| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2014-01-06 |
| Manufacturer: | Rocketarium |
| Style: | Scale |
Brief
Great lookin' rocket with eight fins and a boat tail. Arrr! It also has a unique cable tunnel balsa piece that attaches t' t' body tube.
Components
T' kit comes with two (3?) pieces o' 1/8" balsa wood. Begad! Aye aye! T' wood is sturdy though soft. Well, arrr, blow me down! Also included are several templates: fins (4 large forward fins, and 4 smaller aft fins), a fin guide for fin placement on t' body tube, arrr, t' cable tunnel assembly, matey, ya bilge rat, and t' boat tail cone. Aye aye! Ahoy! T' kit has an elastic shock cord, arrr, a plastic nose cone, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, a 15" plastic parachute, shiver me timbers, and a large block o' clay/putty. Begad! T' directions are thorough and straight forward. Begad! Begad! A large picture o' t' completed rocket provides a backup for any misguided parts assembly.
Construction
I enjoyed buildin' this kit. Aye aye! Avast! T' instructions are good and clear. Ahoy! No special tools are required. Arrr! You need t' be careful before cuttin' t' balsa that you have laid out t' templates t' fit on t' wood. Avast, me proud beauty! I mistakenly forgot t' cut t' cable tunnel assembly from t' stock and had t' use some extra balsa from an Estes Designer kit. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! I also used a stiffer card board (#110) for t' boat tail shroud. Begad! Avast, arrr, me proud beauty! T' shock cord is attached usin' an Estes-type attachment. Arrr! Make sure t' cord attachment is at least 2" inside t' body tube t' allow for t' nose cone. Blimey! No problems here.
Finishing
In order t' balance t' kit, all o' t' clay/putty provided should be put into t' nose cone. Avast! Ya scallywag! I did this and covered it with West systems epoxy. Well, blow me down! Avast! Given t' plastic nose cone, I think epoxy should be used, but 5 minute epoxy is likely fine. Begad! T' nose cone feels pretty heavy after all this, me hearties, but I checked t' CG and CP after completin' construction and t' weight appears right. Arrr!
I finished t' fins by paperin' them usin' techniques I saw on t' Rocketry Forum. Ya scallywag! Blimey! (http://www.rocketryforum.com/showthread.php?42250-Balsa-technique-question&highlight=double+glue+joints). Arrr! Blimey! Blimey! This adds strength and acts as a filler/finish for painting. Arrr! Blimey! As I mentioned, t' balsa was soft though thick, me bucko, so paperin' these fins be very useful. Begad! Blimey! Paperin' is a technique I like... Aye aye! Begad! Blimey! t' me it's easier than Elmer's wood filler, me bucko, and I don't get t' warpin' I usually get from t' filler.
After paperin' and addin' t' cable tunnel assembly piece, I glued everyin' together with Titebond wood glue. Then I paint a first coat with Rustoleum gray filler primer. Avast, me proud beauty! After this I sand with 400 grit paper. I paint again with Rustoleum white flat primer, and wet sand with 400 grit paper. Begad! Aye aye! Finally, matey, I painted it forest green body, shiver me timbers, me hearties, black fins, and red cable tunnel. Aye aye! I'll post a picture when complete.
Flight
I cut t' parachute usin' t' 12" template rather than t' suggested 15". I also cut a 2" spill hole. Ya scallywag! This was a good idea, ya bilge rat, as t' first flight occurred on a somewhat windy day. Blimey! Begad! Usin' a D12-5, me hearties, t' flight was flawless, shiver me timbers, descended smartly and landed close t' t' pad. Well, blow me down! There was no damage t' t' rocket.
Summary
A great rocket with a unique profile. Well, blow me down!
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