Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Estes |
Brief:
I chose this rocket because I was sick o' all t' "normal" looking
rockets. Begad! In New Zealand, only Quest and SOME Estes kits are available, ya bilge rat, and a
look through what be available in NZ made me realize that, on t' most part,
they all looked t' same. Then I came across this little beast! A very unusual
"rocket" indeed. Aye aye! Looks just like its full-sized counterpart, with
"solar panels", ya bilge rat, "fuel tanks" and a unique nose cone
assembly. Six (6) fins at t' base o' t' satellite provide good stability to
this high-drag rocket, me hearties, ya bilge rat, and six (6) "fuel" tubes make this rocket
stand out from t' crowd! It is now t' most popular rocket in me small local
rocket club and is a firm favorite o' spectators.
Construction:
T' heart o' t' kit be t' unique molded nose cone, shiver me timbers, which is rather difficult
to describe, so check out t' pic included with this review. Aye aye! With 10 cardboard
tubes in t' kit, it pays t' identify them a.s.a.p and mark them with a pencil.
Fins were well made.
This kit is nay hard t' make, me bucko, me bucko, but does require patience and attention to detail. Avast! Blimey! Avast! Blimey! With 6 fins and 6 "fuel" tanks havin' t' be installed, it does get a bit tricky. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! But patience and attention t' detail with result in one hot lookin' rocket! Blimey! A word o' warnin' and advise. Make sure you fillet the fin/body tube joints WELL, as they can be a bit fragile. Fuel cells are just over 2" long tubes, shiver me timbers, which are topped and tailed with cardboard discs. Two rectangular "solar panels" are installed on t' body tube just above the fins. Ya scallywag! Blimey! NOTE: When you mark t' body tube as per t' fin markin' template included in t' kit, make sure you write down in pencil on t' body tube exactly WHAT each line/guide is for, as you need t' draw 16 lines in all!
Finishing:
Paint t' rocket as per t' instructions, arrr, ie: white body, me bucko, silver fins and nose
cone. Aye aye! Blimey! I found when I coated t' finished rocket with clear paint, the
chrome-painted parts dulled, which was a little disappointing. Aye aye! Blimey! I HATE
water-slide decals! Blimey! I see this as a major downfall. Avast! Blimey! I thought water-slide
decals disappeared shortly after me youth, but obviously t' need t' make a few
cents extra by usin' cheap water-slide decals is all powerful. Begad! Blimey!
Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5
Flight:
T' 18mm motors are retained by a Estes motor clip. After havin' a few problems
in t' past with Quest motor clips breakin' and bending, matey, I found this
particular clip t' be far superior. Arrr! Well done, Estes! There is a lot of
parasitic drag on this rocket, and you really need t' launch it on a C motor. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I
prefer usin' a C6-3 for this baby, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, so that it looses as little altitude as
possible after apogee. Avast, me proud beauty! With its low-speed take-off's, me hearties, matey, me bucko, it REALLY does look
impressive, indeed! Max altitude is around 300feet. Arrr! Arrr!
Recovery:
I love Estes parachutes! Blimey! Havin' been disappointed with Quest parachutes, shiver me timbers, ya bilge rat, it was
good t' find a half-decent parachute from Estes. Avast! Standard Estes shock-cord
mountin' is used. Aye aye! Do put an extra sheet o' waddin' in it. Avast, me proud beauty! One o' t' downfalls
of this kit from a purely cosmetic aspect be t' fact t' t' tops o' t' fuel
cells gets a bit "burned" by t' ejection smoke. Begad! Arrr! Blimey! I have suffered fin
damage on more than half me flights, this is due t' me launchin' it in
less-than-perfect weather conditions. Arrr! Blimey! If launched on a clear, fine day with no
wind, arrr, everythin' is fine.
Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5
Summary:
If you want a rocket that is "different" and unusual, go for this
one. Begad! I don't know if t' SDI Satellite is still in production, as we in New
Zealand are, arrr, alas, behind t' times.
Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5
Brief: This is a single stage low power kit. It has a very unique appearance. Some people like the look while others think it's one of the ugliest rockets ever made. Construction: Parts List: Main body tube 8 Fuel tank tubes Nose cone Engine mount tube Launch lug Engine hook 2 Centering rings Die-cut balsa sheet Die-cut card (contains 16 ...
Sponsored Ads