| Construction Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Flight Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Overall Rating: | starstarstarstarstar_border |
| Published: | 2014-01-13 |
| Diameter: | 2.00 inches |
| Length: | 35.30 inches |
| Manufacturer: | Estes  |
| Style: | Futuristic/Exotic |
Brief
This is a sci-fi inspired kit recently released by Estes. Blimey! Blimey! It uses t' same nose cone as t' Interceptor E and Cosmic Interceptor, arrr, arrr, only pre-colored silver and black.
Components
Where t' begin, ya bilge rat, me hearties, shiver me timbers, Nose down? T' nose be t' same one as on t' Interceptor E/ Cosmic Interceptor, arrr, only it's been pre-colored silver with black for t' cocpit windows. Ya scallywag! Body tube is also pre-colored silver, ya bilge rat, and comes pre-slotted for t' mountin' tabs on t' fins. Ahoy! And about t' fins, nay a big fan o' these fins. Ahoy! Yep, me hearties, they do t' job, but they are a plastic, 2 piece assembly molded in black. Blimey! Good for t' "no paintin' required" description on t' box, but they feel kinda weak. Begad! T' fins also get capped with those orange "gun pods" which look cool, and hold t' tips o' t' fins together. Aye aye! Next be t' motor mount, me hearties, heavy wall 29mm for t' tube, but t' centerin' rings are, shiver me timbers, agian, molded plastic. Avast, me proud beauty! Bein' an interior part, shiver me timbers, it does nay matter that they are black, shiver me timbers, but they are. Aye aye! So be t' new, matey, 2 piece, shock cord mount, molded black plastic. Arrr! Aye aye! Parachute is 18 inch nylon fabric, with 8 shroud lines, and is pre-sewn. Blimey! Lastly, t' launch lugs are, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, shiver me timbers, you may as well guess, shiver me timbers, molded black plastic. For those noticin' a pattern, shiver me timbers, thar be nay 1 piece o' wood anywhere on this kit. Well, blow me down! Just paper tubes and plastic.
Construction
Lets see, Pro's and con's. Avast! It was really fun for me buildin' this kit. Well, blow me down! Ya scallywag! T' only part prep that was needed for any o' t' parts was a light scuffin' where ever any glue joint was t' happen, and nay much glue be needed. It goes together, per t' instructions, with 30 minn epoxy and thin CA glue. Begad! This makes t' build time much faster than "normal" rockets. Begad! That makes for a big Pro for me, arrr, as I enjoy t' build process a lot. Well, blow me down! Avast, me proud beauty! But it also makes t' build over too fast for me liking, ya bilge rat, as this kit had nothin' new for me t' learn while buildin' it.
Finishing
Finishing, almost non-existant. Well, shiver me timbers, blow me down! All t' exterior peices are pre-colored t' same as t' box art, shiver me timbers, so t' only finishin' prep is a light wipe down with an alcohol rag t' clean t' surface prior t' decal placement. Aye aye! And those decals?? "Pressure Sensitive Transfer Decals", which means STICKERS!!! Stickers belong on a kids kit, nay a Pro Series kit. Avast! Arrr! However, they do stay stuck on durin' flight, so Estes at least used t' right adheasive on these ones.
Flight
Flight, t' fun part. Begad! Blimey! Estes calls out for one o' their new, me hearties, 29mm black powder F15-6 engines for t' first flight o' this one. My only problem is me local hobby store does nay yet have this engine (as o' 11/09/13). So I had t' improvise, ya bilge rat, and ended up usin' an Aerotech F22-6 reload in me 29/40-120 Aerotech casing. I never bough an F load for this casin' before, but it goes together t' same way as t' E and G reloads for this case. Avast, matey, me proud beauty! Blimey!
But t' flight is perfect, arrr, straight up, me hearties, slight arc over at apogee, and perfect ejection right after apogee. Avast! It would nay suprise me if I got a little higher than t' advertised 1600 feet on t' box.
Recovery
As mentioned in t' components block, matey, she comes with an 18 inch nylon parachute. Fearin' for t' safety o' me new rocket and t' reload casin' in her, ya bilge rat, arrr, I substituted an extra 24 inch nylon chute I had in t' range box. Well, blow me down! Maby this was a bilge-suckin' Idea, as t' shock cord and parachute got tangled on those orange "gun pods" on t' end o' t' fins. Arrr! But she still came down slowly enough t' nay recieve any damage on landing. Begad! Well, matey, blow me down! Perhaps it is a common failin' for all sci-fi rockets that t' parachute gets tangled on t' fins.
Summary
Fun kit t' build and fly. Arrr! Aye aye! I will need t' try this one agian with it's 18 inch chute t' see if thar be a difference in tanglage.
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Flights
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