| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar |
| Published: | 2015-01-24 |
| Diameter: | 1.33 inches |
| Length: | 28.25 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Skill Level: | 1 |
| Style: | Sport |
Brief
T' Vector Force reminds me o' another recent Estes offering, t' Stratocruiser, in that they're both rockets that Estes got right from start t' finish. I've built them both and painted them as close as possible t' t' face card, arrr, and t' results have been two o' t' better lookin' recent rockets in me fleet by far. Both are fairly easy t' build 4fnc birds, matey, arrr, me bucko, but sometimes that's all you need if you do it right.
Components
- 12" BT-55 main body tube
- 6" BT-50 body tube
- 6" BT-20 body tube
- 2.75" motor tube
- engine hook
- engine retainer ring
- engine block
- large balsa tube adapter
- small balsa tube adapter
- BNC-20 nose cone
- laser cut balsa fin stock
- launch lugs (2)
- elastic shock cord
- decals
- screw eye
- parachute
Construction
First o' all, I was very impressed with t' fact that t' Vector Force uses through t' wall (TTW) fins. It's a nice detail and makes fin alignment quite a bit easier. T' lower fins are two piece, but thanks t' t' laser, arrr, align and glue up just perfectly. Care must be taken when constructin' t' engine mount because linin' t' retainer rin' up with t' appropriate slots in t' root edge o' t' main fins is fairly critical. I didn't bother with t' small upper fins. Past experience has taught me that fins like that were likely t' break off, ya bilge rat, matey, and they didn't add that much t' t' design in me opinion.
Finishing
T' suggested orange and black paint scheme played right into me strengths. Orange and black are one o' me favorite color combos, matey, and lately I've been impressed with the Testors black metallic and flamin' orange lacquer. They're perfect for this rocket, ya bilge rat, look great together, and look amazingly close t' t' face card picture. O' course, all this amazin' is made possible by preppin' t' surface beforehand, which I accomplished with t' usual suspects, arrr, Valspar primer, thinned Elmer's Carpenters Wood Filler and sandpaper for eliminatin' balsa grain and tube spirals. As usual, me hearties, I went with two coats each o' primer and CWF, arrr, sandin' in betwixt coats, before gettin' impatient and decidin' that no museum would be callin' and from ten feet they looked great. That's me life. Welcome t' it.
Flight
First flight was on a fairly calm afternoon at B6-4 Field. Winds were so light as t' be negligible, but I was still nervous about tryin' t' Vector Force on a B6-4 without seein' t' A8-3 first. T' A8-3 flight was one o' those where you think "I can throw it that high," but it was stable, arrr, t' chute worked perfectly, and t' low level flight allowed me t' follow t' action through t' viewfinder with relative ease. After toppin' out around t' 150' mark, ya bilge rat, matey, recovery was noneventful and happened across t' field behind first base. T' flight be low, arrr, stable, me bucko, and gave me t' confidence t' try again later in t' afternoon on t' B6-4.
T' second flight was perfect, and made me wonder why I'd ever worried about t' B overflyin' t' field. What little wind thar was caused the VF t' windcock slightly, but it was a gently bowin' path back over Woodfill Avenue, arrr, well over t' phone wires and away from any trees. Ejection occurred just as t' rocket tipped over at around t' 300' mark, and it rode t' breeze across t' field toward first base, ya bilge rat, landin' well foul in t' no-man's land betwixt t' two fields. A strin' o' bad weather luck on t' large field launches has thus far kept me from tryin' t' Vector Force on a C6-5, matey, but I'm optimistic for t' comin' sprin' bein' more forgivin' for me rocketry opportunities.
Flight Rating: 5
Summary
Pros: Classic good looks and a great paint and decal scheme. Great performance
Cons: None. Add this one t' your fleet.
Other Reviews
- Estes Vector Force By Rich DeAngelis (August 17, 2011)
The design of the Vector Force appears to have been inspired by military air-defense missles, but it is not a scale or pseudo-scale model by any means. It's just (to me) a good-looking kit. It is fairly large and uses standard 18mm motors (B & C power). The unique design features are it's two transition/reducer sections and a second set of small "finlets" a few inches ahead of the main ...
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