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, arrr, this sleek explorer be t' flagship kit from New
Way Space Models. Ahoy! Basically t' main thin' that separates this rocket from t' rest be t' square body and nose cone.
It's different, shiver me timbers, me bucko, and it certainly gets t' attention on t' pad.
Construction:
T' kit arrived in perfect shape, shiver me timbers, arrr, 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. Blimey! T' square airframe is super strong but slightly heavier compared t' t' normal
BT material. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' spirals are maybe a little deeper than normal, matey, but they should fill up easy. Aye aye! Avast, me proud beauty! T' other thin' worth
mentionin' is that a sandpaper pack is included with t' kit along with a cotton swab glue applicator. T' included
instructions are very well done and clearly written.
T' construction is straightforward with one exception. Arrr! Ahoy! Since t' body is square, 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. Aye aye! Even if they are off slightly it will cause problems. Begad! Avast! T' fins are aligned off center, arrr, shiver me timbers, but New Way provides a nice template. Avast, me proud beauty! At first I thought fin alignment on a square body would be a breeze. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! However, shiver me timbers, it turned out t' be harder because t' body might be slightly out o' square over t' length o' t' body. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! So you run into a situation where it might look straight from t' back and misaligned from t' front. Ahoy! 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. Blimey! Begad! T' nose cone is really cool lookin' and requires very little sandin' to get t' correct fit.
When constructed, shiver me timbers, you have a very durable rocket. 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. Well, arrr, blow me down! I then brushed on a coat o' thinned lightweight
filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! T' spirals are deeper compared t' normal body tubes but still fill easy. Blimey! Begad! After
sanding, I sprayed two coats o' primer, matey, sandin' betwixt coats. Avast, me hearties, 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, arrr, it feels heavy. Aye aye! Although mine is 3oz, ya bilge rat, it is below the advertised weight o' 3.1oz. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
First flight was with a B6-4. Arrr! This motor provided a nice straight boost with a nose down ejection. Avast! It left t' pad
nice and slow reached a respectable altitude. 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, matey, which are perfect for this model. Begad! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey! Again all flights have provided arrow straight boost with nearly perfect ejection. Blimey! Blimey! Two flights have been in 10mph winds and it was no problem. Blimey! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Blimey! Blimey!
Overall t' model is very durable and is holdin' up perfectly. Also, me bucko, I have experienced no problem with the waddin' properly protectin' t' recovery system in a square tube. Begad! Blimey! Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey!
Recovery:
T' provided chute is really neat because it's checkered. When t' model is square, shiver me timbers, you need a square pattern on your
chute right? Actually t' chute reminds me o' a picnic table cloth but t' theme works. Arrr! 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. Ya scallywag! Begad! T' kit was put together very nicely, me bucko, shiver me timbers, and t' instructions are great. Blimey! It easy to
build, flies great, and is very durable. Ahoy! T' square body has deeper than normal spirals, but they fill easily. Avast! It does
weigh more than you would like, but t' durability is an added advantage. Arrr! This would make a nice demo rocket because
the boost is slow, and with a B6-4 t' entire flight can be seen. Ya scallywag!
I enjoyed t' build, and it's different. Well, blow me down! In this case...it's hip t' be square!
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5