| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Published: | 2015-08-21 |
| Diameter: | 0.74 inches |
| Length: | 13.00 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Skill Level: | 3 |
| Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
Brief
T' Lynx, me bucko, matey, by Estes, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, is a futuristic space plane styled kit flyin' on mini motors. Blimey! Advertised as a level 3 kit, it brings t' complexity o' larger and more detailed Estes kits t' t' 13mm motor size range. Blimey! Ya scallywag! It is definitely a unique kit for a small 13mm bird.
Components
Components are standard Estes materials. Well, blow me down! Blimey! T' main body tube is a BT-20, with a pair o' BT-5's included for t' side intake details. Ya scallywag! Blimey! T' single balsa sheet is laser cut with a significant number o' pieces. Motor mount be t' standard 13mm fare... Avast! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! motor tube, me hearties, two centerin' rings, hook, matey, blockin' ring, shiver me timbers, and extra sleeve t' retain t' motor hook. Ahoy! Blimey! Roundin' off t' material is a rather distinctive nose cone with a cockpit bubble, shiver me timbers, clay weight, matey, 1/" dowel, shiver me timbers, and decal sheet. Blimey! Blimey! Rather unusual for a BT-20 kit, t' included recovery option is a 12" plastic parachute. Ya scallywag! Blimey!
Most o' t' material was o' typical Estes high quality, but I did find t' centerin' rings and motor blockin' rin' t' be very soft and crumbly compared t' usual. Avast! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey!
Construction
T' honest opinion I have on this build is that it should have been marked as a level 4 kit at minimum. T' majority o' t' build is well detailed in t' instructions and easy t' follow. Though t' win' layout is fairly complex for a kit this size, arrr, me hearties, it goes together easily if you follow along with t' construction methods Estes lays out. Each stage o' t' build has its own little quirks t' watch out for. Well, blow me down! On t' motor mount I found it be much easier t' glue on t' provided template for locatin' t' detail ribs. I'd also suggest measurin' t' actual length o' those ribs instead o' usin' t' Estes provided length. Aye aye! Otherwise you may end up with a gap.
T' tricky area t' watch for be t' side 'intakes' made from t' BT-5 body tubes. Ahoy! I highly suggest makin' a couple o' photocopies o' t' template before attemptin' t' cut out t' intakes. Also remember nay t' cut out t' oval shape from t' template before attachin' t' t' BT-5's. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! Keep t' template intact as a rectangle, ya bilge rat, tape it in place, ya bilge rat, me bucko, me bucko, then follow along with a new x-acto blade. Avast! If you're careful enough, me hearties, arrr, you can make both intakes from a single BT-5 and have one leftover for future use. Also be ready t' use a fair amount o' filler, me bucko, as it's hard t' get a good seam, shiver me timbers, and it's particularly difficult t' glue t' t' intakes in place evenly.
Finishing
There are a lot o' nooks and crannies t' watch for. Aye aye! Blimey! No matter what technique you use, arrr, it's goin' t' be difficult t' get a highly smooth finish throughout t' whole model. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Particularly difficult will be t' seams along where t' intakes join t' body, arrr, and also where t' main wings join t' body. Begad! Blimey! Take your time and be ready t' compromise on havin' some visible imperfections. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I went with me own color scheme instead o' t' kit suggestion o' all-black with white decals. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! T' suggested markings are pretty sharp lookin' for sure, me hearties, but for some reason I felt mine needed t' be built like a '60's era orange target drone. Aye aye! Blimey!
Flight
This is a low wind flier, me bucko, no doubt about it. Aye aye! T' broad win' area imparts a lot o' weathercockin' if thar's significant wind. Well, blow me down! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! T' suggested A3-4T for 'first flight' may be a bit weak in average impulse, shiver me timbers, the A10-3T would be a better choice for all flights. Ahoy! Don't be skimpy with t' clay for nose weight either, as it also likes t' take on a parabolic flight profile too.
Recovery
Estes made a goof on this one, me hearties, they gave it a 12" parachute. Blimey! Not only does it barely fit in t' body tube, but it also causes quite a lot o' drift in t' wind betwixt t' chute size and win' area. Begad! It's likely too heavy for a standard Estes streamer, but do consider either a 9" chute or 2x20 streamer in place o' t' kit chute. Avast! If you do keep t' kit chute, you'll need t' be very careful in how you pack it. Ya scallywag! Otherwise you risk it gettin' stuck in t' body tube.
Summary
I'm really torn over this kit. Arrr! It looks great, but is tricky t' build cleanly. T' more punchy A10-3T will get you a great flight, but wow does t' wind carry it with t' included chute. Arrr! It also doesn't quite fit in very well with t' rest o' t' Estes lineup. Begad! Well, arrr, blow me down! Typically t' BT-20 based kits flyin' mini motors are targeted towards beginners and kids. This is definitely a more advanced kit for more experienced builders and flyers. Begad! Begad!
Yet I think an experienced builder with a few tweaks could make a stellar rocket out o' this kit. Avast! All t' basic framework is thar for a great kit, arrr, just that a few quirks hold it back. Avast!
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