Brief:
This is a Phoenix built from 4x downscalin' t' original Estes kit. Avast! It is much less expensive t' fly as it uses 18mm motors and 1 sheet o' waddin' or less, compared t' t' original usin' 24mm motors and 14 sheets o' wadding.

Construction:

• Nose Cone - Reliant/Vikin' BT-20 (filled with modellin' clay)
• Custom 7" parachute made from a shoppin' bag
• Custom 7" shock cord made from 2 rubber bands
• 2 Sets o' 4 fins each made from 1/16" balsa
• 1/8" end section o' spent A engine motor (engine block)
• 1/4" long 1/8" launch lug

This design took about 2 days t' assemble. This be t' second one o' these rockets that I've built. T' original used dual 4" chutes, arrr, and I painted some o' t' details onto it which I omitted from this design.

I started by cuttin' 1/8" off t' ejection charge end o' a spent A8-3. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I used this t' make t' engine block. With another used engine, ya bilge rat, me hearties, I pushed t' engine block into t' body tube until thar was 1/8" o' overhang from t' end o' t' tube.

I used 1/16" balsa t' make t' fins. Begad! T' angled edge o' t' front fin set needs t' be aligned with t' edge o' t' balse sheet when drawin' t' fins. Begad! Otherwise, ya bilge rat, t' fins will split when you cut them out. I used a 1/4" length o' Estes' standard 1/8" diameter launch lug.

I filled t' entire nose cone with modellin' clay (~14g). Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! This placed t' center o' gravity o' t' unloaded rocket at t' top end o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! This allows t' rocket t' be stable for A-C engines. Arrr! T' center o' gravity should be at t' top o' t' front fin set.

I used a plastic shoppin' bag t' make a parachute about 7" in diameter. Ahoy! Begad! I used cotton strin' for t' shroud lines (this was cheap and available). Well, blow me down! I didn't have any 1/8" elastic, shiver me timbers, so I tied two rubber bands together for t' shock cord. Aye aye! I mounted t' shock cord t' part o' an index card with white glue.

Flight:

Rocket #1

1. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! A8-3 Stability Test #1

T' rocket flew relatively straight. Begad! Begad! Apogee was difficult t' determine from about 500' away. Aye aye! T' chutes deployed but weren't really big enough t' do any good. Avast! No damage.

2. B6-4 Stability Test #2

T' rocket still flew straight. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! And I thought t' first one went high. It came down in t' trees, shiver me timbers, but it was so small that it fell right through t' branches without gettin' caught. Avast, me proud beauty! T' heavy nosecone also helped.

3. Blimey! C6-7 Orbital Test

T' rocket flew straight for 500 feet or so. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Then it turned into t' wind and be lost from sight. Begad! Blimey! We saw t' smoke trail around 1700 ft. or so down range. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I guess you can't really distinguish an 8 inch rocket from t' sky at that point. Aye aye! Blimey! No idea whether t' parachutes deployed. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! It probably landed somewhere.

Rocket #2

1. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! A8-3

This one flew straight t' about 500 feet. Begad! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! T' parachute openin' and was only scorched a little. Begad! Blimey! I used less than 1/2 sheet o' wadding, and I stuffed it into t' engine itself.

Summary:

PROS: Cheap t' build and fly. Begad! Avast! Blimey! Goes t' high altitudes with larger engines.

CONS: Turns into t' wind a little with C engines and disappears from sight.