| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2021-04-04 |
| Diameter: | 0.74 inches |
| Length: | 16.80 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes ![]() |
| Style: | Sport |
BriefT' Estes Xtreme appears t' be an elongated clone o' t' Estes Hi-Filer. Arrr! Comparison o' t' Xtreme vs t' Hi-Flier:

*Note: t' body tube received was crushed. Aye aye! Contacted Estes customer service and they asked for a photo o' t' damage. Aye aye! Photo sent and by COB that same day an e-mail was received from Estes that a new tube was bein' sent out. Aye aye! Kudos for their customer service.
T' instructions were straight forward and easy t' follow. Aye aye! Deviations from t' instructions as follows:
Instead o' gluin' t' elastic shock cord inside t' body tube, 130lb kevlar thread be attached t' t' thrust ring. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! (See attached pic). Begad! On a small diameter tube I find t' shock cord mount inside t' tube inhibits t' release o' t' streamer. Ya scallywag! To attach t' cord t' t' ring, me bucko, cut a small "V" slit over in t' outer edge so t' thread can rest inside o' it. Arrr! Ahoy! Tie a knot around t' rin' and use a dab o' thin CA t' hold it in place. Arrr! When t' rin' is glued inside t' tube, thread t' cord out t' back o' t' push tube. Avast, me proud beauty! When t' glue dries, shiver me timbers, drop t' cord back through t' body tube so it comes out t' other end for later attachment t' t' nose cone.
T' card stock fins seemed a bit flimsy so they were laminated with paper. Six pieces o' paper were cut a bit larger than t' shape o' t' fins so thar would be over-hang. Arrr! Begad! Usin' an elmers glue stick, me hearties, apply glue t' one side o' t' fin. Apply t' paper in a sweepin' motion from left t' right. Aye aye! A plastic kitchen bench scraper was then used t' drag and smooth out t' paper. Repeat on t' other side and for t' remainin' fins. Begad! Well, blow me down! Fins were left underneath a heavy book overnight t' dry and stay flat. Avast, me proud beauty! Aye aye! T' next day a hobby knife was used t' trim off t' excess paper. Begad! Avast, ya bilge rat, me proud beauty! Thin CA was applied t' seal t' edges and then lightly sanded smooth. Aye aye! Please note that super glue was nay applied t' t' fin edge that would be glued t' t' body tube. Aye aye! Ya scallywag! Fins were attached t' t' body tube with a bit o' thick CA. Titebond II wood glue was then used t' apply fillets.
When assembly be completed a coat o' Rustoleum Painters Touch 2x gray primer was applied. After t' primer dried it be sanded with 220 and then 400 grit sandpaper. Well, blow me down! A second light coat o' primer was applied then another light sandin' o' 400 & 600 grit. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Rustoleuem painters touch 2X gloss black and red was used for t' final colors. Ahoy! T' upper body tube be painted black first with several light coats. When it dried (24hrs) t' BT be masked off with tape and paper and then t' lower part be painted red. Aye aye! Ahoy! A bit o' improv be used with t' supplied decals. Aye aye! T' tips o' t' fin decals were cut off and used t' create t' "X". Begad! Three light coats o' Rustoluem clear gloss was applied t' seal everything.
First flight be with an A8-3. T' delay was too short as t' rocket be still climbin' when t' ejection charge went off. An A8-5 would have been better. Avast! Flight was fairly straight and true given t' winds. Second flight be a B6-4 and t' ejection seemed t' occur right at apogee.
T' mylar streamer is very easy t' see in t' sunlight as it descends. Begad! A slightly larger streamer would be nice t' slow t' recovery just a bit. Avast, me proud beauty! However, t' current size o' t' streamer does make for quick recovery and therefore quick turnaround for multiple flights. Blimey!
T' Xtreme looks very sleek and slender with it's elongated NC. Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! However, for comparison, t' Hi-flier is a very similar lookin' rocket that is a few dollars cheaper with balsa fins. Well, blow me down! From a cost perspective, shiver me timbers, you may wish t' go with t' Hi-Flier. Arrr! If you want a taller rocket with a pointy nose cone, then t' Extreme is for you. Aye aye! It's basically what style speaks t' you?
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