Brief:
Using a BT-55 created a 1.8 upscale of the Estes Solar Warrior.

Construction:
In order to build the upscale Solar Warrior I used:

• 2 BT-55 tubes. One for the body tube and the other was cut to create the two pods as the end of the wings.
• 1 BT-20 for the motor mount.
• 1 sheet of 3/32" balsa
• 1 PNC-55
• 1/8" launch lug
• 18 inches of ¼ inch elastic for shock chord
• 60 inches of 1.6" wide streamer material

Before I started my brother-in-law provided me with an enlarged fin pattern from a Solar Warrior kit I previously built. In order to capture the edges of the fins on the copier the balsa sheet was colored with a marker. Using the pattern I cut out the fins from the balsa using a steel edge ruler and knife. I decided to cut my centering rings out of balsa. I first drew an "+" on the balsa and marked my BT-55 and BT-20 into four equal distances around the circumference. I pressed one end of the tubes against an inkpad and then used it to mark the balsa by lining up my marks with the lines of the "+". I then proceeded to cut the centering rings form the balsa on the inside of the markings. The centering rings were then sanded so that they would fit nicely in the body tube and the motor mount tube would also fit correctly. In order to ensure a clean straight cut for my body tubes I wrapped it a few times with good masking tape at the desired point. The masking tape provided a nice straight guide to cut against. I cut the first BT-55 to a length of 17.55" for the main body tube and the second BT-55 was cut to create the two pods of 2.7" in length on the side of the wing. I cut three inch of the BT-20 for the motor mount. I cut a quarter inch of the end of a spent 18mm motor casing for an engine block. I did not have an engine hook and decided to friction fit my motor. Using the same steps as the original Solar Warrior. I finished it using wood filler to create smooth fins and wings and painted it with Krylon yellow paint.

Flight:
My first flight for the rocket used an A8-3. Lift off was slow but the rocket may have reached only 40 feet in the air. For my next flight I used a C6-3, it flew nice and straight and the recovery was uneventful. The third flight on a B6-4 was good. Again it flew straight and recovery yielded no damage. I flew successful on B6-4 and C6-3 twice more.

Summary:
Overall, I like the design of the Solar Warrior. I have also built one using a BT-5 and am in the process of up scaling it 3 times using LOC/Precision parts.