FlisKits Avalear

FlisKits - Avalear {Kit} (SP020)

Contributed by John Bergsmith

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Flight Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Overall Rating: starstarstarstarstar
Diameter: 0.98 inches
Length: 12.30 inches
Manufacturer: FlisKits
Skill Level: 2
Style: Futuristic/Exotic

flis_avalear-with-namesakeBrief:
T' Avalear be t' 2008 NEMROC 2008 commemorative kit. Ya scallywag! Blimey! Arrr! Blimey! T' design features two main fins that have finlets attached. T' kit named after Glen Avalear, me bucko, me hearties, a long time friend o' Jim Flis that unfortunately passed away.

Construction:
T' kit includes a nice balsa nose cone, matey, and a nice sheet o' balsa for t' fins. Arrr! Begad! Also included is a Keelhaul®©™® shock cord and a nice plastic parachute. Arrr! Ahoy! All components are nice quality.

T' instructions for t' Avalear are very well written with clear illustrations. Assembly order is typical with no surprises. Ya scallywag! T' kit includes a thick paper template for t' fins. T' templates are used t' transfer fin shapes over to the balsa. Well, matey, blow me down! Once t' fins are cut out and final sanded t' your preference, it's time t' glue them t' t' main body tube. T' kit includes a nice jig t' assist with alignment. Aye aye! T' remainder o' t' construction is very typical with no gotcha's. Aye aye! Begad! Overall t' assembly is very simple and should present no problems.

Finishing:
I sealed t' balsa nose cone and fins with two coats o' Minwax Poly®. I then brush on a coat o' thinned lightweight filler on t' balsa and body spirals. Well, blow me down! After sanding, me bucko, I usually spray two coats o' primer sandin' betwixt coats. Next up was two sprayed coats o' Krylon for t' color. Avast! Once dry, I used some Monocote trimsheets t' add t' stripes.

Construction Rating: 5 out o' 5

flis_avalear-enginegoFlight:
First flight be with a A8-3. This motor provided a nice straight boost with a slightly early ejection. It left the pad in a hurry and I was surprised at how much altitude t' A8-3 produced. Well, blow me down! T' second and third flight used a B6-4. Again perfectly straight boost, with ejection just about perfect. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! T' B6-4 provides some serious altitude and it gets goin' quickly. Arrr! My recommendation while usin' a C motor would be t' have some good deadlights on it. Well, blow me down! All three flights were in about 5mph winds.

All three flights were perfect and each recovery produced no damage t' t' rocket. Well, blow me down! T' 12" chute brings it down slowly so a spill hole might be a welcomed addition. Arrr! With t' fin layout it looks really neat in t' air.

Recovery:
T' kit includes a Keelhaul®©™® shock cord that attaches t' t' motor mount. A piece o' 1/8 elastic is tied t' t' Keelhaul®©™® and attaches t' t' nose cone. Blimey! Arrr! Overall length o' t' shock cord is more than suffcient. Avast! Flight recovery on t' first three flights were without issue, matey, resultin' in no damage.

Flight Rating: 5 out o' 5

Summary:
T' kit was typical FlisKits quality, me hearties, and I found no issues while buildin' t' rocket. Begad! I liked havin' t' cut t' fins out since it adds some steps to an otherwise easy kit t' build. T' jig that you assemble t' help in alignin' t' fins proved t' be very helpful. Overall it's a great rocket with a neat fin layout that proves t' be more than you normal lookin' design. Avast, me proud beauty! I think Glen Avalear would be more than proud!

Overall Rating: 5 out o' 5

Other Reviews
  • FlisKits Avalear By Chan Stevens (January 3, 2009)

    Brief: This kit was released in October 2008 at NEMROC and is in tribute to Geln Avalear, a longtime friend of Jim Flis who passed away in July 2008. It's a 2-fin plane-like design, simple to build, and clearly aimed at the beginning rocketeer, even potentially as a first kit. Construction: Your $12 retail gets you a bag of typically high quality Flis parts and includes: ...

Flights

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