Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Brief:
This kit right here, I now have t' thank, for gettin' me super re-addicted t' rocketry. Well, blow me down! My last launches back in t' early 80's saw D's as bein' high power. After gettin' very interested again a few months ago, ya bilge rat, I bought about 50 different kits and o' them all, this one be me favorite, and I picked it for me first mid-power, and flew it today on an F50-6T. Blimey! Avast! Truly amazing. Begad! I built it stock just as per t' instructions. Ahoy! It has excellent through-the-wall snap in fins, pre-slotted body tube, shiver me timbers, nice baffle system so no waddin' is required, very nice quality chute. Blimey! In fact, shiver me timbers, I have enjoyed this one so much, I am now finishin' a G-Force, matey, and have ordered (4) more Aerotech kits.
Construction:
I used nothin' but CA t' put this together in about 2 hours while watchin' a movie at t' same time. Blimey! I will bet that you can build one o' these and use NO GLUE at all on anythin' but t' launch lugs, me bucko, and fire it off on a G and recover it in one piece. Well, blow me down! Avast! That is how well all t' parts fit. Ahoy! Blimey! T' first hour o' construction was how long it took me t' just get t' adapter rings onto t' motor tube. Blimey! They fit so tight that I actually had t' hammer them on. Aye aye! T' way t' fins snap in (and they are very tight) is excellent. Begad! T' recovery system is excellent and t' only thin' I added were a few snap swivels so I could change out t' chute smartly in t' future. Buildin' this did take a little effort, me bucko, because everythin' fits together so tightly, shiver me timbers, but t' end result is one tough rocket with awesome performance.
Finishing:
I skipped t' primer. My mistake. T' paint rubbed off a little from t' nose cone and body while it was in t' car on t' way home from t' launch. Well, blow me down! I will use primer next time on me next completion o' an Aerotech, because I can see that these are built t' stay in your collection and keep flyin' again and again. Aye aye! Arrr! T' decals are self stick, and I would prefer water slide, shiver me timbers, but that's just a personal preference. Ahoy! I give it a 5/5.
Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5
Flight:
While attendin' t' first high power launch I have ever been to, me bucko, today 11/24/2002, arrr, me hearties, me hearties, which be t' Crossroads o' Texas 2002 at t' Hearne Texas Airport, I got t' guts up t' go ahead and do it, me bucko, usin' t' launch equipment o' me local NASA/Houston club. Well, blow me down! I picked an Aerotech single use F50 with a 6 second delay. Ya scallywag! Wind be gustin' so a longer delay may have been even better. Well, blow me down! Wind was at least 10-15 MPH or more. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! My Cheetah passed t' safety inspection, me club members helped me with t' copperhead ignitor, and me 1st mid power rocket left on it's 1st flight from pad #1. Arrr! This thin' went up so clean and straight and perfect that I did get a little worried when it went out o' sight. Ya scallywag! Blimey! I didn't want t' lose it. And then thar it was. Begad! Perfect recovery deployment. I did nay time it, me bucko, me hearties, but I believe it was in t' air for possibly as long as 5 minutes.
Recovery:
T' shock cord method looks perfect t' me. Aye aye! And t' cord it came with was about 6 feet long. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! Since I launched in pretty gusty wind, me bucko, me bucko, it did drift at least 300 yards and then tried t' hide itself in soft grass about a foot tall. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! It took over half an hour t' find it. But when I finally saw it's nice bright yellow chute, it be layin' thar without a scratch or flaw, me bucko, just picture perfect. Arrr! Here again, shiver me timbers, I give it a 5/5.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
I am massively impressed by this CHEETAH. I can nay think o' anythin' but praise in any area. Avast! Ya scallywag! It most certainly drew attention. Ahoy! I believe it must have hit mach speed and it got real positive comments by everyone. Arrr! People commented in ways like it "snapped off t' pad", it "must have broke mach", me bucko, arrr, "that be killer!", me bucko, "straight up!", it "honked up thar ", me bucko, and and even just plain "Wow!". Arrr! When I got back into town from t' launch, I did go t' Aerotech's website, arrr, sorta with this feelin' o' awe in t' way o' "what in t' world was that?". Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! Hahah Aerotech says that this is their fastest and highest flyin' rocket. I didn't realize that, matey, but I sure know now. Begad! I'm just glad I didn't use a G in it. Because it's nice and safe at home, ya bilge rat, matey, and it's got a bunch more work t' do now, as t' best rocket I have ever built, arrr, now me favorite. Begad! Get one. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! Give yourself a few hours and build it slow and right, shiver me timbers, arrr, matey, with t' great instructions and nothin' but CA. Avast, me proud beauty! T' Aerotech Cheetah is in me opinion, arrr, shiver me timbers, me hearties, simply awesome.
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5
The Aerotech Cheetah is a high-performance mid-power rocket. The rocket is single stage, and goes over 3000' on a G motor. The kit comes with a single body tube, a nose cone, three (3) plastic clipped-delta fins, a parachute, a shockcord, and motor mount components. The motor mount components are the motor tube, two (2) fin-locks, two (2) centering rings, an ejection baffle, cooling mesh, ...
T.B. (March 1, 2001)