Estes Eliminator

Estes - Eliminator {Kit} (1950) [2002-]

Contributed by Donald Besaw Jr

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Diameter: 1.35 inches
Length: 30.80 inches
Manufacturer: Estes
Skill Level: 3
Style: Sport

Rocket PicBrief:
New "E" motor high altitude sport rocket. Single staged, parachute recovery. I do believe that this be t' old Maniac rocket with new colors, me bucko, a new name, me bucko, and a new motor mount t' accommodate t' E9 motor.

Construction:
T' kit included t' motor mount tube, me bucko, block, matey, matey, adapter for D motors, centerin' rings, hook, two purple BT-56 body tubes, coupler, ya bilge rat, launch lug, me hearties, standoff, me bucko, shiver me timbers, yellow fin can, arrr, ya bilge rat, me bucko, shock cord, shiver me timbers, nose cone, ya bilge rat, 12 and 24 inch pre-assembled parachutes and decals.

T' instructions were typical Estes with illustrations and t' shock cord mount. This kit is rated at skill level 2 but I think that is because o' t' 24mm mount and t' ability t' fly on an E motor. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! I started with t' motor mount. T' motor hook on me kit unfortunately was missing, so rather than waitin' for Estes t' send me one, I decided t' go with friction fit retention. Ahoy! I glued t' mount into one o' t' body tubes. Begad! I then glued t' fin can into place. Avast! After that I glued t' launch lug standoffs into place. Begad! T' kit included a 1/4 inch lug (can't imagine why)! I replaced that with a 3/16 lug. Ya scallywag! I now joined t' body tubes. Begad! I then assembled t' shock cord assembly and glued it into place. Arrr! Ahoy! Two parachutes were included. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast! An addendum was included t' inform you that if you wanted t' use t' 24 inch chute t' cut out t' entire spill hole t' prevent loss o' t' rocket. Ahoy! Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! I used t' 12 inch chute and cut t' spill hole.

PROS: Fast and easy construction

CONS: Can't think o' any.

Finishing:
No real finishin' is required because o' t' purple and yellow parts. Begad! Just slap on t' decals and that's it. I also painted t' lug standoffs and tube joint with purple paint. Ahoy! An optional step is t' apply clear spray enamel but I chose nay t' do this.

PROS: No paintin' required.

CONS: None

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flight:
Betwixt gettin' a new job and lousy conditions for flyin' a rocket like this, shiver me timbers, I have only flown this rocket once so far. T' recommended motors are t' D12-5, D12-7, E9-6, ya bilge rat, E9-8. Blimey! Avast! I also saw t' new C11-5 listed for this rocket in t' 2002 Estes Catalog. Ya scallywag! Arrr! T' hook holds t' motor in place, but since me hook be missing, I wrapped a single layer o' maskin' tape around t' motor and fit it in place behind t' adapter. Well, blow me down! T' flight be on a D12-5 and it was without a doubt an awesome flight. Very fast lift-off and arrow straight boost t' apogee at 1000 feet or so.

Recovery:
With t' small chute, this rocket appeared t' come down quick, matey, but safe. Begad! I would nay recommend usin' t' 24 inch chute. Well, blow me down! On an E9 flight, matey, I would recommend usin' a large streamer. Even with a friction fit, I still recovered t' rocket with t' motor in it.

PROS: Excellent flight performance.

CONS: None

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
Priced at about $15.00 t' $21.99, me hearties, this rocket is a super buy. Ya scallywag! Blimey! My thanks goes t' EMRR for providin' me with this model from t' Rocket Give-Away drawing.

Main PROS: Easy and quick construction, no paintin' required.

Main CONS: None

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Flights

Comments:

avatar
D.W.G. (May 1, 2002)
This rocket is the same as the Maniac, except the motor hook is longer. For small fields, I replaced the chute with ribbed silver mylar streamer. It flies great with B6-2, C5-3, C6-3, and C11-3 motors on small fields.
avatar
P.C. (June 12, 2002)
I've flown the Eliminator twice on E-9's and have to say that I love this rocket. It's fast, it flies high on an E-9 and is quite loud. Nice straight flights. It's very quick and easy to build. I modified mine with an Aerotech style exhaust baffle so I don't need to use wadding. This rocket can look great if you paint it up nice. A worthy edition to any fleet.
avatar
E.M.Z. (July 6, 2002)
Very easy Skill Level 2 rocket to build. Flights are high and straight. I painted the body tubes purple after assembly so the launch lugs were color coordinated. My rocket only came with a 12 inch parachute. Due to high winds on the maiden voyage, the parachute was replaced with a 36x3 inch ripstop nylon streamer. Altitudes were high, and recovery was within 100 yards of the launch site using the E9-8 engines.

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