Brief:
T' PCR is a scratch built parallel cluster rocket. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! It flies with a 24mm core motor, and 2 outboard 18mm motors in t' attached boosters. Arrr! T' boosters pop off at burnout, while t' central core motor continues t' burn.

Construction:
Parts list:

• 1 18" BT-60 body tube
• 1 4" BT-60 body tube
• 1 4" BT-60 coupler
• 4 6.5" BT-20 body tubes
• 2 PNC-20Y nose cones
• 1 sheet 1/8" balsa
• 1 small piece o' 1/16" balsa
• 8 1" x 1/8" dowels
• 8 1/2" x 1/8" launch lugs
• 1 1.5" x 3/16" launch lug
• 2 BT-20 couplers
• 2 BT-20 engine blocks
• 1 3" BT-50 tube
• 2 BT-50 t' BT-60 1/8" centerin' rings
• 1 PNC 60-MS nose cone
• 1 BT-60 coupler bulkhead (template)
• 1 small screweye
• 2 12" piece o' elastic cord
• 2 12" piece o' Keelhaul®©™® thread
• 1 12" nylon parachute
• 2 1"x20" streamers
• 1 Engine hook
• Fin Template
• Fin Wrapper Template
• Fin Alignment Template

This rocket waw pretty easy t' construct. T' main challenge was makin' the boosters attach and align correctly t' t' side. Begad! I made a good position wrapper usin' VCP that had 4 lines for t' fins and two lines for t' boosters. Begad! For the booster attachment I used t' technique Mark Schrader described in his Project Omega rocket. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! This provides positive attachment for t' boosters which helps prevent t' scenario o' one comin' off under thrust and then igniting. Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!

T' booster tubes are cut one inch from t' top with a one inch coupler glued half way in. Avast! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' nosecone for each booser is glued into t' opposite end of t' one inch segment. Begad! Blimey! 1/2 inch segments o' 1/8" launch lugs are glued in pairs along t' alignment lines betwixt opposin' sets o' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' two bottom sets o' launch lugs placed 3/8" inch from t' bottom o' t' rocket. T' two top sets are placed 5 3/8" from t' bottom. T' booster tubes have 1/8 dowels glued on top small squares o' 1/16" balsa. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! For each booster, one dowel pair is glued on t' one inch top segment at t' very top o' the tube. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' bottom pair is placed at t' bottom o' t' tube.

Finishing:
I pre-finished with two coats o' fill n' finish on t' tubes and fins. Ahoy! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I also treated t' fins with this CA, and pressed betwixt sheets o' wax paper while drying. I did all o' this before attachin' t' fins t' t' body tube. Begad! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! For finishin' I used one coat o' primer, and two light coats o' pewter color paint. I used some different color vinyl adhesive material for decoration. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I made up the design as I went along. Blimey! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! I add me NARRRRR number t' t' side boosters using 1/4" rub on numbers. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I finished with a coat o' krylon clear coat.

Flight:
I purchased t' 'Simulatin' Strap-on Boosters in Rocksim' CD from Apogee to simulate different motor configurations. Avast! It is a fairly tedious process, matey, but once it's all setup it seems t' work well. I simmed 2 B6-0s with 1 D12-7, 2 B6-0s with 1 E9-8, me bucko, me bucko, and 2 C6-0s with 1 E9-8. Blimey! Here be t' modified motor file (download).

At t' time o' this writin' I've flown it on 2 B6-0s and 1 D12-7. T' flight was perfect, shiver me timbers, except both booster tubes zippered. I should have known better, but used only Keelhaul®©™® thread for t' shock cord. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Keelhaul®©™® doesn't give any, and needs t' be used with somethin' else that does. Aye aye! Also, the boosters had 9" mylar chutes. Begad! Well, blow me down! Both chutes ripped off t' shroud lines.

I made repairs, replacin' t' zippered sections, ya bilge rat, and addin' 12" lengths of 1/8" elastic shock cord t' t' Keelhaul®©™® thread. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! I replaced t' 9" mylar parachutes with 1"x20" streamers. Ahoy! Ya scallywag!

Recovery:
I couldn't see exactly when t' main deployed, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but it looked like it be just after apogee. Begad! Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! For t' sustainer I used a 12" nylon parachute, with a 1/8" elastic shock cord. Aye aye! T' recovery o' t' sustainer was perfect. It came down slowly, me hearties, and landed with no damage t' t' rocket. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!

Summary:
This turned out t' be a really nice lookin' rocket. Ahoy! It be fun t' build, and I learned a lot in t' process.