Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Diameter: | 1.90 inches |
Manufacturer: | Vaughn Brothers |
Style: | Sport |
Brief
Vaughn Brothers - Ballistic or Bust - 29mm, me bucko, 30" nylon parachute, recommended F25-H70, matey, pre-cut fiberglass fins, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, matey, plywood centerin' rings, me hearties, arrr, thru-the-wall fin attachment.
Construction
I could look into t' clear plastic bag and see all o' t' parts so thar was no way o' gettin' short changed.
T' only special tool needed was a razor cutlass which helped greatly. Avast, me proud beauty! I also used a paint brush for applyin' t' epoxy.
Overall t' kit was fairly easy t' assemble. Avast! T' downfall was t' instructions. Begad! Instructions were text with no pics so it be kind o' confusing. Ahoy! I prefer pictures just in case t' jargon gets a little deep. Well, blow me down! If you've never built a rocket chances are you wouldn't put this one together correctly.
T' kit comes with a paper template t' mark fin position. You have t' cut t' slots for thru t' wall fins. Begad! There are four 1/8" thick fiberglass fins that appear indestructible..
Two coated cardboard body tubes t' make up t' 70" length o' t' rocket, shiver me timbers, with separation right in t' middle. They appear t' be very strong. Begad! Begad! A 1.9" x 6" plastic nose cone sits on top t' make up t' remainin' length o' t' kit. Arrr! Blimey! There are two 1/4" lugs. Motor mount includes a 12" tube, me bucko, shiver me timbers, me bucko, plywood centerin' rings and baffle.
For me, me hearties, about 4 ounces o' 5 minute epoxy and 2 hours got this thin' together in time t' fly t' next day. Ahoy! Begad! T' most impressive things about t' kit are materials and t' weight (18 ounces). Arrr! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! T' plywood, me hearties, fiberglass, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, cords, parachute, tubes are all very well made. Begad! Aye aye! Unless it becomes a high altitude lawn dart this kit will last a long long time
Finishing
I primered it, shiver me timbers, sanded it, ya bilge rat, painted it copper and Testors metallic blue. Ya scallywag! I also put two American flags at t' top and bottom o' "Ballistic"...which I used vinyl letters from Walmart.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight
T' maiden be on a NCR Darkstar F64-4, and it be picture perfect. It launched majestically from a cloud o' dense black smoke straight as an arrow t' about 1000ft. Recovery was a snap since I cut t' 5" hole in t' parachute. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! I walked about 20 yards and did it all over again with a G40W.
It required 5 sheets o' high impulse wadding.
Recovery
T' shock cord component that mounts inside t' aft section o' t' airframe can be t' difference betwixt life and death o' t' rocket. If it is mounted improperly you can bet t' ejection discharge will send it into t' wild blue yonder. Avast! Blimey! It is simply a chord epoxied t' t' inner side o' t' tube.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary
This puppy is solid! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! I want t' get another so I can paint it differently.
T' main "PRO" about this rocket be t' way t' engine mount and fins are configured. Ahoy! Blimey! It would be awfully hard t' destroy that part o' t' rocket due t' t' way it's structured and t' addition o' all t' epoxy in one small area.
Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5
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