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