My experience with Arcie is a lot less violent it seems. Arcie is my first foray into rocketry, and as such I recall a lot of anxiety before its first flight. It has now lived through 2 CATOs (apparently defective lot of Estes E9s, others in my club have CATOs with the same date marking), a Red Barron (booster's failure to separate at apogee--hence its conversion to a one-piece RCRG) and is still going strong.
My photo shows CG location markings. They may be hard to see behind CATO charring. I remember my surprise at CG location so far behind the leading edge until I realize that sweepback on the wings moves MAC back from the root cord.
@aerostadt: thank you for posting your photos. The glider looks fine to me. I don't like the aileron setup either, but I leave it as is on my Arcie. It's a training aid for me, and once I learn what I can from it, I move beyond it to more elaborate gliders I design now. Battery coming loose in flight typically moves CG back, not forward, depending on where its wire attaches to the airframe. As a pendulum, a loose-hanging battery tends to amplify whatever attitude the glider is in, so if the glider is pointing nose-down at separation, and the battery is loose on a sufficiently long wire, this may move the GC forward beyond recoverable.
Arcie's original design cals for NiCd batteries, which are heavy. I use a single-cell LiPo in my Arcie, and even with the battery all the way in the nose, I still need a quarter at the base of the nosecone for correct CG.
I would like to see these wounded birds fly again. It's sad to see gliders in such sorry state :=)
Ari.