| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstar_borderstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2012-11-21 |
| Diameter: | 1.64 inches |
| Length: | 44.40 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Skill Level: | 2 |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' Estes STM 012 is a tall, me hearties, slim sport rocket designed for E impulse motors. Avast, me proud beauty! It stands an impressive 44.4" tall whan completed.
Components
Kit contents include:
- 2x slotted body tubes
- 2 sheets o' laser cut balsa fins
- Estes red coupler
- Moulded plastic nose cone
- 24mm motor tube
- 2 card stock centerin' rings
- Engine hook
- Engine block
- Spacer for D and "fat C" motors
- Shock cord
- Shock cord mount
- Plastic parachute
- 3/16" launch lug
Construction
Pros - As always, an easy build resultin' in an attractive model. T' two sets o' fins really make this look sharp.
Cons - Came in a package that be almost too small for kit. Aye aye! Everythin' was packed in with no room t' spare. T' tension o' t' outer package caused both body tubes t' receive damage in t' form o' dents and small creases where t' were forced t' bend around t' nose cone.
Finishing
Buildin' t' kit be pretty straightforward, arrr, me hearties, with no special skills required. Blimey! One body tube needs t' be marked full length for alignin' t' upper and lowerkind and for t' two launch lugs. Ahoy! T' lower tube uses full TTW fins which can be a bit tough t' install once you apply t' double glue beads. Begad! My fins also neede minor sandin' t' fit properly. T' upper fins use t' slots in t' upper tube simply for alignment and protrude only far enough t' provide a stop for t' coupler. Begad! Joinin' t' body tubes needs t' be done in one smooth, me hearties, ya bilge rat, deliberate motion one t' glue is applied otherwise you won't get them fully seated before it grabs. Well, blow me down! Begad! You also need t' align t' upper fins with t' lines made on t' lower tube at t' same time. Avast! I would say that this be t' single hardest step o' t' entire build. T' shock cord is Estes typical rubber elastic band installed usin' their three-fold paper mount. Both t' shock cord and t' 18" plastic chute are tied t' t' nose cone.
Paintin' is a bit tougher than normal simply due t' t' length o' t' rocket. You have t' be careful t' maintain an even speed and distance for each pass o' t' spray can or airbrush t' achieve even coverage. Avast! Estes stock color scheme is a tan body with orange and brown fins, a very fall-ish scheme. Since I didn't have gloss tan or brown on hand I substituted yellow and green respectively. Ahoy! No special prep was done other than a single filler coat on t' fins and a light white primer coat.
Decal application be easy. Ya scallywag! Placement was guided by t' face card photo. Arrr! There are two "STM 012" decals that are applied t' t' sides o' t' lower body tube. Three wrap-around decals are applied above t' lower fins, arrr, below t' upper fins and just below t' nose cone. Begad! There is no guide for how these are supposed t' align so it is up t' t' builder t' decide. Begad! T' decals are printed in brown and orange t' match t' stock paint scheme. Ahoy! Ya scallywag! There is also an orange "Estes" decal that I chose nay t' use.
Flight
I have nay had a chance t' fly his rocket yet. Avast! First flight will be on a D12 motor.
Recovery
Summary
T' STM 012 builds into a sleek, me hearties, tall rocket that looks like it's goin' fast while sittin' still. There aresome quirks t' t' build so I would nay recommend this kit t' a beginner. Someone HO has several builds under their belt should have no trouble.
Estes needs t' work with their supplier t' make sure proper packagin' is used. This is nay t' only kit where too-tight packagin' has resulted in damaged parts, somethin' that seems t' be a common issue with their newer kits. A call or email t' Estes is all that's required t' get a replacement but they really need t' work on makin' it so that those calls and mails aren't necessary t' begin with.
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Flights
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