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