Height: 51 inches
Weight: 13 ounces unloaded
Width: 1 3/8 inches
Motor Mount: 29mm
Recovery System: 24 inch thin nylon chute

Brief description: This is a review o' me scratchbuilt Stage Tree, an all wood rocket made from Retro Rocket Works parts. Blimey! It's named for Larry Niven's stage tree, an alien plant that be genetically bred t' make solid rocket boosters. Avast, me proud beauty! T' boosters disperse t' tree's seeds as they blast off. Avast! Thia happens durin' natural prairie fires. Begad! Blimey! Also, matey, arrr, every century or so, me bucko, ya bilge rat, a great stage tree grows that makes boosters that can launch seeds into space and t' other worlds.

This is a single staged, me hearties, me hearties, 3 finned all wood rocket made from parts made by Retro Rocket Works, through Apogee Components. Ya scallywag! Its grain is visible and is used t' accent t' looks o' the rocket. So, polyurethane furniture varnish was used t' enhance t' grain and provide a shiny protective finish.

Construction: I had t' 3-inch long nose cone custom made by Retro Rocket Works (OOP). Ya scallywag! It's solid cherry or mahogany. As an inexperienced woodworker, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, arrr, I really do nay know all o' me woods. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! But I can say that this nose cone is pretty. Begad! It's medium dark hardwood, smooth, shiver me timbers, and precisely machined. It came with t' beginnin' o' a pilot hole in t' base for me t' drill in me shock cord screweye. Aye aye!

T' shock cord is 1/4 inch thick bungee cordin' purchased from American Science and Surplus, who have a site on t' net, me bucko, and Rocketry Online. Begad! I used a 4 foot length o' t' cording. T' parachute is a thin nylon Estes chute I found at me local hobby store. Arrr! I chose it because its thin material packs well into the small body tube. Ever tried t' stuff a thick chute into a 29mm tube and fret over whether it will eject? Well, t' shock cord was tied t' a loop o' 1/8 inch thick Keelhaul®©™® cord, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, which mounts t' t' inside o' t' body tube via a square o' 29mm paper tubing. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! This is curved just like t' wooden tube, me bucko, and fits smoothly. Epoxy be used. Begad!

T' body tube is a similar color wood t' t' nose, with beautiful striping of grain. Avast, me proud beauty! It's 48 inches long, t' standard length o' tubin' sold by t' Retro Rocket Works company. It appears t' have been made in layers. It appears t' be wood throughout.

There are two launch lugs, 1 inch long each by 1/2 inch diameter. I placed these at 20 and 40 inches from t' aft end. T' lugs started as standard 13mm body tubing. Well, blow me down! Once I placed them, matey, me bucko, I be bothered that they didn't have a wooden look, so I placed iron-on wood veneer strips around them, all around t' areas that show. Begad! Begad! I chose a color like t' body tube.

T' fins are a clipped slightly forward swept delta shape, me hearties, shiver me timbers, made from 1/8 inch thick basswood. There are also accents o' reddish brown pekoe on top o' each fin face. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! These accents are a smaller likewise shape o' t' fin, me hearties, and accent t' otherwise light color of t' basswood.. Aye aye! I used epoxy t' affix them on and fine sandpaper t' smoothen rough transitions. Well, blow me down! They were aligned by sight. Blimey! T' fins were aligned by making marks on t' body tube usin' measurin' tape t' trisect t' tube in two places per fin, makin' a straight line t' place t' fins. Aye aye!

Finishing: Polyurethane furniture finish be used over t' entire rocket t' enhance t' grain look and t' protect it. Blimey! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! I just couldn't paint it. T' wood was too pretty. Ahoy! This project taught me real wood appreciation. Polyurethane made t' job simple. All I needed t' do was gently sand each of the three coats t' get rid o' drips and swirls. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! T' result is a shiny finish like a coffee tabletop. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down!

Flight: Preppin' is a little tricky because o' t' small tube, shiver me timbers, so I use a long hemostat t' grip t' end o' t' chute and draw it down into the tube. Avast! Worm bed waddin' is used t' protect t' chute. I discovered at t' site that Econojet motors by Aerotech don't fit. T' stick-on labels are too thick to allow t' engine t' go in. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Oddly, t' other Aerotech 29mm motors like the G40-7 do fit. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! So I went ahead and loaded that. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down!

I'd have been better off with a slightly longer delay, ya bilge rat, accordin' t' my computer simulator, ya bilge rat, arrr, but this worked fine. Avast, me proud beauty! I generally only try too-short delays if I mount t' shock system STRONGLY, shiver me timbers, as I did here. T' motor was retained via duct tape. Ya scallywag! Ahoy! My husband called it ineloquent, but I replied that ineloquent beats motor ejection followed by shovel recovery.

T' model drew attention, t' say t' least. Aye aye! Begad! I heard a couple o' people say, "Oh wow. Ahoy! Ahoy! A wooden rocket." Another said as it lifted off straight and noisily, "Well, me hearties, will you look at that." Pictures were taken by the curious.

T' rocket flew straight and stable, shiver me timbers, and recovered about right. Avast, me proud beauty! As I said, a 10 second delay would have been better yet. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I had t' go downrange a bit, about half a mile, ya bilge rat, but I got it back intact and unhurt. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I got approximately 2500 feet altitude, accordin' t' several onlookers. Ya scallywag! Begad! Blimey! One o' these days I just HAVE t' get an altimeter and quantify heights exactly. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! I also experimented with my 29mm reloads, me bucko, shiver me timbers, t' G33-7, matey, namely. Aye aye! Arrr! Blimey! Results were similarly picturesque. Blimey! Blimey!

My simulator predicts even better results with an H97, me hearties, but because t' fins do nay go through t' body tube, arrr, I don't feel comfortable with that. Begad! I'm gutsy, but do nay want any shreds. Ya scallywag!

Project rating: Overall I rate me project a 4 for good success. Blimey! I would have rated it higher if all me engines had fit and if t' chute had fit in more easily. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I think that paper tubes give more than wood so that the slightly thicher diameter o' t' Econojets won't pass in. Blimey! This tube was PRECISELY machined without such tolerances.

General pros and cons: T' body tube costs $24 and t' nose cone was $13.50. Well, blow me down! T' parts are pricy, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, but worth it. Avast, me proud beauty! You'll just have t' see it t' know that. Arrr! Ya scallywag! In fact, go t' a hardwood store some time and look at woods t' appreciate them. Ya scallywag! Anyway, arrr, me hearties, t' model is light but strong and gives very high flights. Aye aye!

I recommend wood if you'd like t' get attention at a launch. Avast! Blimey! I also learned at this launch that vaseline is nay t' best lubricant for reloadables because it can melt down into t' propellant. Blimey! Blimey! It didn't happen t' me, me bucko, but a long-time flyer said that it can, especially with hotter motors.