along t' length o' t' rocket. Ya scallywag! This was meant t' be an Arizona Diamondbacks tribute, and was named T' Big Unit. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! T' parachute had red markings t' make it look like a giant baseball in t' sky.

Metallic band accents separated t' color fields. Avast! Blimey! These bands are self adhesive mylar.

While this looked nice, it doesn't stand up t' near-mach conditions. Avast, me proud beauty! A small section o' t' black field on t' payload section was shorn off durin' t' flight. Begad! Ahoy! But t' rocket still returned t' me flyable.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Any M class motor is recommended. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! I didn't see whether any N types were recommended, but I think that with me glassing, matey, it could withstand that.

I chose t' Kosdon M1130 and recovery was accomplished with 3 altimeters. Ya scallywag! Yes, three. Blimey! This be me level 3 cert that I'd lived and breathed durin' every free minute off work for a month before it finally flew. Ya scallywag! I was havin' paranoid thoughts and decided on a second backup. Begad! Begad! My primary altimeter is a Blacksky AltAcc, shiver me timbers, and accelerometer. Arrr! Begad! T' first backup is a Skyward Electronics barometric altimeter. Ahoy! I added a G Wiz 800, another accelerometer. Ya scallywag! 7 grams o' FFFF black powder proved t' be sufficient on me front yard tests...yes, it sounded like a small cannon too. Avast, me proud beauty! T' chute be protected with a pair o' Nomex/Keelhaul®©™ round protectors.

Everythin' went together easily, but mainly because I chose t' mount t' electronics at home and place t' charge in t' field.

I had been nervous all week, but now I was simply cool and said t' t' guys, shiver me timbers, "It's showtime."

T' RSO had already made his rounds, ya bilge rat, so all I had t' do was march t' t' pad...500 feet away. Ya scallywag! Yes, I had added 300 more feet o' cord t' me system t' prepare for this, and guys had helped me clear lots o' area t' prevent fires. Arrr! Thanks, Randall (my husband) and Bryan Foss (a friend in t' club).

Placin' t' behemoth on t' pad was a 3 man job. Arrr! I realized this when I actually saw me creation full standing.

Than it came time t' arm all t' altimeters. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! One had a screw t' turn and t' other two had banana jacks t' pull out. Arrr! But t' rocket be so tall that I had t' stand on top o' t' cab o' me husband's truck t' reach!!! If anyone has a photo o' that, I'd love it.

T' igniter was a pair o' magnums from Fire in t' Hole, with an extra 3 inches o' thermalite dipped in Igniterman pyrogen. Ya scallywag! I would these igniters around a wooden dowel rod and put it up into t' motor and taped it securely. Ya scallywag! I didn't want pressure t' blow them out.

Then I was about t' hook up me system. Aye aye! I always tap t' alligators together t' be sure it's nay live. Avast, me proud beauty! IT WAS!!! When I heard t' continuity piezo signal, me bucko, I blanched for sure. Blimey! Blimey! I'm SOOO glad I didn't have an M go off near me face.

Well, shiver me timbers, when it flew, it roared so straight that I could have climbed t' smoke trail. It seemed like t' chute tangled, arrr, but opened without any body tube zippering. But it seemed like thar be an bilge-suckin' lot o' smoke up there. When t' RSO said thar might be a fire, me bucko, I be lookin' up. Ahoy! maybe 7 grams was too much...but t' RSO was worried about t' ground. Blimey! Begad! T' motor had churned up so much dust that it looked like extra smoke and created a hole in t' ground!

Yahoo! 4736 feet t' altimeter said. Ahoy! that be fun. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I think I'll do it again.

Recovery:
I think t' recovery was at t' right time. Avast! Arrr! Nay too early and nay late. Well, blow me down! T' chute took a moment t' open, but maybe that be due t' its great size.

Other than a little Monokote bein' peeled, arrr, arrr, t' rocket was flyable again and unharmed.

T' only thin' I'd change is t' use paint instead o' Monokote, or t' apply more heat t' apply it. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! T' last coat, which was t' one torn, was a rush job t' night before and I could have applied more heat for longer. Aye aye! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Maybe it would have stayed on then. Aye aye! Monokote does look really great, arrr, matey, though, and can hide rough bits on fiberglassed surfaces.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Great project, huge and magnificent. Begad! Well, blow me down! A real attention getter. Avast! Blimey! Simple and straightforward and a performer. Arrr! Avast! Really, me hearties, no CONS.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5