Estes Astrocam 110

Estes - Astrocam 110 {Kit} (1327) [2004-2008]

Contributed by Ben Bentley

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstar_borderstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Manufacturer: Estes

[Rocket Pic]Brief:
T' AstroCam 110 is a rocket boosted 110 camera, pretty obvious from t' name! It is a good rocket and can take some OK pictures. Blimey! Arrr! It is single staged and doesn't go very high, but it's cool none t' less.

Construction :
It came well packaged in a box and had no damage upon openin' it. Well, blow me down! Begad! Construction o' t' booster section went real smooth and only took about 45 min. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! T' body tube is pre-colored and it has plastic fins. Blimey! It requires no painting, me hearties, just decals. Ya scallywag! T' hardest part o' this rocket is buildin' t' camera. Avast! You can do this in one afternoon, if you have quick dryin' glue. Aye aye! I recommend Testors liquid plastic cement for t' inner pieces and tube-type cement for t' outer shell. Well, blow me down! Silicon is used t' attach t' mirror that will point t' camera's view forward. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! Try very hard nay t' get any stuff on t' mirror. Begad! Begad! It is also critical that you only use a 1/2 o' a drop o' liquid glue t' attach t' camera lens. If too much glue gets on it, ya bilge rat, matey, it will fog up and be completely useless!

Finishing:
Finishin' this rocket is just like a starter set (very easy)! As mentioned above, me hearties, arrr, me hearties, It is pre-colored and you just need t' slap on some decals. Begad! You just have t' be sure that you are puttin' t' camera labels in t' right spot. T' directions will show you where t' put them.

Some modifications need t' be made before flight though. I would attach as much shock cord as you can jam in t' body tube. This will be explained later. Aye aye! You also need t' find somethin' t' hold t' film door on with. Although it seems tight, you will need some tape or something.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
Since t' AstroCam is extremely nose heavy, it weathercocks a lot. Arrr! Begad! Blimey! Only launch t' AC in dead conditions and set t' launch rod straight up. Estes says t' only use t' C6-7. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' 7 seconds before ejection is too much, ya bilge rat, I used t' C6-5. That will give you a nice horizon shot, ya bilge rat, maybe lower. I'm sure you would get good results from an 18mm D engine with a 5 second delay, too.

Recovery:
Since t' Astrocam has time t' turn around, it is goin' very fast. Well, blow me down! This is where t' extra shock cord comes in. When t' 'chute catches, shiver me timbers, it yanks t' rocket pretty hard which can damage it. Well, blow me down! T' rocket hits pretty hard with t' small 12" parachute provided. I would either make it recoverable in two sections, or install an 18" nylon 'chute.

Flight Rating: 2 ½ out o' 5

Summary:
I hope your experience won't be a bad one with t' AC. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I have yet t' finish a whole roll o' film yet and I have t' repair me rocket from it's last flight. Avast, me proud beauty! It kind got RAGD (Rapid Air t' Ground Disassembly). Well, blow me down! Good luck and happy flying!

Pro's: T' rocket is a fairly easy project, ya bilge rat, me bucko, makin' it good for all ages.

Con's: T' rocket is very difficult t' tame. Well, blow me down! Avast! I've only had two successful flights so far.

Overall Rating: 3 ½ out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Estes Astrocam 110 By Chan Stevens

    Finally back out on the market as a standalone kit, you can now own a basic aerial photography rocket for under $20. Parts were packed in a plastic bag and in good shape. The main parts include: Plastic fin can (black) BT-56 body tube (pre-finished gloss black) Plastic nose/camera cone unit 12" plastic chute/rubber shock cord 18mm motor tube with cardboard centering rings ...

  • Estes Astrocam 110 By Doyle Tatum

    I'm a little surprised at the skill rating of one for this rocket. Not that it was very hard, just that you must be very careful to construct the camera carefully, not getting glue where it doesn't need to be and getting enough glue on the other parts to hold them together. The rocket itself, is painfully simple. The instruction book is very thorough, although a little hard to follow due to the ...

Flights

Comments:

avatar
Darrell Millner (February 22, 2020)

I recently found my old Estes Astrocam 110 #1327, new in the box. Before I start my build 2 questions,

1- has anyone developed a digital option? 110 is rather troublesome to develope.

2- I had a friend years ago reverse the camera to get photos down the fuselage- they were Great shots. Anyone else do that?

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