Custom Rockets S.L.V.

Custom Rockets - S.L.V. {Kit} (10044)

Contributed by Gregg Discenza

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Published: 2010-08-21
Diameter: 0.74 inches
Length: 23.50 inches
Manufacturer: Custom Rockets
Skill Level: 2
Style: Scale-Like

Brief:
T' Custom Rockets S.L.V. Avast! is a futuristic rocket kit with three different sizes o' body tube, two different card stock tube transitions, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and six small fins. Arrr! T' manufacturer lists it as a Skill Level 3, and I feel that it is more o' a 2, me bucko, with a few tricky spots.

Construction:

  • 1 plastic nosecone with base
  • 1 BT50 2.75"
  • 2 BT20 9"
  • 1 BT20 coupler
  • 1 BT60 3"
  • 1 Engine block for BT20
  • 4 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT50
  • 6 Centerin' rings BT20 t' BT60 (Cardstock
  • 2 Sheets o' balsa fins (die-cut, me bucko, arrr, but with sharp dies)
  • 2 1/8" dowels 6" long
  • Sewin' elastic shock cord 16" x 1/4"
  • 12" plastic bag parachute
  • Pre-printed card stock for transition shrouds
  • Self-adhesive decals
  • Tri-fold shock cord mount

Openin' t' bag, arrr, matey, I laid out t' parts and took inventory. Ahoy! T' first thin' that I noticed was t' lack o' any motor retention. Avast! Oh, joy, me bucko, me first friction-fit rocket kit.

T' instructions were printed on both sides o' a single sheet o' legal-sized paper, shiver me timbers, folded into a pamphlet. Readin' through t' build details, me bucko, matey, ya bilge rat, I realized that this was a dressed-up minimum-diameter rocket, arrr, shiver me timbers, and as such, matey, I had no separate motor mount t' tie me Keelhaul®©™ to. Arrr! That be gotcha #2.

I followed t' instructions, me hearties, and soon found gotcha #3, t' measurements for t' spacin' o' t' aft centerin' rings are just shy o' 1/8" off, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and as such, t' 3" BT-60 did nay cover all t' centerin' rings like it was supposed to. Aye aye! With some creativity concernin' t' mountin' o' t' lower shroud, I avoided a complete mess.

Once t' gotchas were past, t' rest o' t' build was fairly easy, sand t' fins, ya bilge rat, me bucko, double-glue t' fins with Titebond, shiver me timbers, assemble t' upper half with t' card stock shroud and t' smaller centerin' rings, me hearties, and join t' 2 halves with t' BT-20 coupler. I had fillets on t' fins and launch lug dryin' before bedtime, matey, shiver me timbers, and t' next day after work, me hearties, me bucko, ya bilge rat, I was ready for finishing.

Finishing:
I brushed thinned Elmer's Wood Filler onto t' fins, arrr, sanded them when dry, matey, and painted with 2 coats o' primer and 2 coats o' Rustoleum Painters Touch gloss white. Begad! Aye aye! After 48 hours o' drying, I masked off everythin' but t' fins and added 2 coats o' Painters Touch gloss black t' t' fins. Begad! Avast! Testors gloss black (tiny glass bottles) was brushed onto t' small dowel details, and I was ready for t' stickers. I be surprised t' see that t' shroud details were printed on a sheet o' vinyl, shiver me timbers, matey, rather than t' cheaper paper stickers, and that thar were no pre-cut edges, me hearties, so that they could be tailored t' t' exact shrouds installed on t' model. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! T' rest o' t' decals were ordinary peel and stick, and they went on fairly easily. Avast! Two more coats o' clearcoat, and I be ready for launch. Begad! Blimey! T' only trouble I had was t' adhesive on t' upper shroud decal be a bit weak, matey, and I needed t' add a drop o' CA t' keep t' decal in place.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
I flew this little missile three times at t' NOVAAR August monthly launch, ya bilge rat, and aside from some recovery annoyances, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and t' fact that I don't trust friction-fit motor retention, all three launches were picture perfect. On a C6-5 each time, boosts were almost straight up, ya bilge rat, me hearties, with a slight spin from most likely a slightly crooked fin. Ahoy! With a rocket this small and light, t' C6-5 sent it high enough that it was tough for me t' track, but I saw t' ejection event each time, arrr, and each time it be right at apogee. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' only negative about flight that I can think o' be t' launch lug is a bit tight on t' smallest launch rods we have. Otherwise, me hearties, t' SLV is a solid little performer, and I would nay hesitate t' launch on anythin' from an A motor up t' a C motor.

Recovery:
This is a small rocket, arrr, me bucko, matey, with minimal internal space, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, so I went with t' trifold shock cord mount, matey, rather than tryin' t' rig up an extended Keelhaul®©™ cord attachment. On t' plus side, matey, t' shock cord was fairly long and made o' sewin' elastic which should outlast any similar sized rubber-band shock cord. Avast! Blimey! T' drawback t' t' recovery system be t' "coil t' shroud under t' sticker on t' corner o' t' parachute" which never fails t' lose grip on one or more shroud lines durin' descent. Arrr! If thar were space, I would replace it with a nylon 'chute, me bucko, but as it is, matey, if I choose t' continue flyin' this one, me bucko, I will substitute a mylar parachute. Stuffin' dog barf into t' thin center tube from either end provides a damage-free recovery, ya bilge rat, even with t' loose shroud lines makin' it more o' a streamer than a parachute. Avast! Arrr! After three launches, t' only damage t' t' rocket be t' shroud lines that won't stick.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This rocket kit is a nice change from t' mass-produced kits from t' dominant firm in t' industry. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' parts are all good quality materials, shiver me timbers, and t' instructions are mostly straightforward. It is a good flier, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and rugged enough t' streamer down if half o' t' shroud lines decide t' let go. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' only changes t' t' kit I would make are a longer upper tube, and a small nylon parachute t' fit in there.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
Overall, me hearties, ya bilge rat, t' low price and high quality puts this near t' top o' me "buy" advisory list, me bucko, once someone is ready t' graduate t' t' skill level 2 kits.

Flights

ID
Date
Flyer
Rocket
Kit
Motors
Altitude
Action
76571
2023-11-04 photo
Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Custom SLV
B6-4
425 Feet
list
75578
2022-08-07
Eric Lofgren
Custom Rockets S.L.V.
Custom Rockets - S.L.V. {Kit} (10044)
B6-4
-
list
75218
2022-01-08 photo
Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Custom SLV
Custom Rockets - S.L.V. {Kit} (10044)
Estes A8-3
275 Feet
list
73634
2020-02-16 photo
Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Custom SLV
Custom Rockets - S.L.V. {Kit} (10044)
Estes A8-3
200 Feet
list
73460
2019-10-05 photo
Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Custom SLV
Custom Rockets - S.L.V. {Kit} (10044)
Estes A8-3
200 Feet
list
Page
of
3
Displaying records 
1
-
5
of
11

comment Post a Comment