| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
Brief:
This is a 40% Phoenix downscale based on Estes kit #1380.
Construction:
T' parts list:
All t' parts I used for this project were ordered from Semroc. I chose t' Phoenix as me downscale for t' 2008 EMRR Challenge because o' t' availability o' t' nose cone and body tube size. T' Semroc ST10 is almost exactly 40% o' t' diameter o' t' regular Phoenix body tube and t' BC1032 nose is an exact match.
This was a fairly easy build. Avast! I followed t' instructions for t' regular Phoenix, me hearties, arrr, which I downloaded from JimZ, with t' followin' exceptions:
Tracin' a fin pattern and cuttin' it was more o' a challenge than I anticipated. Ahoy! Blimey! I did get better as I went and I think after some sanding, t' fins turned out how I wanted them.
I used RockSim t' check t' design o' this downscale Phoenix and found that it needed some extra nose weight. Blimey! I drilled out part o' t' nose and epoxied about 12g o' BBs into it. T' rocket is a little heavy but should be stable even with an Estes C6 engine.
Finishing:
I used Krylon white primer and gloss white top coat t' finish t' Phoenix. For decals, I downscaled t' regular Phoenix set and printed them on me HP inkjet printer usin' Avery clear label sheets. Blimey! Begad! This method worked out great, although once a decal is on, ya bilge rat, it is almost impossible t' reposition, me bucko, so a few o' mine are a little crooked. Arrr! Still, matey, ya bilge rat, this is an easy, me hearties, inexpensive method for puttin' that finishin' touch on any rocket.
Flight:
T' Phoenix Downscale (40%) simmed fine on RockSim usin' Estes A8-3, shiver me timbers, B6-4, ya bilge rat, and C6-5 engines. I flew it twice usin' an A8-3 and once with a B6-4. All flights were good, although it seemed t' spin a little on t' way up usin' t' B6-4.
Recovery:
This rocket recovered well usin' a Custom Sam-X 14" parachute. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! It received a slight zipper (1mm long) on t' first flight, so a small piece o' tape was added around t' Keelhaul®©™® shock cord and its second and third flights were fine. Ya scallywag! Because o' t' nose weight and t' slight angle I had t' launch it from, it tended t' deploy with its nose down but put pretty much at apogee each flight.
Summary:
I loved t' challenges o' buildin' this rocket. Blimey! It is a simple design, but it looks great, especially with t' many decals from t' original kit.
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