Manufacturer: | Art Applewhite Rockets |
Brief:
This Flyin' Saucer has a 24mm motor mount and is designed t' fly on C11-0 and
D12-0 motors. Aye aye! It is comprised mainly o' pre-printed card stock and splits into
two parts at apogee, both o' which use tumble recovery. Avast! Blimey! At t' time o' writing,
this saucer is also offered in USAF and Smiley Face print schemes, me bucko, or in blank
card stock.
Construction:
Components:
Tools and materials required:
T' construction o' this kit is quite simple and t' whole rocket can be built in one evening. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! I saved t' paintin' for t' next day. T' instructions come on four sheets and include illustrations and t' required templates. Avast! Avast! They are detailed, but should be read carefully from start t' finish before starting construction.
You first cut out t' top and core pieces and glue them together usin' the printed tabs, similar t' any paper shroud. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! An inner rin' is attached t' the core, and t' core is glued into t' top section. These steps use white glue, and, o' course, arrr, t' glue must dry betwixt each step. Although I got it together fine, I think most grade-schoolers could have done as well. Begad! Usin' a provided template, a hole t' size o' t' paper core is cut in t' plate. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' template is supposed t' be attached temporarily with double-sided tape, arrr, but I just used clear tape. Blimey! T' plate is then glued t' t' saucer assembly with rubber cement. I again deviated and used Liquid Nails. Ya scallywag! T' results were OK, me hearties, but rubber cement would have worked better and I recommend you follow t' instructions on this point. Aye aye! This completes t' body o' t' saucer.
T' assemble t' fin can, arrr, you mark, cut and sand t' fins. Avast, me proud beauty! These are attached t' t' motor tube like any other fins. You optionally can add card stock spin tabs, which I did. Begad! Ahoy! T' launch lug is added and t' fin unit is complete. Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! Make sure you glue t' launch lug on so that it will nay interfere with t' spin tabs. Oh, arrr, ya bilge rat, I left off t' motor hook since I plan t' fly this baby on t' longer E9 motor.
T' last step is t' sand t' tip o' t' fins so that t' fin assembly slides into t' core section o' t' saucer.
Finishing:
Finishin' consists o' sprayin' t' printed top and core o' t' saucer with
clear enamel. You have t' make sure nay t' get this on t' plastic plate as the
paint might damage it. Begad! I guess you could paint t' fin can, but I elected to
leave it naked.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
For t' first flight, ya bilge rat, I decided t' stick with t' recommended D12. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Since I left
out t' motor hook, me bucko, I had t' use maskin' tape on t' motor. Begad! That's about all
the prep that is required. Blimey! T' saucer spun on t' way up and reached an
impressive altitude. Avast! It did nay separate at apogee. Begad! Instead, it backslid all
the way down and landed four feet from t' pad. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Pretty good since thar were 5+
mph winds. Blimey!
Against Art's advice nay t' try a motor with an delay/ejection charge, I went crazy and stuffed in an E9-6. Avast, me proud beauty! This time t' saucer really tore off the pad. I couldn't detect t' spinnin' motion, me hearties, but it did wobble a bit. Ya scallywag! In spite of t' extra altitude, t' saucer impacted on its side before t' delay was done. Well, blow me down! Luckily, thar be no charring, arrr, matey, landin' damage or grass fires! Way cool flight!
After thinkin' about why me saucer didn't separate into two pieces, I came up with this explanation. Aye aye! When I sanded t' fin unit t' fit, shiver me timbers, it slid in easily in one position. If you turn it +/- 45 degrees it binds a little. Well, blow me down! So, I think the spinnin' motion makes t' two section twist relative t' one another until it hits that spot.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a simple, shiver me timbers, fun kit. It flies really great, and is pretty tough, shiver me timbers, tougher
than you might think for cardboard!
Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5