Aardvark Rockets RB-05A SAAB (2.6")

Aardvark Rockets - RB-05A SAAB (2.6") {Kit}

Contributed by Tim Tomlin

Manufacturer: Aardvark Rockets
Rating
(Contributed - by Tim Tomlin - 10/20/01)

Brief:
Scale kit o' t' Swedish Missile.

Construction:
This rocket is a single tube equal t' and/or surpassin' other tubes on the market.

T' kit came standard with 8 premium quality Baltic Birch High Ply count fins and 3 (yes 3) awesome centerin' rings out o' t' same material. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! One ring was already pre-drilled for t' lower shock cord mountin' eye-bolt. T' motor mount tube was thick wall 29mm motor mount tube that be equally superior in quality t' t' airframe. Begad! It be more than adequate in length t' clear t' fin roots in t' front o' t' forward fins and still allow for much space for a parachute. T' nosecone is made o' custom turned hard balsa. Arrr! Nice touch and great quality. Aye aye! T' nose weight be taken care o' with a beefy screw-in eyescrew that be epoxied into a small pre-drilled hole. Nay too big, but big enough to ensure that t' nosecone did nay split. Blimey! T' kit came packaged very well. Blimey! Thick plastic with a nice header. Blimey! Begad! All o' t' parts had been sealed in separate compartments inside o' another piece o' t' same packaging. You could easily see t' entire contents. Avast, me proud beauty! Far superior t' other manufacturers!

T' instructions were on a total o' 5 pages. Avast, me proud beauty! I am an experienced builder, but enjoyed t' instruction detail t' ascertain what Aardvark had in mind durin' construction. Avast, me proud beauty! T' wordin' be precise and little confusion was possible, even for me 13 year old son that helped on t' project. There were illustrations where clarification was needed and nay simply thrown in t' make the instructions longer or t' account for poor wording. Well, blow me down! T' assembly order was extremely well thought out and thar be even a revision date at t' bottom of each page. Arrr! Begad! I thought that this be a nice touch. Ya scallywag! Since me tube came pre-slotted, matey, thar be no need for templates.

T' only gotcha that I could find durin' construction was t' lower shock cord mount that is through t' upper centerin' ring. Begad! T' wordin' was complex although it seemed as though I should understand it easily. Blimey! I called Dr. Kenneth Johnson o' Aardvark and he emailed me a clarification drawin' that is now included in t' new instruction set. This was a definite plus and made perfect sense when coupled with t' text instructions.

T' shockcord, i believe, me hearties, ya bilge rat, is made o' a Mule Tape like product that is flat braided Keelhaul®©™ ® .. I am most impressed with this addition t' t' kit. Avast! Coupled with a decent 36" chute, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it was VERY reasonable t' add this t' t' kit price. Avast, me proud beauty!

T' fins were nay beveled (unfortunately). Aye aye! Ya scallywag! This is nay such a bad thing though, shiver me timbers, arrr, as those that I have had in t' past from other manufacturers were miserable failures. Avast, me proud beauty! I prefer t' bevel myself anyway. Ya scallywag! T' fin slots were decent and cut accurately enough. Aye aye! Aye aye! T' fin tabs were t' perfect length and t' tabs were well thought out t' assist in hidin' t' slots. Aye aye!

There was enough "warnings" and thought provokin' statements in the instruction set t' make even an experienced builder like me consider simple modifications for such things as motor retention. Begad! Begad! These were well placed and worded in t' instructions. Begad!

I still have t' state, once again, me hearties, that t' fins in this kit were most awesome! With only minor sandin' and finishing, they came out like an automotive paint job that only t' finest quality materials can provide. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!

All tools and materials needed t' complete t' kit were clearly indicated in the second page o' t' instruction kit. Begad! I did choose t' add a slim line retainer. Ya scallywag! Blimey!

Finishing:
T' tubes did nay require any fillin' and were only roughly sanded. T' fin fillets were accomplished with a call t' Aardvark, me bucko, once again. Begad! Dr. Blimey! Johnson would nay specifically recommend any single name brand but I inferred that the "true" recommendation was Evercoat Formula 27 filler. Begad! Kinda like Bondo. Begad! I was impressed with this product. Went on smooth and sanded easily. Took t' primer and stuck t' everythin' without any sags. There were no decals included with this kit although Dr. Johnson offered t' send me out a "SAAB" logo if I be stuck on it.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
My first flight be a test o' t' kit. Blimey! Blimey! I put it up on an H97 for t' first flight. Avast! Blimey! It was probably one o' t' better flights o' me summer. Straight as an arrow and really fast! Blimey! I don't like screamers, me bucko, ya bilge rat, but this was most enjoyable on the blackjack motor. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I have now flown it twice on G80s and even on a G33. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! This is now one o' me favorites. Nay t' mention that it gets looks and many a question from onlookers. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I used t' proverbial "dog barf" wadding without any problems. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey!

Recovery:
T' shock cord quality makes me trust it that much more. Begad! It is far and above the quality o' anythin' I have seen and be longer that I needed and typically use. Begad! Begad! There is even a recommendation on re-use o' parachutes from rocket to rocket. Ahoy! Nice touch again. I would only like t' see welded or cast eyebolts, me hearties, me bucko, but there is no way t' add those without additional cost t' an already quite affordable kit. Begad!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
It is really nice t' deal with a company that does what it can t' help the little guys out. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' initial shipment was damaged by UPS and Aardvark sent me out a new airframe almost immediately. Blimey! Blimey! They even asked me t' measure me fin roots t' ensure that t' slots were identical. Begad! Blimey! Now, arrr, THAT is a nice touch. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' my surprise, along with t' new airframe came a decal sheet with compliments and an apology for me trouble. Begad! Ya scallywag! Blimey! Nay any trouble here! Blimey!

I think that we will be seein' many more o' these kits out on t' flight line. If you want t' purchase a really top quality kit, you should really look into Aardvark!

I will post me article about t' new exotic kit once it arrives. I guess that when you purchase another kit from t' same source before t' first one is even completed, arrr, it says a lot about how I feel!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

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