| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2014-01-06 |
| Manufacturer: | Rocketarium |
| Style: | Scale |
Brief
Great lookin' rocket with eight fins and a boat tail. Well, blow me down! It also has a unique cable tunnel balsa piece that attaches t' t' body tube.
Components
T' kit comes with two (3?) pieces o' 1/8" balsa wood. T' wood is sturdy though soft. Avast! Blimey! Also included are several templates: fins (4 large forward fins, shiver me timbers, and 4 smaller aft fins), ya bilge rat, a fin guide for fin placement on t' body tube, t' cable tunnel assembly, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and t' boat tail cone. T' kit has an elastic shock cord, a plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, a 15" plastic parachute, and a large block o' clay/putty. Avast! Blimey! T' directions are thorough and straight forward. A large picture o' t' completed rocket provides a backup for any misguided parts assembly.
Construction
I enjoyed buildin' this kit. Ya scallywag! T' instructions are good and clear. Blimey! No special tools are required. You need t' be careful before cuttin' t' balsa that you have laid out t' templates t' fit on t' wood. Begad! I mistakenly forgot t' cut t' cable tunnel assembly from t' stock and had t' use some extra balsa from an Estes Designer kit. Well, blow me down! I also used a stiffer card board (#110) for t' boat tail shroud. Begad! Avast! T' shock cord is attached usin' an Estes-type attachment. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Make sure t' cord attachment is at least 2" inside t' body tube t' allow for t' nose cone. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! No problems here.
Finishing
In order t' balance t' kit, me bucko, all o' t' clay/putty provided should be put into t' nose cone. I did this and covered it with West systems epoxy. Ahoy! Blimey! Given t' plastic nose cone, ya bilge rat, I think epoxy should be used, but 5 minute epoxy is likely fine. T' nose cone feels pretty heavy after all this, shiver me timbers, but I checked t' CG and CP after completin' construction and t' weight appears right. Blimey! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey!
I finished t' fins by paperin' them usin' techniques I saw on t' Rocketry Forum. (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?42250-Balsa-technique-question&highlight=double+glue+joints). Avast! Ahoy! Blimey! This adds strength and acts as a filler/finish for painting. Ahoy! Blimey! As I mentioned, t' balsa was soft though thick, so paperin' these fins was very useful. Paperin' is a technique I like... Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! t' me it's easier than Elmer's wood filler, me hearties, and I don't get t' warpin' I usually get from t' filler. Begad!
After paperin' and addin' t' cable tunnel assembly piece, me bucko, I glued everyin' together with Titebond wood glue. Ya scallywag! Then I paint a first coat with Rustoleum gray filler primer. Avast, me proud beauty! After this I sand with 400 grit paper. Well, blow me down! I paint again with Rustoleum white flat primer, and wet sand with 400 grit paper. Finally, me bucko, I painted it forest green body, matey, ya bilge rat, black fins, ya bilge rat, and red cable tunnel. Well, blow me down! I'll post a picture when complete.
Flight
I cut t' parachute usin' t' 12" template rather than t' suggested 15". Aye aye! Blimey! I also cut a 2" spill hole. Begad! Ahoy! Blimey! This be a good idea, shiver me timbers, as t' first flight occurred on a somewhat windy day. Ya scallywag! Usin' a D12-5, shiver me timbers, t' flight be flawless, me hearties, descended smartly and landed close t' t' pad. Avast! Blimey! There was no damage t' t' rocket.
Summary
A great rocket with a unique profile.
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Flights
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