Brief:
Another in t' continuin' series o' improved "little" R2-D2 rockets from Estes. Ya scallywag! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! This one features what t' "big" R2 had all along: A REAL nose cone, matey, arrr, thereby eliminatin' recovery failure.

Modifications:
T' first thin' that had t' go was t' top, so R2 was beheaded at t' blue band, shiver me timbers, just below t' reinforced bulkhead. This bulkhead be then lowered about an inch and reattached t' t' inside o' t' body usin' CA, then reinforced on both sides with 2 hour epoxy. Begad! T' shock cord attaches here. (Question: why is Estes so stingy with shock cord on all other rockets, arrr, me hearties, 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' be slathered liberally with 5 minute epoxy. Well, blow me down! Strength be me goal, matey, and weight considerations were nay a concern. Blimey! Well, blow me down! I think I met those goals.

Attachment o' t' head was a real challenge. 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. Ahoy! Well, blow me down! It was attached t' t' bottom o' t' head with CA, ya bilge rat, then epoxy, and t' shock cord attaches here. Well, matey, blow me down! T' keep things straight, and t' give me a place t' put nose weight, I attached t' plastic centerin' rings for t' original motor pod t' t' head. This was done by usin' a short piece o' 18mm tube, then be centered into t' head by a process that was far more complicated than anythin' I've ever done on a mid-power rocket. Avast! Naturally, me bucko, 5 minute epoxy holds it all in place, me bucko, 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, and unfortunately t' fumes attacked one o' me eyes. Please use proper safety equipment if you use CA!

I will from now on. Well, blow me down! Begad! Believe me, it took a LOT o' engineerin' t' get t' rocket this far. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! But it be all worth it. Arrr! T' fins were recycled from R2-D2.3, and be about all that be salvageable. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! A nice nylon parachute guarantees a shred proof recovery, arrr, 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, me bucko, arrr, matey, I love these little things, but t' factory recovery system left a lot t' be desired. Begad! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! And I've tried several methods t' improve upon t' ill-fated design Estes had, ya bilge rat, includin' Keelhaul®©™®, me hearties, elastic, and tubular nylon. Ahoy! Begad! Nothin' worked reliably. And t' second reason I did it is because I just love t' overpower Estes and Quest rockets.

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

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

Flight:
As I stated in t' beginning, I built this rocket with 29mm in mind, matey, and thus was reinforced for use with a single use G80. However, t' short, me bucko, squat body has extremely short polar moments, ya bilge rat, and for safety reasons I decided t' cut down t' power. Avast! Blimey! After all, shiver me timbers, who wants their 5 year old t' be chased around t' launch site by a screamin' R2? If it went unstable, it might get nasty. Ahoy! Blimey! As it turns out, ya bilge rat, me hearties, me bucko, a D will get it goin' reasonably well, and a long burn E6 should satisfy anybody's quest for altitude. So a 24mm motor tube was put in place, me bucko, shiver me timbers, with a paper engine block in t' top o' t' motor tube. Ahoy! Blimey! (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, t' little R2 will get up with decent speed, me hearties, and hit approximately 500 t' 600 feet, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, dependin' on which spotter's info you use. Begad! Avast! Recovery is perfect. Prep is a breeze, use a little cellulose waddin' (not really necessary, me hearties, but I like t' feel safe) and friction fit t' motor. Wrap up t' lengthy shock cord and stuff it into t' tube on top o' t' chute. Begad! Avast! Then pop on t' head.

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

Summary:
Pros: Attention getter, matey, rapid take-off, shiver me timbers, perfect recovery.

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