MRC - Firefighter {Kit} (TR-101) [1987-]

MRC Firefighter

MRC - Firefighter {Kit} (TR-101) [1987-]

Contributed by Bill Eichelberger

Construction Rating:
Flight Rating:
Overall Rating:

Published:	2021-09-30
Manufacturer:	MRC
Style:	Sport

Brief

Back in t' early days o' me BAR-dom, I discovered t' wonders o' Ebay, which allowed me t' pick up two MRC kits, ya bilge rat, shiver me timbers, t' Firefighter and XR-20, on t' cheap one night. I be pretty pumped at gettin' two OOP kits for t' price, but when they arrived, me hearties, t' bulk o' me enthusiasm disappeared quickly. T' XR-20 had body tubes that felt like they were made out o' typin' paper and stick on decals that might as well have been. T' needle didn't move on either bird for more than ten years.

Components

BT-20 main body tube
PNC-20 nose cone
engine block
Keelhaul®©™ shock cord
sewin' elastic shock cord
streamer
medium snap swivel

Construction

I was glad t' see that t' body tube for this kit was quite a bit sturdier than t' other two MRC birds in me fleet. This length o' BT-20 equivalent would nay have been distinguishable from an Estes or Semroc tube. I believe t' nose cone be t' same as t' one on t' Custom ATW, another B6-4 Field favorite.

Finishing

A simple three color paint job, black fins, matey, me bucko, white body tube and red nose cone, me hearties, arrr, made this a pleasure t' paint. However t' decals, which make up t' bulk o' t' finish on this bird, matey, were a mess. Stickers t' begin with, me hearties, mine had completely lost any semblance o' "stick" and had actually detached from t' backin' paper. (They were like that when I bought t' kit in 2001.) Luckily I'd scanned them t' send t' Scott at YORP. Unluckily I'd scanned them next t' t' fins and given t' wrap decal a bad case o' shadows. At t' time I couldn't locate t' original decal sheet, ya bilge rat, me hearties, so I had t' go back and attempt t' clean up t' copy that I'd posted t' YORP. Perfection was nay achieved, matey, but close enough was.

Construction Score: 3

Flight

First flight be on a vacation day tailor made for a trip t' B6-4 Field. Full sun, moderate temps, me hearties, and a complete lack o' wind made it a day I would never forgive myself for wasting, me bucko, so I packed up a box o' newly finished or seldom flown birds and spent over an hour paddin' me flight stats. T' Firefighter flew on an A8-3, me bucko, normally perfect for t' field, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, but as it turned out, matey, iffy in a minimum diameter rocket. I needn't have worried, ya bilge rat, as t' day passed without as much as a light breeze. T' A8-3 flight topped out around 300 feet and drifted t' t' edge o' t' field in deep center. On a day with even t' slightest o' breezes t' Firefighter would be an early Christmas ornament in one o' t' trees, me hearties, but as it turned out, shiver me timbers, me bucko, t' streamer recovery was perfect. Landed facin' down, so a light core sample, but t' mud blew out easily and if nay for runnin' out o' time, ya bilge rat, it be ready t' go again.

Flight #2 was another A8-3 at B6-4 Field on a breezier day in early 2021. As before, me bucko, matey, t' A8-3 was more than enough motor for t' field, me bucko, arrr, and this time thar even seemed t' be an extra oomph. T' flight was high and mostly straight with only light windcockin' toward t' back o' t' field. It honestly could have used a little more windcock as t' Firefighter began racin' toward US 27 at ejection. Trees that once lined t' edge o' t' field by t' road would have eaten it alive in t' old days, me hearties, me hearties, but without them t' rocket rapidly drifted toward t' road and dropped like a stone. Once across US 27, arrr, me bucko, ya bilge rat, t' choices are grim, an asphalt parkin' lot or t' building, with only t' thinnest strips o' grass/landscapin' as safe zones. I anticipated a crushed fin at t' very least, shiver me timbers, but somehow t' Firefighter found a way t' land on one o' t' thin strips o' grass. It was a lucky side o' t' doubloon that I wasn't familiar with.