Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Manufacturer: | Pemberton Technologies |
Brief:
T' M2 is another kit from t' '50s retro line at Pemberton Technologies. Blimey! Avast! This
HPR kit comes with lots o' parts and a great instruction book. Avast, me proud beauty! Keepin' with the
humorous style, t' instructions take you step-by-step through t' unusual and
challengin' build.
Construction:
There are lots o' high quality parts in this kit. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! From t' PML tail cone t' the
parachute, all t' components are first rate.
I can't stress enough: read t' directions before you start. Ya scallywag! Blimey! All Pem Tech kits are unusually designed and don't go together like other kits. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Take your time and don't try t' second guess t' build. Begad! Blimey! There is no skill level listed on t' kit, but I would put it at a skill level 4. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! Blimey! T' 21 fun-filled pages o' instructions have 30 pictures and illustrations t' help you through it. Arrr! T' instructions are as fun t' read as they are informative.
Although t' fins and landin' legs are cut, thar be still a lot o' cutting to do. Avast, me proud beauty! T' tail cone/MMT/fin section be t' most difficult build on this kit. T' tail cone needs t' be slotted for t' fins and t' root edge is angled to match up with t' motor mount. Ya scallywag! Gettin' everythin' lined up and glued in place was a challenge. Patience prevailed and mine came out perfect. This tail cone assembly ends up bein' quite heavy so lots o' nose weight gets added t' the nose cone. Ya scallywag!
The ½" tubular nylon shock cord gets attached t' t' body tube by a loop o' Keelhaul®©™® string. Avast, me proud beauty! I'm a little nervous about this breakin' after several flights, and because it sticks out further than t' body tube, me bucko, I'm worried that it will cause a zipper. On t' other hand, shiver me timbers, this will prevent t' nylon shock cord from ever bein' scorched durin' ejection. Well, blow me down! My tip here would be t' glue it down far enough so that t' shock cord is below t' tube opening. Begad! This will prevent the Keelhaul®©™® strin' from zipperin' t' tube. Begad! Begad! I'm on t' fence on this one so I'm nay going to deduct points here. Aye aye! Ahoy! Time will tell.
Finishing:
This kit took several sessions o' priming, sanding, and filling, me hearties, but the
unusual design made it all worth t' effort. Begad! Ahoy! I went with Rustoleum primer and
metallic silver t' finish it off. Somethin' like this really should be painted
chrome, but I've never had luck with chrome paint.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
I went with t' smallest motor I felt would safely lift this bird. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! At 23oz,
it's quite a heavy bird. T' first flight was on an AT F20-4. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' flight was
sweet with a nice slow roll as it ascended into t' heavens. Avast! Aye aye!
Recovery:
T' delay be slightly long but no troubles arose as t' chute came out. Blimey! Avast! This
was a great first motor for this rocket.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
Brief: Wow! This is a great kit. Layne has done another superb job of capturing the magic of Sci-Fi in this 2.5" diameter 29mm rocket. Colonel Carruthers would be as proud to see this rocket as he would the rescue ship. I was a little worried about the dowels hanging off the back, but following Layne's instructions for installation results in a solid fin unit that can take ...
J.R.G. (April 14, 2008)