Prior reviews had described a problem that is apparently not unusual on Estes Rockets---- not enough parachute space. This flies stock with an 18" nicely colored Estes Chute for the "Mothership" (the main rocket body) and a 12" for the "Alien Assault Pod" (nose cone and legs.)
Hmmm...... Just something "Wrong" about doing all this work to make something look "alien" and green and yellow and black, with little silver touch ups, then having these colored and white striped chutes with "ESTES" printed on them.
Also, the Estes chutes are kind of bulky, and there is not much room for TWO chutes and wadding in that main body tube section.
So exchanged the stock chutes for custom self respecting black garbage bag plastic chutes (20" for mother ship, 14" for the pod--- were supposed to be 24 and 18 but I must have folded it wrong.) I find it easier to cut an 8 sided chute than a 6 (remember making paper snowflakes at school), so my custom chutes all have 8 shroud lines (which is actually infinitesimally slightly more efficient that 6, but I digress....) Even with the bigger chutes, still fit a LOT better in that space than the stock chutes.
First launch was on D12-5, we had light winds and a 7-8 foot high cornfield just behind the launch area. Angled the rod to make sure, whatever happened , it did NOT land in the corn field (was starting to regret my black chutes! Especially with a corn green colored rocket!)
The adapter worked great, got a straight lift off and ascent. Ejection a bit late (next flight would be D12-3.) Recovery was in the (very immature) soybean field. Two or three weeks later would have been a real problem. As it was, no sweat. Landed about 100 yards from pad, Mother and Pod about 50 feet apart. No damage.
Next flight winds kicked up a bit. Angle 20-25 degree into wind and AWAY from the CORN (RSO had one highly raised eyebrow). D12-3. Weathercocked just a bit. Thought I was going hiking. Wind brought both back, landed about 50 feet from pad. Next time I want to get a good photo of Mom and Pod coming down side by side.