| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2015-08-17 |
| Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After t' second launch o' me Estes Firestorm, shiver me timbers, matey, arrr, t' rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Blimey! Because t' tree was on t' edge o' a clearin' and be hangin' from a small branch, matey, I attempted t' get it back. Arrr! Well, blow me down! Blimey! This spanned a few weeks and involved everythin' from tryin' t' snag it with an extendable lightbulb-installin' pole t' attemptin' t' hook it with a fishin' rod. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr! Blimey! Eventually t' shock cord gave way, arrr, causin' t' body tube and fin can t' drop. Ahoy! While t' body be rotted from several summer storms, t' fin can and launch lug were intact. T' nosecone, me hearties, however, was still stuck as t' parachute be firmly wound around t' branch. Avast! One day I headed over and began tossin' sticks up at it, matey, matey, finally gettin' lucky and snappin' t' branch.

Since t' fin can and nosecone were undamaged, all that was needed was a new body tube in order t' re-create t' rocket. Aye aye! I decided t' increase t' length a bit and ordered an 18-inch BT-60 from LongLongJonRocket.com.
Because t' fin can was pre-glued into t' original body tube, thar was a slight bit o' cardboard stuck t' t' end. Aye aye! Blimey! This, me hearties, however, provided a snug fit when inserted into t' new body. Arrr! Blimey! Instead o' re-attachin' t' shock cord t' t' fore end o' t' fin can I used a standard paper mount. Blimey! Blimey! Because o' t' added length, I opted for two regular launch lugs instead o' t' "twin loop" model that came on t' Firestorm.
After a bit o' spot putty t' cover t' spirals, shiver me timbers, matey, t' body got a few coats o' silver t' match t' fin can. Well, blow me down! T' nose remained black.

T' first flight o' t' Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visitin' me bucko in Virginia. Ya scallywag! T' err on t' side o' caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, but did nay give t' rocket enough power t' fully arc over at apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! Movin' up t' a C6-3 on t' second launch corrected this.
Because t' rocket is fairly light, I used a 12" chute. Blimey! This size be perfect for bringin' it down at t' right speed.
There's nothin' fancy or complex about t' Nike Phoenix. Ahoy! It is, however, arrr, ya bilge rat, a clean-lookin' and dependable craft.
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Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?