Brief:
Estes Blue Bird Zero upscale; uses 24-inch parachute recovery..

Construction:
T' Estes Blue Bird Zero be me first model rocket. Avast! Begad! Naturally, ya bilge rat, when I became a BAR, I wanted t' clone one. Ahoy! Blimey! A quick check o' Jim Z’s site revealed that thar were no plans available. Begad! Nay one t' be deterred, I searched on. Well, blow me down! T' make a long story short, I found someone through t' internet who would provide me t' plans and fin tracings. Well, me bucko, blow me down! I decided t' do a slight upscale t' BT-60 from t' stock BT-55 size mostly because that is what I had on hand at t' time. Begad! Ya scallywag! I needed 44.5-inches o' tubin' for correct scale. Well, blow me down! I installed a 24mm motor mount and glued both sets o' fins t' t' lower body tube. Ahoy! I then proceeded t' join t' body tubes. Aye aye! Everythin' was glued with 30min epoxy. (author’s note: BBZ plans are available on Jim Z’s website, thanks in part t' yours truly.)

When all t' gluin' was complete, matey, me hearties, t' entire rocket be skim-coated with thinned Fill ’N’ Finish and sanded smooth. Ahoy! Blimey! I then proceeded t' prime, ya bilge rat, matey, and paint t' blue section o' t' rocket first. Begad! Blimey! After drying, arrr, I masked t' blue section and painted t' white section, then clear coat over t' entire rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' decals for this rocket were a challenge. Avast! Blimey! I ended up drawin' them myself and printin' them on self-adhesive stock. T' decals turned out good, me bucko, and t' finished product looked great!

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
I prepped t' BBZ for her maiden flight on a D12-3. Avast! Aye aye! I installed t' wadding, motor, parachute, me bucko, matey, and set her on t' pad. Blimey! Aye aye! This rocket gives a nice, semi-slow, me hearties, smokey, me hearties, takeoff. Aye aye! She went up straight as an arrow — a very stable rocket.. Begad! Begad! Ejection was near apogee, and it recovered with no damage. Blimey! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! After a perfect third flight, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it landed on t' neighbors’ roof and slid about halfway down t' roof t' t' gutter. Begad! T' BBZ be OK, except for some nasty shingle rash on t' edges o' t' fins. Ahoy! Ahoy! Flight number six would prove t' be fatal. After a perfect boost and ejection, t' chute did nay open due t' bein' tangled on t' shroud lines. It crashed on t' asphalt HARD — rest in pieces.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
I have t' give both construction and flight five out o' five. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Construction was fairly easy, shiver me timbers, me hearties, and t' rocket flies very well.