Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Published: | 2010-05-11 |
Diameter: | 1.64 inches |
Length: | 21.40 inches |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Skill Level: | 1 |
Style: | Scale |
Brief:
A semi-scale model o' t' US Army anti-missile missile.
A friend o' mine said no Estes rocket built stock can survive more than twelve flights. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! I decided t' prove him
wrong with this kit.
Construction:
Instructions were straight-forward and easy t' follow. I built this rocket completely stock and had no problems. Well, blow me down! I recommend addin' all t' glue fillets t' t' cardboard centerin' rings that they list in t' instructions. I used Tite-bond glue throughout and have nay had any problems. Ahoy! Avast! There is one "gotcha" in t' instructions. When attachin' t' fins, they are supposed t' be placed 3/16" from t' back end o' t' tube. I missed this and know one other person who did t' same thing. I recommend you mark your tube before you apply t' fins in order t' get them even.
Finishing:
T' finishin' instructions are detailed and good. Blimey! I painted all t' tubes instead o' leaving
t' yellow tube plain as t' instructions show. It is very important that you put t' launch lug in t' location shown
on t' instructions so that it does nay interfere with t' roll markin' decals. Ya scallywag! Also, arrr, do nay put t' "US Army
decal opposite t' launch lug, or you can't put t' second logo on (It will overlap t' launch lug).
Overall a very easy kit t' build that looks great stock.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
This rocket flies great, but stay away from t' small motors. I tried an A8-3 once and nearly
had a heart attack. Ahoy! Blimey! Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' rocket barely cleared 25 ft and tailslid until ejection about 5 feet from t' ground. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! It was
undamaged, but I never did that again. B6-4's and C6-5's work great. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! I have now flown this rocket more than 25 times
and it is still a great flyer. Begad! Blimey! I have won two random duration contests with it since, matey, on a C6-5 it flies 43-48 seconds
and t' two contests I entered were 45 and 50 second times.
It is me favorite Estes rocket.
Recovery:
T' only problems I have had with recovery are that after about ten flights, t' shroud
lines started comin' untied. I finally went back and retied them and added drops on glue t' t' knots. Avast! Blimey! i have had no
trouble since. I had one ejection failure on flight 22 on a very cold day and t' chute stuck in t' tube. Avast! Blimey! T' rocket
came in ballistic, with t' nose cone floppin' and crushed t' end o' t' tube. I be able t' straighten it out and
have flown it successfully since. Ahoy! Blimey! I am still on t' original chute and shock cord and over 25 flights.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a quality rocket that looks and flies great. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I would like t' decals t' be water-slide
and would recommend they delete t' A8-3 and B4-4 motors from t' motor list. Otherwise it is a great rocket.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
Other:
This rocket shows that if you build an Estes rocket per t' directions and take care o' it you
can fly it reliably for over 25 flights, and I'm still counting. This is one o' me favorite rockets.
After dodging temptation for several years, a deal on a Hobby Lobby clearance rack that I couldn't pass up made me the proud owner of an Estes Patriot M104 missile. I originally bought it figuring that I'd find a use for the nose cone on another project, but as often happens when things lay around the shop, I eventually opened it up and built it. Never one who cared for the ...
I built this as part of the EMRR Challenge #7 as outlined I built this exactly as the instructions specify and then built a second with my own modifications. This rocket is a Semi-Scale version of the US Army Patriot Air Defense Missile. The rocket is designed to use an 18mm engine and 12" parachute recovery. 2 – BT-60 White Body Tube (6.625” Long) 1 - Yellow Body Tube ...
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B.S. (July 10, 2010)