The Gladiator

At hellfire the three of us got a 2.6in body tube and tip. We went to hellfire not knowing what it was going to be like. Previously Simon and I decided to make the jump into mid power rockets. Our original plans were to get two bt-60 body tubes and a tip. We would fly it on a F32 (a huge jump for us from the A-D powered rockets we would buy) In the discount rocketry trailer Kaelan and simon were trying to convince me to get it and I was very hesitant. Finaly I agreed to get it. The body tube was 34 in and the tip was about 13. After I bought it I was thrilled. We planned to fly it on a F32 but when Simon and I found out how high it would go (600 feet) we wanted more power. Simon was hesitant to go straight to G power (a long way from the Cs and Ds we were so used to using). We both weren't sure we could handle the power of a G. At about the same time we made the fins out of 1/8 inch plywood. Kaelan did all the designing and his dad cut them out with a saw. The same day we cut slots in the body tube. Kaelan, Simon and I agreed to fly it on a G38 (that seemed to have enough power.) After the fins came the engine mount and parachute. Simon and I looked up how high the rocket would go on a G38 (1000-1200 feet) I asked kaelan what he thought and he wanted even more power. We were looking at a Rms 29/40-120 that looked good it would provide a F engine as a first flight and a G engine as a second flight. The new engine we planned to fly it on was a G71 redline (intense red flame) Simon and I were both hoping to get it for our birthdays but we didn't so we went for plan B to order the one we were looking at. The estimated arrival date was later than the October sport launch that the local club was having. We went and brought the gladiator anyway. There we saw a single use G77 that was looking really good to us. It cost $22 but we decided to split the cost. We were very nervous and excited to fly it but it worked great. The parachute didn't open but it came down without a scratch. Click here to watch the flight.