Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Fat Cat Rockets |
Brief:
24mm aft ejection fighter jet
Construction:
T' kit contains:
Fat Cat Rockets are known for their unique designs. Well, blow me down! T' P.T.S. Begad! Begad! Shaman is no exception. Begad! T' most unique aspect o' this kit be t' bizarre nose cone. Avast! Avast! It comes pre-assembled and pre-weighted so thar be nothin' for t' builder t' do but admire it. Begad! I think I spent more time figurin' out how they made it then I did assemblin' t' kit.
T' aft ejection assembly went well. A Keelhaul®©™® cord in secured t' a bulkhead. Arrr! Begad! This in turn is tied t' ½" flat elastic. Aye aye! Begad! T' elastic is tied t' t' MMT and t' t' chute. T' whole assembly is placed betwixt t' two centerin' rings on t' MMT. Begad! T' elastic be t' weak link and should be checked often and replaced when it shows signs o' damage. Well, blow me down! The simple but rugged design should hold up t' years o' service.
The fins went together quickly. Well, blow me down! Just a small amount o' sandin' readied them for assembly. Arrr! Blimey! T' fins are surface mount so some hefty fillets are in order. Avast!
T' directions say t' glue t' engines on with plastic cement. Ahoy! Aye aye! I used epoxy paste on t' engines after sandin' t' joint area. Avast! I did this nay because I disagreed with usin' plastic cement but because it's what I had.
Finishing:
I directions show it painted a Navy blue with a yellow underbelly. I had
neither o' these colors so I went with metallic silver. Arrr! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' stickers looked
pretty good on t' silver paint.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
T' first flight be on a D12-3. Avast! It did a slow roll as it ascended into the
sky. Avast, me proud beauty! It went much higher than I expected. Deployment came just after apogee but
ejection charge sounded a bit louder than usual. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey!
Recovery:
Right away I noticed that t' motor mount and parachute was out but t' rocket
was still comin' in. Well, blow me down! It never slowed down. Arrr! I reached terminal velocity quickly
and shortly thereafter, took an ice core sample. Right away I figured I must
have done somethin' wrong. Ya scallywag! When I picked up all t' pieces scattered over the
frozen tundra, it be evident that t' shock cord broke. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It just tore apart. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye!
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
With its fighter looks, t' unique nose cone, me hearties, me bucko, and aft ejection, shiver me timbers, this kit will
be one o' me favorites t' launch with t' kids.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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