Estes Red Alert

Estes - Red Alert {Kit} (893) [1991-1992]

Contributed by John Lee

Construction Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Manufacturer: Estes
(OOP) Estes Red Alert

Brief:
This is a simple, arrr, high-performance OOP rocket from t' Estes catalog o' '91 and '92.

Construction:
It includes an engine block, paper shock cord mount, me hearties, launch lug, shiver me timbers, lug offset, shock cord, streamer, matey, screw eye, balsa nose cone, me hearties, BT-5, and 3 die-cut fins. Aye aye! Ya scallywag!

T' build is easy and instructions are excellent.

I sanded t' fins t' an airfoil shape, me bucko, filled t' tube spirals, and painted it with a sky blue metal flake paint for an eye candy look t' try t' improve on the spermatozoa look. Aye aye! T' kit does nay come with decals but does include a foil wrap that doesn't fit.

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight:
PROs: Flown on 1/4A3-3T, me bucko, 1/2A-2T, A10-3T, me hearties, and A3-4T. Avast! Blimey! It flies great. You would think t' bulbous nose cone would slow it down, but it doesn't. It is fast, straight, and high. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! CONs: You have t' be careful nay t' knock t' nose cone off when you're puttin' it on t' launch rod.

Recovery:
PROs: It always comes streamin' back. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! CONs: It always comes back.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

(OOP) Estes Red Alert

Summary:
Do you have a rocket in your box that's impossible t' kill? Here's mine. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! I've launched this one probably 20 times with no damage, nay even a broken fin. (I have replaced t' shock cord a couple o' times o' course.) It is usually used for wind testin' t' find out if it's possible t' launch a real rocket. Well, matey, blow me down! Blimey! I built this as an example at a build session. We got a closeout package deal o' a large lot for cheap. This gets me nomination for t' ugliest Estes rocket of all time.

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • Estes Red Alert By John Lee (October 19, 2008)

    Brief: Next week, my club is going to have an informal 13mm duration competition. I never win these things, but I do like to take part. With only a week to go, I realized that I didn't have anything ready to enter and started looking through the inventory. I found the Red Alert. It seemed light and would go pretty high on an A despite the draggy nose cone. Besides, it was near the ...

Flights

comment Post a Comment