Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer

Quest - Area 51 Saucer {Kit}

Contributed by Hans "Chris" Michielssen

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Manufacturer: Quest
Skill Level: 1
Style: RTF, Saucer

quest_area51spevBrief:
This is a re-issue o' an out o' production Quest(ARF) Saucer Odd-Roc. I ordered two sets o' these from Quest durin' their recent 40% off Christmas sale. Avast! One saucer kit and three C6-0 engines were part o' t' combo deal for $9.00. Well, blow me down! Quite a good price, shiver me timbers, me bucko, a fun rocket for a little more than t' price o' t' three engines. Well, blow me down! Aye aye! As t' Quest website explains a supply o' saucer tops was found in a mis-marked crate at t' Quest facility. Well, blow me down! Arrr! Quest's president Bill Stine redesigned it usin' some existin' parts t' fashion this S.P.E.V. Arrr! kit. Begad! Ya scallywag! SPEV stands for “Spare Parts Elimination Vehicle”. T' name S.P.E.V. actually goes back t' an old Estes kit. Begad! It was sold with t' subtitle - SPace Exploration Vehicle. Quest also included a “Freebie” MicroMaxx Mini saucer in each kit bag. Aye aye! It is a scaled down copy o' t' big saucer. Arrr! A nice surprise, matey, even though I’ve heard it doesn’t fly very high, I’d always wanted one.

quest_area51spev_parts

Construction:
T' parts are few:

  • Plastic Saucer Top
  • (3) Laser Cut Black Fiber Fins
  • White Plastic Launch Lug, arrr, 1.5" long
  • Yellow Motor Mount Tube, ya bilge rat, arrr, BT-20 diameter 2 11/16" long
  • Sheet o' 8.5" X 11" Avery Self-Adhesive Paper
  • (You print your own saucer decor from t' Quest Website)
  • Pictorial Instruction Sheet

quest_area51spev_warpedI be a little surprised t' see t' plastic saucer top was warped. Avast! It shouldn’t affect flight characteristics. Blimey! Begad! T' inside o' t' saucer top reads (Copyright) 1998 TOY BIZ, me hearties, INC. Begad! Arrr! and MADE IN MEXICO. This “kit” only includes t' top o' t' saucer. Well, blow me down! T' smooth bottom half with integrated fins and antenna mounts in nay included (or necessary) for this saucer version.

I cleaned off t' saucer o' any moldin' release agents with light soapy water and a paper towel. Avast! I wanted t' be sure that later on that t' self adhesive “decals” would stick well.

quest_area51spev_lugsT' launch lug be molded white plastic, ya bilge rat, thick and contoured t' fit against t' BT-20 sized motor mount tube. Arrr! I knew I had seen a lug like this before. Blimey! I put it next t' me old MPC Nike Patriot, me bucko, ya bilge rat, it’s t' same style molded lug that Harry Stine designed for MPC thirty years ago.

T' fins were laser cut from thick black fiberboard stock. I had t' wipe off t' burnt edges with a paper towel. There was black ash marks from t' fins on t' yellow motor mount tube. There are no wire landin' leg “antennas”.

T' instructions were printed in black and white on one side o' an 8 1/2" x 11' sheet. Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Photo illustrations accompanied t' directions.

  • Step 1: You glue t' thick plastic launch lug t' t' inside o' t' saucer top. Aye aye! It lines up with t' molded hole in t' top o' t' saucer. Arrr! I sanded t' ends o' t' lug t' clean up t' moldin' flash. Ahoy! Begad! T' lug’s formed side contour doesn’t quite match t' diameter o' t' molded motor mount housing. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! It was made for a MPC body tube, approx. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! 1 3/8" diameter.
  • Step 2: I decided t' replace t' supplied yellow motor mount tube with a thicker BT-20 tube. Begad! I felt t' Quest motor mount tubin' was too thin. Ahoy! I glued t' blue thrust rin' in t' replacement tube.
  • Step 3: T' instructions say t' use plastic cement t' glue t' motor mount tube into t' saucer. Avast! Well, blow me down! I used thick (slower dry) super glue. Blimey! I ran a bead o' t' thick CA around t' top thrust rin' and another rin' around t' upper body. Well, blow me down! When I slid t' motor tube into place, me hearties, arrr, t' thick glue helped fill in t' slight gap betwixt t' plastic top “tube” and t' BT-20 replacement.
  • Step 4: T' model is a simpler take on t' older all plastic design. Begad! Well, blow me down! T' root ends o' t' Fiber Fins attach t' t' cardboard motor mount tube with wood glue. Aye aye! Instead o' wood glue, I set t' fins in place, shiver me timbers, lined them up, then ran a line o' thin super glue down t' root edge. Well, me bucko, blow me down! T' other end o' t' fins have a tab that fits into cutout circles in t' saucer top. Aye aye! I touched t' tab/circle contact points with super glue. There is no plastic fins and t' plastic tabs won’t be breakin' off t' saucer top like t' original version. Ya scallywag! T' fins were a great design, matey, ya bilge rat, adaptin' well t' t' existin' saucer top. Ya scallywag! T' saucer stands on t' fins and on it’s own when built.
    No engine hook. Blimey! Also missin' are t' wire landin' legs. Avast! Nay a problem. T' saucer top is molded from a strong, flexible plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! Landings shouldn’t be a concern. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! When all assembled t' saucer is very sturdy.
  • Step 5: Glue t' two remainin' fins into position. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! That's it!

Finishing:
Go t' t' Quest website and download t' decal. Begad! You can choose from four different decals. I chose Decal Sheet 3, t' one with t' “Bewildered” Aliens. Avast! T' yellow Alien skin color reminded me o' t' old “Glow-In-The-Dark” toys o' t' 1960's. Bein' this model is an Odd-Ball, arrr, I went for t' most outrageous pattern.

Be sure t' spray and seal t' printed “decals” with a shot o' clear coat t' prevent smearing. Blimey! All four o' t' decals have a suggested color for t' saucer. Avast! Begad! Blimey! I be reluctant t' spray t' saucer, I be concerned t' paint wouldn’t adhere well on t' slick surface o' t' saucer top. Arrr! My saucer be molded in a medium metallic grey color. Aye aye! Blimey! You are directed t' use a hobby knife t' cut out t' “decal” images. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I cut mine with scissors. Begad! Cuttin' out t' decals be t' most time consumin' part o' t' build. It took 20 minutes t' cut all 12 pieces. Ahoy! Blimey! Placement was nay a problem except for t' highest center rin' decal stickers. Avast! Blimey! It’s a full ring, made-up o' three arc shaped pieces. I had t' place t' pieces higher than t' centerline o' t' highest plastic “cone” t' get all t' edges t' match up.

T' finished saucer looks great! It was a fun and easy build. Begad! It be interestin' t' see t' original design improved usin' fewer parts and updated graphics. Well, blow me down! T' black fins, ya bilge rat, white engine tube, white lug and (original color plastic) grey saucer all compliment each other well.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Quest recommends a B6-0 or C6-0 engines. Avast! Previous EMRR reviews say t' B6-0 is too underpowered for this saucer. Blimey! Ahoy! T' original instructions (from 1998) say t' use a C6-0 engine only. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! I will fly it with t' C6-0s that came with t' sale combo package.

I was flyin' alone today, matey, I wanted t' get this review in quickly, shiver me timbers, our next R.O.C.K. Begad! Blimey! NARRRRR section launch wasn’t for another two weeks. Ahoy! Begad! I packed up me (20 year old) Estes yellow Porta-Pad launcher. This launcher had t' pre-lightnin' bolt legs. Well, blow me down! After some continuity problems, me bucko, I scraped off some battery corrosion and got a light.

Prep was simple, me bucko, friction fit t' engine with a little maskin' tape and install t' igniter. Blimey! Blimey! There was no engine hook and o' course, no wadding.

Countdown and launch! Blimey! T' engine really had t' work t' get it airborne. Begad! Blimey! It started arcin' over half way up. Ahoy! This wasn’t a vertical flight, I had a slight wind t' content with. Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' a C6-0 engine, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' propellant “wall” broke through just before it turned over. It landed on it’s top, 50 feet from t' launcher. Ahoy! Blimey! I picked it up quickly, me hearties, t' lawn was a little wet and I didn’t want t' ruin t' paper stick-on decals. Blimey! (Another reason t' clear coat after printing.) While I am terrible at guessin' altitudes, me bucko, it may have got t' 125 feet.

I followed up with t' (Freebie) Micro Maxx saucer. T' retainin' rin' on t' plastic engine mount was a little tricky, There are tiny arrows t' show you which way t' lock t' ring. Begad! I didn’t want t' lose t' ring, I added two small tape strips on t' rin' and engine mount tube.

As t' reviews before had said, ya bilge rat, nay much altitudem I would guess 40 feet. Well, blow me down! Still, ya bilge rat, a lot o' fun. Arrr! I’m an Odd-Roc fan, I know both saucers will be favorites.

Recovery:
I was curious t' see if thar was any burn marks at t' plastic area above t' top o' t' engine. There was none!

  • Engines: When I got home, matey, it be interestin' t' peel off t' Quest label. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! T' outer Quest color wrapper said Quest a Division o' Toy Biz, me bucko, matey, Inc. Made in t' U.S.A. Under t' peeled label, me hearties, matey, arrr, t' engine was German made and labeled: RAKETEN MOTOR. Arrr! Blimey! T' printin' was RED, designatin' a booster engine, shiver me timbers, but t' printed power was C6-3! Blimey! T' be a booster engine, me hearties, thar was clearly no delay or ejection charge in t' tops o' t' fresh motors. T' production date be 1996. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Nay a big deal, ya bilge rat, just interesting. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' engines were packed in a sealed, me bucko, airtight bag. Begad! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! T' engine performed well.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
Bill Stine did a great job usin' t' existin' materials t' put a fresh, me bucko, me hearties, improved spin on an existin' platform. Ya scallywag! T' model lost a point for t' lug that didn't fit t' 3/4" diameter engine tubin' contour. Aye aye! And t' supplied engine tube was flimsy. Blimey! Aye aye! Neither original supplied parts would effect flight though. T' fiber fins were well cut and strong.

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Quest Area 51 Saucer By Bill Eichelberger (August 12, 2013)

    My Quest Area 51 Saucer came as a throw in with a rocketry lot I bought off of Ebay, much of which proved to be cleverly disguised junk. But, I paid more in shipping than I did on the auction.  I initially threw the saucer aside as it was covered with dust and spider webs and missing two of the three landing legs.  After my initial disappointment, I gave the saucer a second look. ...

  • Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer By Dick Stafford (March 21, 2009)

    Brief: Although this resembles Quest's original Area-51 saucer , it varies slightly from the original. This is a SPEV (spare parts elimination vehicle) kit based on a crate of saucer tops that Quest found lying around. The bottom section is redesigned since the original parts were missing. Thus, although really simple to build, it is not RTF. It also doesn't have the wire 'legs' and ...

  • Quest Area 51 SPEV Saucer By Manuel Mejia, Jr. (December 15, 2008)

    Brief: Back in the fall of 2008, Quest Aerospace found a stack of 10 year old saucer tops for their 1998 vintage fly saucer RTF rocket. The top plates were the only pieces left from the kit. Rather than discarding them, Bill Stine added an 18 mm motor mount tube, a motor block, a plastic straw, and 3 specially cut black fiberboard supports/fins. One section of the fiberboard ...

  • Quest Area 51 Saucer By Nick Esselman

    I purchased the Area 51 Saucer to add to my 18mm U.F.O. comparison article . It is labeled as a Ready-to-Fly model from Quest made from plastic. CONSTRUCTION: The instructions are printed on the front and back of a single 8½ x11 page of paper. They include illustrations for attaching the legs and for flying. Attaching the legs is done by sliding a plastic holder into a slot on ...

  • Quest Area 51 Saucer (RTF) By Chris Taylor Jr.

    This is another complete ready to go rocket with pad etc. . . again pad [stunk] but I got another one of those launchers. About the pad; take an Estes' Pad and make it look like the picture. Okay, now remove the screw in launch rod mount . . . it just sits in there. No secured angle adjustment either. It is by a measly leg swivel that props up one leg like sticking a rock under a leg. Now, ...

Flights

comment Post a Comment