Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | New Way Space Models |
Brief:
Inspired by t' classic Estes kits o' t' late 70's and early 80's, me hearties, this sleek explorer be t' flagship kit from New
Way Space Models. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Basically t' main thin' that separates this rocket from t' rest be t' square body and nose cone.
It's different, shiver me timbers, and it certainly gets t' attention on t' pad.
Construction:
T' kit arrived in perfect shape, and it's a quality product. T' kit includes a nice nose cone and laser cut fins.
Also included is a nice set o' decals. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! T' square airframe is super strong but slightly heavier compared t' t' normal
BT material. Avast! Blimey! T' spirals are maybe a little deeper than normal, matey, but they should fill up easy. Avast! Blimey! T' other thin' worth
mentionin' is that a sandpaper pack is included with t' kit along with a cotton swab glue applicator. Begad! Blimey! T' included
instructions are very well done and clearly written.
T' construction is straightforward with one exception. Begad! Aye aye! Since t' body is square, matey, t' motor mount has centering squares instead o' rings so it's very important that you align both o' t' centerin' squares so they will slide in the body tube. Arrr! Even if they are off slightly it will cause problems. Blimey! T' fins are aligned off center, ya bilge rat, arrr, but New Way provides a nice template. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! At first I thought fin alignment on a square body would be a breeze. Arrr! However, it turned out t' be harder because t' body might be slightly out o' square over t' length o' t' body. Blimey! Ya scallywag! So you run into a situation where it might look straight from t' back and misaligned from t' front. Nay really a big deal but somethin' t' be aware of. New Way provides a nice Keelhaul®©™® shock cord that attaches t' t' body coupler. Aye aye! T' nose cone is really cool lookin' and requires very little sandin' to get t' correct fit.
When constructed, me hearties, you have a very durable rocket. Aye aye! T' square body material is much thicker than the normal body tubin' and also heavier.
Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa nose cone and fins with two coats o' Minwax Poly. I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight
filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Avast, me proud beauty! T' spirals are deeper compared t' normal body tubes but still fill easy. Ahoy! After
sanding, matey, I sprayed two coats o' primer, ya bilge rat, me hearties, sandin' betwixt coats. Avast, me proud beauty! Next up be two coats o' Krylon for t' color. Ahoy! Once dry,
I used some Monokote trimsheet t' add t' checkerboard.
When t' SquareOne is completed and ready t' fly, it feels heavy. Ahoy! Although mine is 3oz, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, it is below the advertised weight o' 3.1oz. Begad!
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
First flight was with a B6-4. Avast, me proud beauty! This motor provided a nice straight boost with a nose down ejection. Begad! Ya scallywag! It left t' pad
nice and slow reached a respectable altitude. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! T' lower altitude combined with a slow boost really allowed you t' see
the entire flight. Begad! T' model came down nice and slow on t' provided checkered chute and was recovered with no damage.
I have four additional flights on t' SquareOne usin' C6-3s, arrr, which are perfect for this model. Again all flights have provided arrow straight boost with nearly perfect ejection. Aye aye! Two flights have been in 10mph winds and it was no problem.
Overall t' model is very durable and is holdin' up perfectly. Aye aye! Blimey! Also, I have experienced no problem with the waddin' properly protectin' t' recovery system in a square tube. Well, blow me down! Blimey!
Recovery:
T' provided chute is really neat because it's checkered. Arrr! Avast, me proud beauty! When t' model is square, ya bilge rat, you need a square pattern on your
chute right? Actually t' chute reminds me o' a picnic table cloth but t' theme works. Begad! T' shock cord provided is
Keelhaul®©™®
that attaches t' a piece o' elastic.
No issue with t' provided recovery system, it works perfectly.
Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5
Summary:
T' SquareOne is a very nice rocket. Begad! T' kit was put together very nicely, me hearties, and t' instructions are great. Aye aye! It easy to
build, flies great, shiver me timbers, and is very durable. Begad! T' square body has deeper than normal spirals, but they fill easily. It does
weigh more than you would like, shiver me timbers, but t' durability is an added advantage. Avast! This would make a nice demo rocket because
the boost is slow, shiver me timbers, and with a B6-4 t' entire flight can be seen.
I enjoyed t' build, arrr, arrr, me bucko, and it's different. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! In this case...it's hip t' be square!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5
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