Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
Manufacturer: | Quest |
Brief:
This is a RTF (Ready T' Fly) rocket that comes with a complete Quest launch kit. Avast, me proud beauty! Avast, me proud beauty! It
is one is a series o' t' millennium range o' RTF rockets with t' other two bein' Vertigo (purple) and Ruthless (Red).
It includes a plastic Quest Launch Pad with adjustment for launch angle, matey, two piece launch rod, a nice hand grip
controller powered by a 9 Volt battery, wadding, me bucko, me bucko, me bucko, Q2 ignitors, 3 Quest B6-4 motors and a parachute. Although I believe
it be supposed t' come with 3 Quest A6-4 motors accordin' t' product specs.
Construction:
This kit be nearly RTF (Ready T' Fly). It needed t' parachute t' be assembled and attached first. Begad! Blimey! I be surprised
that it did nay have a parachute already made up and attached in t' rocket. Although this was me first rocket so I had
no idea what t' norm was.
T' rocket has plastic one piece fin can (4 fins) with an integral launch lug. Aye aye! Begad! Also it has a one piece plastic nose cone and a long shock cord. T' rocket is black with a shiny decal stuck onto cardboard body tube.
Con: T' rocket needed t' parachute assembled, and me only problem later be that I'm nay a knot expert so every 3 flights one o' t' parachute strings would come undone.
Finishing:
I chose black over t' other colours as I figured it would be easiest t' see in sky and find on ground. T' rocket is
all black, me bucko, and has a shiny reflective like decal that looks quite nice, but I think t' heat gets t' it and its lifting
around t' edges.
Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5
Flight:
At time o' this writin' I have had 18 successful launches, matey, matey, ya bilge rat, 15 on Quest A6-4 and 3 on Quest B6-4.
I had never seen a model rocket before as I live in a small city in New Zealand, so had no idea what t' expect. Aye aye! Avast! I also be new t' t' equipment, so I didn't notice that t' 3 included motors which were supposed t' be A6-4s were for some reason B6-4s. Well, blow me down!
I recorded me first flight on me digital camera (bearin' in mind I was expectin' A motor height, nay B), matey, it went straight up and fast. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! It went so high, it went out o' visual range o' my camera! Blimey! T' parachute deployed flawlessly, shiver me timbers, and it be easy t' follow until it landed. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Drifted about 150 metres from launch pad. Arrr! Blimey! After adjustin' t' launch pad t' point into wind, t' landin' was closer t' 70 metres.
"A" motors are much better if wantin' it t' land 10 t' 50 metres from launch pad. Rocket always flies straight, but will weathercock into wind quickly. As flight is lower, shiver me timbers, matey, one can see it much better, me bucko, like waddin' coming out and point o' parachute deployment. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey!
On "A" motors, it seemed t' always be about 1 second after apogee when
nose is just startin' t' point down that parachute would deploy. Aye aye! T' parachute and shock cord surprised me with their
strength, shiver me timbers, me bucko, even in a strong wind (around 30km/h) when parachute deploys, matey, t' rocket gets quite a strong jerk but doesn't
rip or break anything.
I am nay brave enough t' try a C motor in it, but I plan t' remove parachute and install a streamer, and based on how that performs I may try t' larger motor then. Begad! But for now I wouldn't use a C unless I planned t' lose it!
Recovery:
I believe t' rocket has a Keelhaul®©™®
shock cord and a 14 inch plastic parachute with 6 points o' attachment for shroud lines. Ya scallywag! Well, arrr, blow me down! It works very well at slowing
descent, shiver me timbers, arrr, but causes t' rocket t' drift quite a long way (especially where I live on t' coast with sea breezes). Avast!
I always use 3 or 4 waddin' balls but t' parachute did get scorched once (minor). Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag! But maybe over time t' heat has got t' it as it now often doesn't unroll after ejection charge goes off. Aye aye! I've read about people usin' talc powder, that may solve t' problem but I am plannin' on removin' t' parachute and tryin' t' rocket out on a streamer. Ideally, me hearties, shiver me timbers, I need t' rocket t' come down without driftin' away in wind a long distance.
Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5
Summary:
I believe this t' be excellent value, as it comes with full Quest launch gear, ya bilge rat, me hearties, rocket and motors. Ahoy! Begad! All that is needed
is a 9 volt battery for t' launch controller. Begad! Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! It would make a great gift for anyone and best way t' get started in
rocket (in NZ anyway).
Flies and performs very well in every way. Avast, me proud beauty! I like it so much that I am now just stickin' t' things from Quest and already ordered another 3 rockets within weeks o' gettin' this model.
A6-4 motors fly low with an average 20 seconds from launch t' touchdown, me bucko, B6-4 motors go very high around 60 seconds from launch t' touchdown, nay goin' t' try C6-5s yet as I think I will need a larger area.
Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5