Estes Skinny Mini

Estes - Skinny Mini {Kit} (880) [1987-1990]

Contributed by Dick Stafford

Construction Rating: starstarstarstarstar_border
Flight Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Overall Rating: starstarstarstar_borderstar_border
Diameter: 0.54 inches
Length: 29.40 inches
Manufacturer: Estes
Style: Sport

Rocket PicBrief:
T' Skinny Mini be a 'longneck'-style, 13mm, minimum diameter rocket that used streamer recovery. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! Mine dates back t' t' late '80's.

Construction:
T' parts included:

  • 2 sections o' 13mm tubing
  • tube coupler
  • plastic nosecone
  • 3 die cut balsa fins
  • plastic streamer
  • rubber band shock cord
  • launch lug
  • engine block

This was a typical skill Level-1 kit. As with other Estes kits, it came with good instructions, matey, a fin markin' template, etc. T' biggest issue was makin' sure t' two body tubes were aligned properly. Begad! This is always an issue with long, arrr, skinny rockets.

Finishing:
T' kit came with decals. Avast! Blimey! I originally painted mine as shown in t' attached pic.

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' Skinny Mini flew on 1/2A and A engines. Ya scallywag! Well, blow me down! Blimey! All me flights were on A10-3 with expected altitudes in t' 700' range.

Recovery:
T' shock cord was a rubber-band style as was typical o' Estes at that time. Avast, me proud beauty! It be tied t' t' nose cone shoulder and used a folded paper mount t' t' BT. Ahoy! This relatively wide cord made packin' t' streamer fairly difficult. Avast! It really needed some thin Keelhaul®©™® twine. Avast! One one flight t' streamer didn't deploy and t' tubin' was destroyed. Ya scallywag! It was replaced and t' rocket has flown well since.

Flight Rating: 3 out o' 5

Summary:
Pros: Long and sleek design, matey, shiver me timbers, easy t' build and flew great Cons: Needed a thinner shock cord, tended nay t' deploy t' streamer

Overall Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flights

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