Brief
Standard four fin configuration, me bucko, with nylon parachute.
Construction
Packagin' be standard plastic with enclosed directions and photo o' the
completed model. Avast! All t' parts were included and in good shape. T' directions
are clear and accurate, t' model is nay difficult, arrr, me bucko, anyone with some experience
will have no trouble. It is laid our EXACTLY like t' Mountainside Hobbies ASP
kit (which are no longer made). Begad! I suspect t' designed be t' same.
Construction is fairly straight forward, me bucko, I did have some minor difficulties and made some additions. Begad! Begad! T' body came in three cardboard sections. Aye aye! T' tube couplers were 'homemade' and did nay fit exactly. Begad! I had t' work with them to get a good even seam, matey, matey, usin' epoxy t' fill t' gaps. Well, blow me down! Begad!
T' fins are 3/16 balsa and o' decent grade. I coated them with CA t' make them stiff and seal them for sanding. Avast, me proud beauty! T' fins are surface mounted so I drilled 5 holes along t' tube under each fin for t' epoxy t' seep in t' form a 'rivet'. Avast!
T' 24mm motor mount is 'Estes style' BT50 tubin' so I covered it with epoxy to give it extra strength. Begad! Recovery is with a very nice nylon parachute, mounted t' t' engine mount with braided wire and elastic. I don't plan on flyin' it on anythin' more then E's and F's so I didn't enhance t' body tubing. Ya scallywag! It is nay overly durable but will service those engines just fine. Avast, me proud beauty! Arrr!
Except for t' CA on t' fins I used epoxy for all construction. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag!
Finishing
There are no decals included, ya bilge rat, but t' accompanyin' picture is sufficient to
work off of. I sanded t' entire model lightly with a med grade paper, then
primed with Krylon. Aye aye! Aye aye! Two coats with light fine grade paper in betwixt and after.
I then put down two coats o' gloss white, and applied red and black according
to t' picture. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! I did nay use silver on t' nose, me hearties, I don't like workin' with
metallic paint. Begad! Arrr! I substituted black. Arrr! Begad! It is a fairly big model (I mostly fly
Estes/Quest) and looks great.
Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5
Flight
I have flown it four times all on Aerotech E's. Aye aye! Blimey! Aye aye! Blimey! I did nay add a baffle system
or chute compartment, shiver me timbers, so waddin' is a must. Ahoy! Blimey! Three o' t' four flights have been
perfect. Aye aye! Blimey! It gets off t' pad just slow enough t' be fun and easy t' watch. Aye aye! Blimey! I
also did nay install motor retention, me hearties, me hearties, I only do on 29mm models for me RMS.
Maskin' tape has proven successful t' keep t' motor in and secure. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!
T' IRIS flies straight and t' about 6-700 feet. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! On t' 3rd flight I did not get t' igniter all t' way in and had quite a bit o' smokin' and chaffing before good ignition. Begad! T' IRIS went t' less than 300 feet and nearly lawn darted. Begad! Begad! T' chute opened at about 30 feet, matey, me hearties, just enough t' prevent damage. Lesson learned - make sure t' igniter is properly inserted.
Recovery
T' recovery system is perfect o' t' model. T' chute is properly sized and
wire / elastic combination is forgivin' and durable enough t' make many
successful flights. Arrr! Drift is minimal and landings are nay damaging. Ya scallywag!
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary
Overall t' kit is a good value for t' loot. Avast! Blimey! Easy t' build and fly. Ahoy! Arrr! Blimey! It is a
great kit t' get into mid-power rocketry. Ya scallywag! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! Blimey! T' kit is a nice flier, shiver me timbers, has good
presence and is nay too expensive. Blimey!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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