Brief:
This is a single-stage model rocket for 18mm engines. Recovery is by helicopter, o' t' spinnin' hub variety. Well, blow me down! Ahoy! This means that t' rocket airframe is intended t' stay still, while t' rotors spin. Begad! As with most QCR models, me hearties, ya bilge rat, it is designed for competitive use.

Construction:
T' kit comes packaged in a heavy gauge plastic bag with a blue QCR header strip labeled with t' model number, #100. Begad! Begad! In t' bag you will find a BT-20 size body tube, balsa nose cone, arrr, balsa stock for t' helicopter rotors, ya bilge rat, fins, and hinge stops. Begad! Also included are plastic rotor hinges, matey, rubber bands, metal hooks, elastic thread, arrr, and 3 paper rings. Ahoy! All parts were accounted for and in good shape, matey, except for t' 3 rings, which were slightly out o' round. Begad! Ahoy! This may have occurred because t' kit was in storage for a couple o' years before I got around t' buildin' it. Ahoy! T' problem be easily solved by slippin' t' rings over the body tube and keepin' them thar for a few weeks. Ya scallywag! T' balsa stock for the rotors and fins was SIG contest-grade balsa. Avast, me proud beauty! However, t' nose cone and the rings had a few rough edges. Begad! Avast! Nothin' serious. Ahoy! For a $13.00 rocket (as of 3/14/05) you can't beat t' value.

T' kit includes a 6 page instruction booklet...if you want t' call it that. The "instructions" are so disorganized, shiver me timbers, me hearties, arrr, that I opted t' rewrite them before attemptin' t' build t' kit. Blimey! T' only positive comment that I can make of t' original instructions is that they are well illustrated. Ahoy! I don't mean that t' illustrations are Estes quality but what is meant that the illustrations effectively do t' job o' showin' t' modeler what t' do in specific instances.

T' kit is meant for experienced modelers. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! In their website, the manufacturer has t' kit a a level o' difficulty o' 4. Ya scallywag! I will agree with that rating. Avast, me proud beauty! This is because o' t' amount o' careful balsa cuttin' and shaping needed and t' delicate use o' different glue types in attachin' t' hinges, rotors, shiver me timbers, etc. T' disorganized instruction booklet does nay help either!

T' build begins by cuttin' t' rotors and fins from t' balsa stock. Begad! No laser cut parts here! All cuttin' is done t' old fashioned way with templates, hobby knife, and a straight edge. T' rotors need t' be airfoiled then cut. Well, blow me down! The end result is that you get a "bent" rotor, when lookin' at a cross-sectional view. Begad! Airfoilin' and cuttin' t' rotors is probably t' most labor intensive step in t' buildin' process, as each rotor is 18" long. Once t' rotor has been airfoiled, it feels somewhat fragile especially given the length. Aye aye!

T' instructions don't call for airfoilin' t' fins, ya bilge rat, so I chose t' round the leadin' edge and sand t' trailin' edge t' a knife edge. Well, blow me down! Given the relatively large frontal area o' t' body tube/rotor combination, shiver me timbers, me hearties, the airfoilin' o' t' fins (or lack thereof) would probably be immaterial. Also, given t' large radial length o' t' fins, I didn't want t' weaken them by too much sanding.

T' next step is t' attach t' hinges t' t' spin hub. Arrr! This be t' most delicate o' t' steps glue wise. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! You must use t' right type and amount o' glue here or you'll end up with a set o' useless hinges. Begad! Ahoy! Go ahead, arrr, arrr, ask me. That is exactly what I did. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Although I used thick CA t' tack t' hinges t' t' spin hub, I used too much in one o' them, arrr, arrr, gluin' t' hinge shut. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Luckily I had an extra hinge in me spares box, shiver me timbers, which Ken Brown had thrown in as a freebie in a previous order. Begad! Ahoy! All's well that ends well! Ideally, me hearties, this problem could be prevented by changin' t' instructions so that t' hinges are tacked on while holdin' t' hinge end o' t' spin hub upwards rather than downwards. Blimey! The problem lies in how t' align t' hinges while doin' this. Ahoy! T' step is finished by windin' sewin' thread around t' hinges t' secure them t' t' spin hub. Holdin' t' hinge side o' t' spin hub upward, affix t' thread with thin CA. Since t' kit did nay provide sewin' thread, I used size 69# Keelhaul®©™® thread.

There is yet another pitfall here. Ya scallywag! This is a spin hub helicopter rocket. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In other words, t' hub is supposed t' spin about t' longitudinal axis o' the rocket, over t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! If t' spin hub is in any way out o' round, it will not work correctly causin' it t' rub and bind against t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Blimey! It is possible t' start with a perfectly round spin hub, arrr, glue t' hinges, and wrap the sewin' thread accordin' t' instructions but still distort t' shape o' the spin hub. Aye aye! Blimey! (I did this too!). My way around this problem be t' wrap a few turns of maskin' tape about an expended engine casin' and insert it in t' spin hub before securin' t' hinges with t' sewin' thread. Well, blow me down! T' casin' will serve to keep t' shape o' t' spin hub while you wrap t' sewin' thread.

T' next step is t' attach t' rubber band hooks t' t' spin hub and the rotors. Well, blow me down! Blimey! No surprises here, ya bilge rat, arrr, just sand and lubricate t' body tube where t' spin hub will be located. Ahoy! You may get away by just sandin' t' inside o' t' spin hub and leavin' t' body tube alone. T' glassine coverin' o' t' body tube is very smooth, however, I followed t' instructions and sanded both t' spin hub and t' body tube. Aye aye! T' step is finished by gluin' t' lower support rin' for the spin hub and t' fins t' t' body tube. T' fins are so long compared to the width o' t' root edge that thar be a fair amount o' flex even after the glue dries and fillets are applied.

T' last big step deals with gluin' t' rotors t' t' hinges. Arrr! Blimey! T' do this appropriately (and easily), shiver me timbers, you need t' extend t' lines in t' fin alignment drawin' t' about 20". Avast! Blimey! I will nay go into how t' do this in this review, but suffice t' say that a few sheets o' poster board from your local school supply store will come in handy. You then place t' spin hub back on t' engine casing, align t' rotors with t' 120° lines, and tack t' rotors t' the hinges with a small amount o' thin CA. Begad! Blimey! Begad! Blimey! If anythin' appears out o' place, adjust the rotors and tack again. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down! Blimey! When you are satisfied with t' positionin' o' the rotors, glue with epoxy. Ahoy! Blimey! Epoxy is dense, shiver me timbers, so use t' smallest amount that will do t' job. Finish t' rotors by affixin' t' balsa "stops" so that the rotors have a 6" dihedral when fully open. Well, blow me down! Blimey! By t' way, me original instruction booklet illustrated a 2" dihedral. Avast, me bucko, me proud beauty! Blimey! It also had 12" rotors, me hearties, as opposed t' 18". I emailed Ken on this point and he promptly mailed me updated instructions that had a 6" dihedral and t' right rotor length. Bad instructions! Blimey! Good service!.

T' remainin' construction steps are simple and should be uneventful. Blimey! See the rewritten instructions for them.

Finishing:
This is a QCR bird, ya bilge rat, so it's primarily designed for competition, matey, arrr, ya bilge rat, therefore it is OK t' fly it "naked"--that is unfinished. Well, blow me down! Looks are nay a priority here. For those guys out thar that must finish their rockets t' find inner peace, me hearties, a thin coat o' clear enamel may be what t' doctor ordered, as it will keep t' rotors from absorbin' moisture, matey, just be ready t' pay for t' weight cost. Ya scallywag! Begad! An alternative would be t' "paint" t' rotors with thin CA and sand t' blades smooth afterwards. Ya scallywag! This would strengthen t' rotors and take care o' t' moisture problem as well. Aye aye! Begad!

Construction Rating: 4 out o' 5

Flight:
T' flight characteristics o' t' Ultimate II are excellent. Aye aye! Blimey! Ahoy! Blimey! Long flight times with stable trajectories were t' norm. While t' original instructions had the Estes C6-3, Apogee D3-3, me hearties, and Apogee C4-3 as recommended engines, arrr, arrr, arrr, t' second set of instructions that Ken sent me only recommended t' Estes engine. Ya scallywag! Blimey! In order to test stability and other flight characteristics, me hearties, I flew t' bird with Estes A8-3, me bucko, B6-4, matey, ya bilge rat, and C6-3 engines. T' flights were all acceptable, arrr, matey, although the A8-3 seemed wobbly (read: underpowered) at first. Begad! Blimey! Both t' B6-4 and C6-3 flights were arrow straight and ejected at or near apogee. A good engine to test would have been t' C6-5, ya bilge rat, as I think t' 3 second delay was too short on the C engine, me bucko, while t' 4 second delay was perfect on t' B engine.

T' rocket requires no waddin' for flight preparation and t' engines were retained usin' maskin' tape. Engine retention is necessary for NARRRRR contest flights. T' preflight preparation would be a breeze except for t' need to pass sewin' thread through t' body tube and then knot so that it holds the rotors in place on t' way up. This is hard t' do in t' field without an assistant. Aye aye! Avast!

Recovery:
One curious aspect o' t' recovery was that, in all cases, t' whole rocket spun in t' air on t' way down instead o' havin' t' spin hub rotate about the body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Probably thar was still too much friction betwixt t' spin hub and the body tube. Avast! Arrr! However, me bucko, I doubt whether any amount o' sandin' and lubrication, limited by t' need t' have a viable body tube and spin hub, ya bilge rat, would reduce friction t' t' point o' makin' it smaller than t' drag o' t' body tube rotatin' in t' air.

As far as wear and tear goes, after three flights, t' only apparent damage was that t' exhaust gases were beginnin' t' melt t' Mylar plastic that protects t' rotors. Ahoy! Probably could do better by gluin' a small piece of aluminum foil t' t' back o' t' rotors rather than t' Mylar tape. On the other hand, shiver me timbers, durability may nay be a primary design objective on a competition bird.

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary:
This is a very nice rocket. Good materials and great flight characteristics. Construction, however, me hearties, is a bit challenging. Arrr! Aye aye! Perhaps t' extra difficulty of the spin hub type helicopter is nay worth t' effort. Aye aye! QCR manufactures other helicopter models o' similar size without t' spin hub design (like t' High Rotor I). I recommend t' Ultimate II t' any experienced builder lookin' for an unusual rocket or someone aimin' t' fly competitively. Arrr!

PROs: Good materials, matey, shiver me timbers, light and strong rocket, good flight characteristics, customer service, and price. Begad!

CONs: Poor instructions, difficult construction, arrr, and spin hub didn't work. Begad!

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

Other:
QCR #100 -- Ultimate II Instructions (Rewritten and Annotated)

1. Cut out and shape rotors.

1. Cut out rotors from balsa stock.
2. Tip: Replicate markings o' sample rotor on t' other two. Avast! Place a mark on the tip o' each rotor at t' middle o' t' blade. Begad!
3. Airfoil outer 12" o' each rotor.
4. Cut rotor blades along diagonal shown in sample. You have a choice between a "standard cut" (almost along t' rotor's main diagonal) or a shorter "optional cut" Don't cut all t' way through. Well, blow me down! Instead, arrr, shiver me timbers, cut halfway and then bend along t' cut line. Spread glue inside cut (medium CA). Use round toothpicks under t' break while t' glue dries. Well, blow me down! Blimey! Tip: Usin' masking tape along t' sides o' t' blade, tape t' rotor t' your worktable over the toothpicks. Begad! This keeps t' cut open while t' glue dries. Aye aye! Begad! Rubbin' the toothpicks with petroleum jelly will keep them from stickin' t' t' rotor permanently, in case t' CA glue wicks over t' t' underside o' t' blade. Blimey! Well, ya bilge rat, blow me down!

• Cut out and shape fins.

1. Cut out fin pattern from instruction sheet. Tip: Replicate it on a piece of cardstock. Begad! Avast, me proud beauty! Discard t' paper fin pattern. Begad!
2. Trace fin pattern on balsa stock. Avast! Ahoy! Tip: Make sure t' leadin' edge is parallel t' t' wood grain.
3. Cut out t' fins.
4. Sand t' fins as appropriate. Avast! Tip: Airfoil for competition use.

• Sand nose cone as needed.
• Punch 2 holes on BT. Aye aye! Blimey! Blimey! (4 holes were already punched in me kit.)
• Glue hinges onto outer spin hub.

1. Glue 18mm engine casin' in center o' fin alignment drawing. Let dry. Avast, me proud beauty! Tip: Wrap a few turns o' maskin' tape around engine casin' t' make a better fit for spin hub. Aye aye! Ya scallywag!
2. Place spin hub on casing. Begad! Blimey! Draw lines on spin hub 120° lines apart, parallel t' its longitudinal axis (Note: Already done in me kit). Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Align with lines on t' drawing. Arrr! Avast! Blimey!
3. Draw lines through center o' hinges.
4. Fold hinges at right angles. Align hinges with lines on t' drawin' and lines on hub. Aye aye! Put maskin' tape under hinges t' keep them from stickin' t' the drawing. Well, blow me down! Aye aye!
5. Tack hinges t' hub. Ahoy! Tip: Use thick CA (sparingly). Well, blow me down! Don't let glue get to the hinge pins. Smear t' joints with petroleum jelly t' protect it from the glue.
6. Secure hinges t' spin hub by windin' t' sewin' thread around t' hinges. Glue thread in place. Blimey! Blimey! CRITICAL: Don't get glue on hinge pins. Avast, me hearties, me proud beauty! Blimey! Tip: Keep the glue away from t' hinge joint by holdin' t' hinged end o' t' spin hub upward durin' this step.

• Attach metal hooks t' spin hub by alignin' them with 120° lines on forward end o' spin hub. Ya scallywag! Ya scallywag! Glue them on t' outside o' t' hub. Arrr! Avast! Tip: This is a high stress joint. Begad! Begad! Use 5-minute epoxy.
• Glue metal hooks (for rubber bands) t' rotors by locatin' position o' hook along each rotor's longitudinal axis, 4" from t' hinge edge. Aye aye!
• Work on body tube.

1. Draw a line around t' body tube 3 5/16" from t' forward edge o' the tube. Well, blow me down! Slide and glue t' lower rin' t' body tube. Well, blow me down! T' forward edge o' t' ring should lie on t' line drawn around t' body tube. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! Tip: CA grabs too fast for applications in which pieces have t' slide into place. Avast! Use carpenter's (yellow) glue.
2. Sand and lubricate t' inside o' t' spin hub and t' outside o' t' body tube. Ahoy! Blimey! Use pencil tip for lubrication. Begad! Blimey!
3. Glue fins t' body tube. T' aft edge o' t' fins should be 3/8" from aft edge o' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Use medium CA or carpenter's (yellow) glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Blimey! Tip: Lightly sand area where fins are t' be glued.
4. Protect t' nose cone from bein' burned by t' ejection gases by covering the shoulder end (not t' sides!) with a coat o' epoxy. Begad! Do t' same for the front end o' t' body tube (near t' punched-out holes). Aye aye! Begad!

• Glue rotors t' hinges.

1. Place hinged spin hub on engine casin' previously glued t' t' fin alignment drawing. Align hinges with 120° lines. Ya scallywag! Use maskin' tape under hinges. Ya scallywag! Tip: Make t' drawin' bigger by gluin' t' original drawin' t' poster board backing. Then extend t' alignment lines t' 20" from t' center of the drawing.
2. Align rotors with 120° lines. Avast, me proud beauty! Begad! Each line should be in t' middle o' the hinge and t' middle o' t' rotor. Tack rotors one at a time with CA.
3. Put spin hub on body tube and check rotor alignment. Avast, me proud beauty! Ahoy! Rotors should lie straight betwixt t' fins. Well, blow me down! Open rotors should also be equidistant from each other (about 31" betwixt tips). If needed, adjust and tack again.
4. After all adjustments are made, glue rotors and let dry. Ahoy! Blimey! Tip: This is a high stress joint, me bucko, use epoxy.

• Cut hinge stops out. Avast! Ahoy! Locate position o' stop along a rotor's longitudinal axis that will allow t' rotor t' open t' a 6" dihedral, shiver me timbers, measured at the rotor tip. Blimey! Glue and let dry. Repeat for other 2 rotors. Ya scallywag! Arrr! Tip: Tack rotor stops in place first with thin CA, then glue with epoxy. Aye aye! For a 18" rotor, the specified dihedral is equivalent t' an angle o' 19.5°
• Draw a mark on t' body tube, me hearties, 5" from t' aft end, arrr, aligned with one of the fin placement lines. Blimey! Punch or drill a 1/16" diameter hole clear across the body tube. You may use a large needle for this.
• Protect t' rotors by coverin' them with Mylar tape, at t' point where they would meet t' holes made in Step 11.
• Place spin hub on body tube. Slide upper rin' onto t' body tube and glue with carpenter's glue. Arrr! Allow a small gap (say 1/16") betwixt spin hub and top ring. Tip: Apply a light coat o' petroleum jelly on t' gap t' protect it from t' glue. Arrr! Aye aye! CA grabs too fast for applications in which pieces have t' slide into place. Arrr! Use carpenter's (yellow) glue. Avast, me proud beauty! Make sure t' wipe off all excess glue.
• Glue t' nosecone in place. Well, blow me down!