Quest AS-1 Fighter Escort

Quest - AS-1 Fighter Escort {Kit} (2017)

Contributed by Lester Anderson

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Published: 2013-09-24
Diameter: 0.98 inches
Length: 17.30 inches
Manufacturer: Quest
Skill Level: 2
Style: Futuristic/Exotic

Brief

This kit looks t' be a downscale o' t' Shrox designed Firefox-SHX sold by Apogee rockets (http://www.dynastar-rockets.com/Firefox.html), shiver me timbers, with different paint sceme and decals. Ahoy! Blimey! Still a very involved little kit. It flies on 18mm Estes or equivelent engines, and just looks cool. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I built 2 o' them in tandem t' go along with t' Quest AerospaceOne rocket that they fly with. Begad! Blimey! Kinda like how t' US Air Force always has a couple o' fighter escorts trailin' behind AirForce One when t' President is on her.

Components

This kit is built with Quest's standard set o' parts. T' motor mount tube is a little thinner than I like, me bucko, but t' quality o' all t' other parts is equal t' Estes in me opinion.

Construction

Let's see ...

Kit pros: just a cool lookin' kit. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! Unusual in t' fact that t' main body tube is two pieces and cut at an angle, but it is that same feature that makes it look good.

Kit cons: Havin' t' glue together t' offset centerin' rings t' thicken them up proved t' be a little frustrating. My fingers were too large t' fit inside an 18mm body tube after I turned 14, so usin' some kind o' tool t' sand t' inside diameter is definately a need (thank you Dremel). 

I had read other blog posts o' this kit's construction before buildin' me own, me hearties, so I was aware o' some o' t' Quest suprises like t' need t' flex your engine hook so it curves into t' motor mount tube.

Finishing

I wanted me pair t' look as much like t' facecard as possible, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, so this ment maskin' t' strake and tail fins, matey, as expeted. Ahoy! Arrr! T' kit instructions were rather clear on finishin' requirements, with one exception. My only "con" is that t' decal for t' "engine nozzle" be on t' decal sheet in 2ca pieces, and in different sizes than each other. Aye aye! Well, blow me down! After applyin' said decals on one, I discovered that t' longer one needed t' be trimmed t' fit, shiver me timbers, me hearties, ya bilge rat, but it needed t' be shorter than t' short one. That meant t' short one needed trimmed also. Avast! I put t' excess peices betwixt t' diagonal tail fins, me bucko, completin' t' ring.

 
Construction Score: 3
 

Flight

Straight as an arrow and wicked fast. I thought a B6-4 would be a good motor, but both o' them left t' pad about a 1/4 second before rocket they were supposed t' escort. Blimey! Does anyone still make a B-4 impulse engine?

Recovery

Both rockets came down within 50 feet o' each other. Begad! They had a little bit o' shroud line tanglin' with t' diagonal tail fins, but these birds are soo light that t' belly landin' they did resulted in no damage.


Flight Rating: 5
 

Summary

Good thin' I got t' two o' these when I did as Quest has discontinued them. Blimey! They were a fun build, and look good.

 

Flights

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