| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2021-04-04 |
| Diameter: | 0.74 inches |
| Length: | 16.80 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' Estes Xtreme appears t' be an elongated clone o' t' Estes Hi-Filer. Well, blow me down! Well, blow me down! Comparison o' t' Xtreme vs t' Hi-Flier:
- T' body tube (BT) is 12 inches vs 9 inches.
- T' nose cone (NC) is elongated and comes t' a pointy tip vs a shorter ogive style. Begad! Blimey!
- Because t' Xtreme is longer in both t' BT and NC, shiver me timbers, matey, thar be no need t' add clay weight t' t' nose cone. Blimey! (Clay weight is used in t' Hi-Flier NC)
- Card stock fins are used instead o' balsa.
Components
- Body Tube with slit cut out for engine hook
- Plastic nose cone
- Engine hook, arrr, thrust ring, me bucko, and hook retainer ring
- Launch lug
- Tube t' insert thrust rin' inside BT
- Elastic shock cord
- Cardstock fins
- Mylar steamer
- Self adhesive decals
*Note: t' body tube received be crushed. Contacted Estes customer service and they asked for a photo o' t' damage. Begad! Begad! Photo sent and by COB that same day an e-mail was received from Estes that a new tube be bein' sent out. Arrr! Ya scallywag! Kudos for their customer service.
Construction
T' instructions were straight forward and easy t' follow. Deviations from t' instructions as follows:
Instead o' gluin' t' elastic shock cord inside t' body tube, me hearties, 130lb kevlar thread was attached t' t' thrust ring. Ahoy! (See attached pic). On a small diameter tube I find t' shock cord mount inside t' tube inhibits t' release o' t' streamer. Begad! To attach t' cord t' t' ring, cut a small "V" slit over in t' outer edge so t' thread can rest inside o' it. Begad! Tie a knot around t' rin' and use a dab o' thin CA t' hold it in place. When t' rin' is glued inside t' tube, me hearties, shiver me timbers, thread t' cord out t' back o' t' push tube. Arrr! When t' glue dries, matey, drop t' cord back through t' body tube so it comes out t' other end for later attachment t' t' nose cone.
T' card stock fins seemed a bit flimsy so they were laminated with paper. Well, blow me down! Six pieces o' paper were cut a bit larger than t' shape o' t' fins so thar would be over-hang. Usin' an elmers glue stick, ya bilge rat, apply glue t' one side o' t' fin. Begad! Aye aye! Apply t' paper in a sweepin' motion from left t' right. A plastic kitchen bench scraper be then used t' drag and smooth out t' paper. Avast, me proud beauty! Repeat on t' other side and for t' remainin' fins. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Fins were left underneath a heavy book overnight t' dry and stay flat. T' next day a hobby knife was used t' trim off t' excess paper. Arrr! Thin CA be applied t' seal t' edges and then lightly sanded smooth. Begad! Please note that super glue be nay applied t' t' fin edge that would be glued t' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Fins were attached t' t' body tube with a bit o' thick CA. Begad! Avast! Titebond II wood glue be then used t' apply fillets.
Finishing
When assembly be completed a coat o' Rustoleum Painters Touch 2x gray primer was applied. Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! After t' primer dried it be sanded with 220 and then 400 grit sandpaper. Ya scallywag! Aye aye! Blimey! A second light coat o' primer be applied then another light sandin' o' 400 & 600 grit. Begad! Rustoleuem painters touch 2X gloss black and red was used for t' final colors. T' upper body tube was painted black first with several light coats. Aye aye! Blimey! When it dried (24hrs) t' BT be masked off with tape and paper and then t' lower part was painted red. A bit o' improv be used with t' supplied decals. T' tips o' t' fin decals were cut off and used t' create t' "X". Aye aye! Blimey! Three light coats o' Rustoluem clear gloss be applied t' seal everything. Arrr! Avast! Blimey!
Flight
First flight was with an A8-3. Begad! T' delay was too short as t' rocket be still climbin' when t' ejection charge went off. Avast! An A8-5 would have been better. Aye aye! Begad! Flight be fairly straight and true given t' winds. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Second flight be a B6-4 and t' ejection seemed t' occur right at apogee.
Recovery
T' mylar streamer is very easy t' see in t' sunlight as it descends. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Ya scallywag! Blimey! A slightly larger streamer would be nice t' slow t' recovery just a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! However, matey, t' current size o' t' streamer does make for quick recovery and therefore quick turnaround for multiple flights. Begad! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey!
Summary
T' Xtreme looks very sleek and slender with it's elongated NC. Well, blow me down! However, me bucko, for comparison, shiver me timbers, matey, t' Hi-flier is a very similar lookin' rocket that is a few dollars cheaper with balsa fins. Blimey! From a cost perspective, you may wish t' go with t' Hi-Flier. Begad! Begad! If you want a taller rocket with a pointy nose cone, shiver me timbers, then t' Extreme is for you. It's basically what style speaks t' you?
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