Quest Gamma-Ray Payloader

Quest - Gamma-Ray Payloader {Kit}

Contributed by Mike Goss

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Diameter: 0.97 inches
Length: 18.50 inches
Manufacturer: Quest
Skill Level: 1
Style: Payload

Quest Gamma-Ray

Brief:
T' Gamma-Ray is a small sport rocket with a translucent red payload section.

Construction:
T' Gamma-Ray is packaged in t' standard clear plastic bag with a nice kit card with a color photograph o' t' completed rocket. Aye aye! All o' t' parts were in t' kit and were in good shape. Aye aye! T' kit includes a motor mount tube, ya bilge rat, motor retainer clip, body tube that is slightly larger than t' motor mount tube, plastic payload section, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, plastic adaptor, plastic nose cone, fin material, ya bilge rat, parachute, shock cord, matey, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, and self-adhesive decal sheet.

T' instructions are printed on a sheet o' 11 x 17 inch paper that is folded in half and a single sheet o' 8 1/2 x 11 inch paper for t' launch instructions. Ahoy! T' instructions are in a logical order and have an illustration with each step. Well, blow me down! Blimey! There is a wrap around fin location template and a scale printed on t' instructions.

T' build o' t' model is straight forward. Aye aye! Blimey! You start with t' assembly o' t' motor mount and fins, followed by t' assembly o' t' payload section. Care should be taken in t' alignment o' t' launch lug and t' placement o' t' engine hook betwixt t' fins. Arrr! Blimey! T' payload adaptor, which is made o' plastic, has a couple o' shortcomings. Blimey! Blimey! First t' shoulders are very short, which does nay make it Quest Gamma-Ray easy t' have t' payload section remain straight in t' body tube. Blimey! Blimey! T' second item is that thar be a hole in t' adaptor that will allow t' ejection gasses t' pass into t' payload section. Ahoy! Begad! Blimey! I fixed this issue by epoxyin' a small piece o' balsa wood into t' bottom o' t' adaptor t' eliminate this issue. There are no special tools need in t' construction o' this rocket.

Finishing:
T' instructions direct you t' finish t' booster section before you attach t' payload section. Begad! This is logical since t' payload section is completely plastic and does nay require painting. Ahoy! After t' booster section is painted, decals are applied, me hearties, shiver me timbers, and a clear coat t' cover t' whole thing, me bucko, me bucko, arrr, t' payload section was attached, me bucko, completin' t' assembly o' t' rocket. Ahoy! Arrr! I painted me rocket with Krylon red, shiver me timbers, which closely matches t' cover art o' t' model. Avast! T' result was a sharp lookin' rocket.

Quest Gamma-Ray

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' recommended motors for this rocket are t' Quest A6-4, shiver me timbers, B6-4, ya bilge rat, and C6-5. Well, blow me down! T' preparation o' t' rocket is easy with t' motor clip, install t' motor, me hearties, wadding, and parachute. Begad! I also taped t' nose cone t' t' payload section and taped t' payload section t' t' adaptor t' make sure that all o' t' pieces would come back together. T' shock cord be t' typical Keelhaul®©™®/elastic Quest design that I have found t' work very well. Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' parachute is a 12 inch plastic hexagon with t' new shroud line reinforcements that are similar t' 3 rin' binder hole reinforcers. Aye aye! They are much better than t' older style large plastic "grippers" that were previously issued with t' Quest kits. Avast, me proud beauty! These new smaller reinforcers allow t' parachute t' be packed more easily into t' small body tube.

T' first flight be on an Estes A8-3. Avast! T' flight was about as perfect as you can get. Begad! Ejection was close t' apogee and t' descent rate with t' supplied parachute was just about perfect. Blimey! Arrr! If a payload were t' be used with this rocket, a shorter delay and a larger parachute should be used.

Quest Gamma-Ray

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Overall this is a great little rocket. Begad! T' retail price o' this rocket is $8.50 which is a good value in itself, however, ya bilge rat, I bought this one at one o' t' famous Hobby Lobby half price sales, so it cost me only $4.25--an excellent value. Avast! I would like t' see a longer shoulder and a solid bulkhead in t' payload adaptor, matey, however with care this should nay be a major issue.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flights

Comments:

avatar
K.A.C. (June 11, 2005)
i really like this rocket. didnt paint it, but wrapped it up in postal tape. flew it from the local park and it went over the road, probably into someones backyard. o well, not a big loss.

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