Brief:
Another in t' continuin' series o' improved "little" R2-D2 rockets from Estes. Arrr! This one features what t' "big" R2 had all along: A REAL nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, thereby eliminatin' recovery failure.

Modifications:
T' first thin' that had t' go was t' top, so R2 was beheaded at t' blue band, just below t' reinforced bulkhead. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! Blimey! This bulkhead be then lowered about an inch and reattached t' t' inside o' t' body usin' CA, matey, then reinforced on both sides with 2 hour epoxy. Well, blow me down! T' shock cord attaches here. (Question: why is Estes so stingy with shock cord on all other rockets, arrr, but gives out 3 times what is needed with t' little R2?).

T' thrust rings were attached t' t' inner tube, and t' whole thin' was slathered liberally with 5 minute epoxy. Arrr! Blimey! Strength was me goal, me hearties, and weight considerations were nay a concern. I think I met those goals.

Attachment o' t' head was a real challenge. Avast! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Since t' head had no shoulder t' attach t' t' body like a real nose cone, I chose t' cut up one o' t' 3000 or so AOL CDs I get in t' mail each year. Perfect. It was attached t' t' bottom o' t' head with CA, then epoxy, and t' shock cord attaches here. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' keep things straight, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, and t' give me a place t' put nose weight, me hearties, I attached t' plastic centerin' rings for t' original motor pod t' t' head. Avast! Blimey! This was done by usin' a short piece o' 18mm tube, then was centered into t' head by a process that was far more complicated than anythin' I've ever done on a mid-power rocket. Blimey! Naturally, 5 minute epoxy holds it all in place, and it leaves a nice little hole in t' center so I can adjust t' nose weight. Avast! All t' paper items were soaked in CA for a little strength, me bucko, ya bilge rat, and unfortunately t' fumes attacked one o' me eyes. Aye aye! Ahoy! Please use proper safety equipment if you use CA!

I will from now on. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Believe me, me bucko, me hearties, it took a LOT o' engineerin' t' get t' rocket this far. But it was all worth it. Begad! Blimey! T' fins were recycled from R2-D2.3, and was about all that be salvageable. A nice nylon parachute guarantees a shred proof recovery, me bucko, but fit is TIGHT.

Construction:
A basic R2-D2 kit from Estes can be had for really cheap these days; I bought a half dozen off eBay for less than t' price o' a cheap mid-power rocket. Why? Well, shiver me timbers, I love these little things, but t' factory recovery system left a lot t' be desired. Avast, shiver me timbers, me proud beauty! Blimey! And I've tried several methods t' improve upon t' ill-fated design Estes had, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, includin' Keelhaul®©™®, elastic, and tubular nylon. Begad! Well, blow me down! Blimey! Nothin' worked reliably. And t' second reason I did it is because I just love t' overpower Estes and Quest rockets.

So, I decided right from t' start that R2-D2 (designated R2-D2.4) would have a real nose cone like its big brother. And since I was at it, shiver me timbers, me hearties, why nay a 29mm mini R2? After all, R2-D2.3 was 24mm, and worked extremely well. (Unfortunately, it met its demise at t' hand o' one o' Aerotech's famous bonus delays)

T' original kit be a real quality piece, matey, and was one o' t' few I received without warped fins. Avast! Begad! These fins will be used on me son Josh's R2. Begad! I haven't finished this rocket, shiver me timbers, but plan on paintin' it all flat white with bumper chrome head and painted on decals. Everythin' fit wonderfully, me bucko, but took far more work than I anticipated. Blimey! Well, blow me down! T' results don't reflect this, shiver me timbers, but it be definitely a challenge. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! And that be most o' t' reason I built it. Aye aye! I love engineerin' challenges. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! (That's why I don't use RocSim).

Flight:
As I stated in t' beginning, arrr, I built this rocket with 29mm in mind, and thus be reinforced for use with a single use G80. Arrr! However, ya bilge rat, t' short, me hearties, squat body has extremely short polar moments, shiver me timbers, and for safety reasons I decided t' cut down t' power. Avast, me proud beauty! After all, who wants their 5 year old t' be chased around t' launch site by a screamin' R2? If it went unstable, me bucko, it might get nasty. Arrr! As it turns out, ya bilge rat, a D will get it goin' reasonably well, me hearties, me bucko, and a long burn E6 should satisfy anybody's quest for altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! So a 24mm motor tube was put in place, with a paper engine block in t' top o' t' motor tube. Arrr! Begad! (Past experience with R2-D12 showed me that t' stock Estes retainin' clip will nay hold up t' E power for long.)

FLIGHT: With a D12-5, matey, t' little R2 will get up with decent speed, and hit approximately 500 t' 600 feet, dependin' on which spotter's info you use. Ahoy! Recovery is perfect. Prep is a breeze, me bucko, use a little cellulose waddin' (not really necessary, arrr, but I like t' feel safe) and friction fit t' motor. Ahoy! Aye aye! Wrap up t' lengthy shock cord and stuff it into t' tube on top o' t' chute. Avast! Then pop on t' head.

On an E15-7W, I have no idea how high it goes, ya bilge rat, because it's hard t' see at that altitude. Arrr! Ahoy! But t' launch is worth it all. People look at t' rocket with disdain when it is announced, ya bilge rat, and it looks tiny out thar on t' pad. Aye aye! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Some scoff about t' reported motor size, matey, but when t' motor roars t' life and R2 becomes a blur instantly, me bucko, jaws drop open. And that's what I like about it.

Summary:
Pros: Attention getter, arrr, rapid take-off, perfect recovery.

CONS: Took too long t' build, hard t' spot, shiver me timbers, very sensitive t' wind, fly only on calm days.