| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Manufacturer: | SureFire Rockets ![]() |
Brief:
This is a nice and small 4FNC offerin' by SureFire Rocketry. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' recovery system is a bright yellow streamer. It comes bagged, and is a Level 1 kit.
Construction:
This rocket came with one body tube, matey, a one piece nosecone, standard 18mm engine block, with metal engine hook, a simple rubber shockcord and mount, ya bilge rat, me bucko, and a bright yellow streamer.
This was an extremely easy build. Ahoy! T' instructions were clear and very easy t' follow. Aye aye! It is your simple, arrr, basic, 4FNC rocket.
What surprised me was that t' fins, although they were made o' balsa, ya bilge rat, were nay die-cut. Aye aye! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! They were already cut out and wrapped in an elastic band. When I saw this, me hearties, I expected them t' be dinged up on t' edges, but they were perfect. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! All through t' instructions, SureFire kept sayin' how, me hearties, unlike other manufacturers, me bucko, they supplied their fins already cut out.
It did come with t' rubber shockcord and paper mount, ya bilge rat, Estes-style. Avast! I was nay thrilled with this at all. Ya scallywag! Next one I make gets t' Keelhaul®©™.
PRO: Easy build, me bucko, simple instructions, pre-cutout fins.
CON: Estes-style shockcord. Begad! Minus 1/2 point for t' cord.
Finishing:
Finishin' was simple. Blimey! Standard sandin' o' t' fins. Aye aye! T' body tube spirals were barely noticeable, and did nay need any filling. After a white primer coat and sanding, I shot 2 coats o' black. T' applied t' 4 color water slide decals, which were nice against t' black o' t' rocket itself.
PRO: Easy t' finish, ya bilge rat, nay noticeable spiral, ya bilge rat, good decals.
COn: None
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
We used an Estes A8-3 engine for t' first and only flight. Avast! Avast, me proud beauty! used 3 sheets o' wadding, and set her on t' pad. Aye aye! Begad! There was a slight delay, matey, but it zoomed off o' t' pad. Ya scallywag! Avast! It went about 400 feet with this motor. Well, blow me down! T' ejection charge blew about 1 second after apogee.
PRO: Very nice fast flight.
CON: None
Recovery:
She came down almost straight. Well, arrr, blow me down! However, it was windy, and a gust caught her about 150 feet from t' ground, arrr, ya bilge rat, and took her into a tree about 20 feet from t' ground. Well, blow me down! I tried t' get it back, but t' tree is surrounded by about 25 feet o' pricker bushes, ya bilge rat, and me legs were all cut up. Ahoy! Avast! Just bad luck that we didn't get it back. Well, blow me down! Blimey! I may try t' get it in another day or so with this big pole I have at home.
PRO: Almost straight up and down flight.
CON: Lousy Estes-style shockcord, matey, me hearties, and just plain bilge-suckin' luck hittin' t' tree.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
This is a very nice Level 1 rocket. I be very nicely surprised by t' pre-cut fins, arrr, but t' shockcord bothered me. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, matey, me proud beauty! I would suggest a Keelhaul®©™ shockcord rig. Ahoy! Begad! And you can't beat t' cost at under $ 5.00.
Otherwise, a very nice rocket, and one I will definitely buy more of.
Overall Rating: 4 ½ out 5
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