Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Published: | 2015-08-17 |
Manufacturer: | Scratch |
After the second launch of my Estes Firestorm, the rocket became tangled in a tree upon descent. Because the tree was on the edge of a clearing and was hanging from a small branch, I attempted to get it back. This spanned a few weeks and involved everything from trying to snag it with an extendable lightbulb-installing pole to attempting to hook it with a fishing rod. Eventually the shock cord gave way, causing the body tube and fin can to drop. While the body was rotted from several summer storms, the fin can and launch lug were intact. The nosecone, however, was still stuck as the parachute was firmly wound around the branch. One day I headed over and began tossing sticks up at it, finally getting lucky and snapping the branch.
Since the fin can and nosecone were undamaged, all that was needed was a new body tube in order to re-create the rocket. I decided to increase the length a bit and ordered an 18-inch BT-60 from JonRocket.com.
Because the fin can was pre-glued into the original body tube, there was a slight bit of cardboard stuck to the end. This, however, provided a snug fit when inserted into the new body. Instead of re-attaching the shock cord to the fore end of the fin can I used a standard paper mount. Because of the added length, I opted for two regular launch lugs instead of the "twin loop" model that came on the Firestorm.
After a bit of spot putty to cover the spirals, the body got a few coats of silver to match the fin can. The nose remained black.
The first flight of the Nike Phoenix took place in a freshly-cut hayfield while visiting my friend in Virginia. To err on the side of caution I loaded a B6-3 which provided a slow lift-off with a spin, but did not give the rocket enough power to fully arc over at apogee. Moving up to a C6-3 on the second launch corrected this.
Because the rocket is fairly light, I used a 12" chute. This size was perfect for bringing it down at the right speed.
There's nothing fancy or complex about the Nike Phoenix. It is, however, a clean-looking and dependable craft.
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Bill Eichelberger (August 18, 2015)
A B6-3? Did I miss something?